Issue - meetings

Purpose:  To inform the Executive of the new duty placed on local authorities as set out in the Domestic Abuse Bill, currently before Parliament, which includes a new duty for the Council to assess the need for support and prepare strategies to provide support for victims and their children [who need to reside] in relevant accommodation (also referred to as safe accommodation throughout this report).

Preparations have been undertaken in order to meet the new legal requirements and the Executive must agree how best the Council implements the new duty from April 2021 (if the Bill receives Royal Assent).

Resolved that:

·         The role of our Domestic Abuse Strategy Group is revised to enable it to become the ‘West Berkshire Domestic Abuse Board’ in order to fulfil the new requirements as set out in the Domestic Abuse Bill and accompanying statutory guidance.

·         Once received, the additional burden funding is used for two purposes; firstly to recruit administrative support within the Building Communities Together Team with responsibility for providing support to the West Berkshire Domestic Abuse Board and secondly commissioning additional services where gaps in support and safe accommodation have been identified through the required needs assessment.

This decision is not subject to call in as:

·      a delay in implementing the decision could compromise the Council's position.

therefore it will be implemented immediately.

The Executive considered a report (Agenda Item 6) concerning New Domestic Abuse and Safe Accommodation Duty. The report informed the Executive of the new duty placed on local authorities as set out in the Domestic Abuse Bill, currently before Parliament, which included a new duty for the Council to assess the need for support and to prepare strategies to provide support for victims and their children who needed to reside in relevant accommodation (referred to as safe accommodation throughout the report).

Preparations had been undertaken in order to meet new legal requirements and the Executive were asked to agree how best the Council implemented the new duty from April 2021 provided the Bill received Royal Assent. Councillor Howard Woollaston understood that the Bill had its second reading in the House of Lords yesterday. It put a duty on tier one authorities from April 1 of this year to assess the needs and to provide support to the victims of domestic abuse and their children. Domestic abuse was an important issue and he was delighted that the Government had found parliamentary time for this piece key piece of legislation. It was one of the key performance indicators that he kept a close eye on.

One of the recommendations was the formation of the West Berkshire Domestic Abuse Board which would be chaired by Andy Sharp, Executive Director. This Board would report directly to the Health and Wellbeing Board. He proposed acceptance of the recommendations set out in the report.

Councillor Lynne Doherty stated that there were 2.4 million victims of domestic abuse per year which included people of all ages and therefore she was pleased to see this Domestic Abuse Bill coming through. She had been involved in the Domestic Abuse Forum in West Berkshire and she welcomed the duty on local authorities to provide safe accommodation for victims of domestic abuse.

Councillor Graham Bridgman also welcomed the prospective legislation. He noted that the Bill had not yet been passed into statute and there might therefore be some amendments required in the report in order to line up with the legislation. He therefore proposed that any changes to the Terms of Reference and everything that surrounded them should be considered in due course by the new West Berkshire Domestic Abuse Board and then the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Councillor Lee Dillon agreed with the comments made by Councillor Bridgman in that proposals made were based on a Bill, not on an Act of Parliament, and as long as it was subject to that final change then then his group would be supportive.

Councillor Carolyne Culver questioned to what extent the membership would change and how much of the overall funding figure would be spent on administration as opposed to delivery of the service. She also asked what the increase in the number of refuge places would be. Councillor Woollaston confirmed that the membership would consist of representatives from West Berkshire Council, victims and/or children of domestic abuse, Domestic Abuse Services, volunteers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 96