People in Torfaen are safe. Domestic abuse incidents in Torfaen

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1 People in Torfaen are safe Number of domestic abuse incidents Officers responsible Context Data Kate Williams Matthew Didcott Reporting period April 2016 March 2017 Domestic abuse incidents in Torfaen Torfaen Torfaen (projection) This is a projection not a forecast; it is an indication on what we can expect to happen if nothing changes. This projection is based on service area intelligence rather than the standard projection tool and has been levelled off at 1550 incidents. Source: Gwent Police Section 1: Story behind the data The number of Domestic Abuse incidents for 2016/2017 in Torfaen was This is a slight reduction compared to 2015/2016 figure of incidents were discussed on the DACC (Domestic Abuse Conference Cal) for 2016/17 and 82 high risk cases were heard at MARAC compared to 106 high risk cases in 2015/16. Section 2: Milestones achieved For 2016/ People benefiting directly from IDVA service in Torfaen; People reporting that they have been provided with the information and advice they need to access services and support and able to make informed choices as a result; People signposted to appropriate support services; Service users reporting feeling safer; People reporting an improvement to their wellbeing/quality of life; 15 (The victim data was gathered from two sources. Outcome 1 was collated at the point of referral and outcomes 2-5 were collated at point of exit from the service)

2 The new Regional VAWDASV base was launched in December 2016 and provides a central point of expertise for agencies and professionals. Regional Training, Ask and Act pilot training and external training has been delivered from the VAWDASV Offices. Meeting rooms are utilised by the Adult/Children Boards and the IDVA s and other agencies have access to hot-desking. The premises were a launched on the 9th December to mark Human Rights Day and the 16 days of activity (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women/White Ribbon Campaign 2016). Section 3: What challenges have you faced? Regionalisation and Co-ordination of Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse, Sexual Violence. The Regionalisation of IDVA service There has been continued development of relationships with key stakeholders, at both strategic and operational levels. The IDVA Steering Group has met throughout the year to further the regionalisation of the service and the handover of staff to the Regional IDVA Manager secondments and SLA s have been drafted for commencement from 1 st April IDVA Team meetings have been held during this period, with the aim of improving the consistency of service delivery across Gwent. The Gwent specific policy and procedure for the service has been drafted and circulated wider for consultation. Reviews and observations of MARAC s have been carried out with SafeLives findings and recommendations are to be fed into the next quarters DACC/MARAC sub-group for future implementation in 2017/18. Regional Strategy In October 2016, VAWDASV Partnership Board commissioned Welsh Women s Aid to; Undertake a comprehensive needs assessment that will provide the required information to inform the development of the strategic plan and priorities Produce a Regional Strategic VAWDASV Plan Ensure that the Regional Partnership works to a strategic plan that provides better outcomes for service users, consistency and efficacy across the region with a common shared model of service delivery. Align the regional strategic plan to Welsh Government National Strategy. Section 4: Case studies Case study 1 Cafannol Women s Aid Following discussion on the Gwent Domestic Abuse Conference Call (DACC), a mother and daughter were allocated for Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) support. Cyfannol s DACC/MARAC worker was contacted by a manager at Social Services to conduct a joint visit with a social worker, which led to a four-week period of intensive work alongside Torfaen Social Services.

3 The case was high risk and complex, involving 30 years of physical, emotional and financial abuse by the husband/father, which had resulted in a deterioration in the mental health of both women. Cyfannol s DACC/MARAC worker attended MARAC and POVA meetings and worked closely with the Police Officers to ensure safety, best evidence and emotional well-being, as well as supplying safety products and target-hardening equipment. Both the social worker and Cyfannol s DACC/MARAC worker found the multi-agency approach invaluable. Through working collaboratively, the social worker developed a deeper understanding of domestic abuse and Cyfannol s DACC/MARAC worker enhanced her knowledge of working within the POVA arena. Their joint approach led to a positive outcome for the clients, whose risk levels decreased sufficiently, negating the need for crisis intervention support. Both women were transferred to floating support in January Case study 2 Phoenix Domestic Abuse Services As an IDVA I work with a cross section of individuals who not only have the issues of being in an abusive relationship or having to deal with the effects of being in an abusive relationship but very often possess other complexities in their life, such as mental health, drug/alcohol misuse, access so financial security and poor support networks. There is one particular case that I can write about that I have supported and helped in the last year. I haven t named my client for confidentiality reasons and won t refer to her as a victim neither as this is disempowering. Client A was referred to me based on the fact that she was a high risk victim of domestic abuse and had been discussed at the local MARAC on numerous occasions. She was also a serial victim of abuse and her partner was also known as a prolific offender to Police and Probation. Client A had a very poor history of engaging in any support by any agency. I had previously had a referral for her but despite all efforts she didn t engage at that time, which meant that at that time she wasn t ready to accept help, it could also have meant that she didn t feel safe enough to access support and advice. Due to a change in circumstances, namely the perpetrator moving out of the shared accommodation temporarily due to being pursued by Police, Client A was ready to engage. This didn t mean that she was out of danger as her partner had been known to come in and out of her life but remain in control of her actions at all times. As it wasn t safe to meet at her property, due to the unpredictable nature of the perpetrator I agreed to meet with her at a local cafe so that I could complete an individual support plan (ISP) with her to assess what her current needs, concerns and priorities were. It became quite clear that she was indeed in crisis not only from a domestic abuse front but her whole life according to her was crashing down around her. She had started to drink very heavily to cope with what was happening to her and this had a detrimental effect on an underlying mental health condition that she had. She was facing eviction from her home due to unpaid rent and complaints by the neighbours about constant shouting and loud noise (evidence of domestic abuse). Client A had no support network left due to her ex-partner distancing her from them and cutting all contact with them. She felt very much alone with no one to turn to. Due to previous negative experiences at refuge in the area this was not going to be an option for on this occasion. A mental health charity had been providing floating support and had previously offered her accommodation through their scheme but due to concerns about the domestic abuse this was now not

4 an option for her. It became quite clear that as a professional I was going to experience challenges in getting her re-located quickly. Thankfully having had a number of conversations with myself Client A felt more confident in reaching out to a family member who was also able to provide some interim support whilst I continued to try and find the best form of support that would also cater for her alcohol and mental health issues. Target hardening was placed on client A s home as the perpetrator had made threats that he would be returning imminently. There was a police investigation in progress and he was doing all he could to intimidate my client to drop the charges against him. Thankfully I was able to find a specialist refuge out of area after a couple of days of ringing and liaising with other services. My client was transferred to this facility where she has her own flat within a secure setting, she is accessing alcohol support and mental health provision and is engaging in programmes designed to raise awareness of domestic abuse which in turn will increase her confidence and resilience. Since speaking to her following this move she explained that she feels as though she has her life back, she has made friends, is gaining her independence and is back in contact with her family. Unfortunately the criminal investigation fell through but I have offered to continue to support her through obtaining civil interventions should she want to. Section 5: Future plans Partnerships and activity VAWDASV Regional Team Alignment of work with the South East Wales Safeguarding Boards has been agreed following a development day held on the 9th November VAWDASV representation is being agreed across Adults and Children s Boards, Training /Communication and Engagement Subgroups and Local Safeguarding Networks. The Communication and Engagement Subgroup will deliver on workplans across the three agendas. Local Safeguarding Networks are now in place for the Region. The regional team play a key role in promoting the VAWDASV agenda through these partnership networks. There will be 6 meetings during the course of the year and two of those meetings will take place as a practitioner forum event whereby operational frontline professionals will have the opportunity to engage in learning about safeguarding from the three strategic boards in the region. Section 6: Contributions to other shared outcomes As the early adopter site for Ask and Act the region has continued with this work during 2016/2017. A learning day for Ask and Act early adopter sites was held by Welsh Government and Welsh Women s Aid on the 15th February. Lessons will inform a toolkit to be developed to assist other areas in

5 implementing. The Training Subgroup has also submitted local training plans to Welsh Government on behalf of regional relevant authorities along with an overview report and a view to implement in April In addition to the work of the National Training Framework (NTF), the delivery of multi-agency training has ensured adequate provision of training on a range of VAWDASV topics, for professionals working across agencies/ sectors. The training plan sought to facilitate enhanced knowledge and understanding of key VAWDASV issues and development of professional practice. The needs assessment work and development of the regional strategy have highlighted the need for improvements across VAWDASV data gathering and reporting. The regional needs assessment will evidence the detail of service provision and need lessons identified through reviews will continue to inform service development. The region will need to develop regional measures and indicators in accordance with the National Measures and Indicators (when published) and establish the regional performance reporting framework in accordance with the Regional VAWDASV Strategy. Responses to all Well-Being Assessment consultations for each Local Authority areas in Gwent were submitted in 2016/2017. Clear and consistent feedback on the VAWDASV agenda and the significance between well-being, sustainability of safe communities as well as the needs assessment and strategy development was highlighted throughout. The Regional Team have continued to support Spectrum Project in their delivery to local Education settings. The regional team have attended a number of schools across the region with the Spectrum project to scope good practices and identify areas for further development that can be looked at in more detail in the SEW Safeguarding in Education Group. Target Hardening equipment was purchased for each local area in Gwent in 2016/2017 and delivered/stored in the Multi Agency centres/one Stop Shops in each locality. The purchase assisted support staff working with victims to easy accessible equipment in a timely manner that meets the need of the victim and ensures a consistent response service across the Region to target hardening.