Agenda item

The Chair introduced Nicole Jacobs, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, who is an independent statutory office holder appointed to provide public leadership on tackling domestic abuse and oversee and monitor the provision of services to victims of domestic abuse in England and Wales. Nicole Jacobs outlined her current priorities in relation to children and families experiencing domestic abuse, and her current and future work.

Members comments:

·       The Chair highlighted the disappointing statistic that only 29% of families think children and young people are getting the support they need. The Chair also thanked the DA Commissioner for her acknowledgement of the funding and staffing issues councils face, and the limitations to progress as a result.

·       Concern was raised around services not being continually funded and instead being subject to a bidding system with the Home Office, emphasising the need to provide a continuous service to protect the victim.

·       Members requested sharing of good practice across the country.

·       A member expanded on the need for wider collaboration between partners, as agencies had collaborated with a specific brief to achieve a specific outcome –there is a need to look at the wider landscape, to review root causes and patterns.

·       Information was requested on how the DA Commissioner and the Children’s Commissioner work together.

Nicole Jacobs responded:

·       The patchwork nature of funding for DA services needed to be more joined up and longer term, with greater communication from Government on the intention with funds. The DA commissioner’s office had gathered some evidence on which funding worked well which would help inform these conversations.

·       This linked to the need for a greater focus on strategic long-term planning and prevention, rather than crisis intervention. A forum at local level between partners was suggested to address root causes outside of silos.

·       Duties that were imposed on areas need to be funded.

·       The DA commissioner’s office would continue to raise the profile of good practice, whilst attempting to address some of the systemic funding issues, with plans over the next quarter of the year to delve into the issues at the local level. The Festival of Practice which took place at the end of March demonstrates the work being done, where local strategic leads had come together to collaborate and share information.

·       The Home Office had recently commissioned Police and Crime Commissioners with the aim to address perpetrators and root causes - £75 million of funding over 3 years. This would inform what the local pathway should look like to prevent perpetrators harming.

·       Nicole Jacobs described her collaboration with the Children's Commissioner, Rachel de Souza, as working towards shared priorities whilst ensuring no replication of work. Traditionally, the DA Commissioner also worked with the Victim’s Commissioner, however there is not one in post.

Decision

The Board considered the presentation by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and offered perspectives from their own authorities and views on the Commissioner’s current and future work.

Actions

·       Members to reach out to the DA Commissioner’s Regional Commissioners to begin to support work of discovering and sharing good practice across the country – particularly how councils collaborate with partners such as community and voluntary groups.

·       DA Commissioner’s Office to send examples of good practice between partners.