West Berkshire Council to invest £250,000 in supporting victims of domestic abuse
The public are being asked for their views on how to protect domestic abuse victims in West Berkshire.
West Berkshire Council is investing an additional £250,000 to further the support offered to victims, including children.
The funding, provided by the Government, follows the passing of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which has resulted in new duties being placed on local authorities across the country to provide support to victims of domestic abuse and their children in refuges and other safe accommodation.
Domestic abuse remains one of the most prevalent crimes in England and Wales – an estimated 2.3 million adults aged 16 to 74 experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2020, of whom around two-thirds were women.
In light of the new legislation, the council recently undertook a local needs assessment to determine the level of need across West Berkshire.
Graham Bridgman, West Berkshire’s executive member for public health and wellbeing (Con, Burghfield and Mortimer), said: “Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, social or economic status, sexuality or background. That’s why it’s so important that we get as many views as we can from people to make sure we have the right support in place.”
To comment on the draft strategy, go to https://info.westberks.gov.uk/draftDASAS
The survey will be live for the next six weeks, until Wednesday, November 10. It will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
