Agenda item

8.1

The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director of Adult Care and Wellbeing and the Head of Commissioning – Vulnerable People. 

The report aimed to seek agreement to recommission the Domestic Abuse Community Based Support Contract.

Using data from the Crime Survey of England and Wales it is likely that around 23,860 adult victims in Sheffield have experienced Domestic Abuse in the last year. It is widely recognised that Domestic Abuse has long term harmful impacts.

The Domestic Abuse Community Based Support Contract offering one to one, helpline and group support is currently delivered by IDAS. The contract started in April 2019 and is due to end in March 2024. Due to this, recommissioning therefore needs to start in 2023 to enable a service to continue to be delivered.

8.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Adult Health and Social Care Policy Committee:-

1.    Approves the recommission, via a contract with an external provider, of domestic abuse community-based support as outlined in this report.

2.    Requests that a report on outcomes and impact of the recommissioning exercise is brought to Committee.

8.3

Reasons for Decision

8.3.1

8.3.2

8.3.3

Domestic Abuse affects thousands of people in Sheffield each year. It is a cause of physical and emotional harm, and trauma that is long lasting both to adults and their children. It is also a huge cost to services in the city. Providing support at an early stage will contribute to the overall goal of prevention of harm and promotion of wellbeing in the city.

Sheffield’s response to domestic abuse has been recognised as something to be proud of. Recommissioning the community-based support contract, through a process of co-production will enable the offer to improve and ensure tailored support for victims / survivors and their families that enable them to be safer, recover and move on with their lives and contribute fully to their communities and the city.

It is intended that the outcomes will be:

• Easily accessible support that enables engagement at an earlier stage for victims/survivors

• Online resources for those that can access them promoting guided self-help.

• Tailored support that reduces risk and increases the safety of victims and their children.

• Support for victims to stay safe in their homes and prevent them from moving due to the abuse or becoming homeless.

• Effective support groups that enable recovery from the impact of domestic abuse • A wider workforce that are trained to enable them to respond to disclosures of domestic abuse in a safe and trauma informed way.

• Higher levels of awareness, and empathy for victims / survivors, and lack of tolerance for abusive behaviour supported by community champions e.g., in services that go into people’s homes

8.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

8.4.1

8.4.2

8.4.3

The Council could decide to not recommission the service however this would mean that support available for those affected by domestic abuse would be very limited and may not meet the standard required by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. There is also a statutory duty on the Safer Sheffield Partnership to conduct Domestic Homicide Reviews and report these to the Home Office. If there were no commissioned community-based services, the number of domestic homicides would be likely to rise over time.

Reducing the funds available for recommissioning would also be inadvisable as demand exceeds the needs in the city already. The capacity of the existing service has also reduced due to cost-of-living issues affecting all employers.

The current contract is working well: promoting safety, addressing trauma and enabling recovery. Partners value the service and feedback is generally good.

8.1

The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director of Adult Care and Wellbeing and the Head of Commissioning – Vulnerable People. 

The report aimed to seek agreement to recommission the Domestic Abuse Community Based Support Contract.

Using data from the Crime Survey of England and Wales it is likely that around 23,860 adult victims in Sheffield have experienced Domestic Abuse in the last year. It is widely recognised that Domestic Abuse has long term harmful impacts.

The Domestic Abuse Community Based Support Contract offering one to one, helpline and group support is currently delivered by IDAS. The contract started in April 2019 and is due to end in March 2024. Due to this, recommissioning therefore needs to start in 2023 to enable a service to continue to be delivered.

8.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Adult Health and Social Care Policy Committee:-

1.    Approves the recommission, via a contract with an external provider, of domestic abuse community-based support as outlined in this report.

2.    Requests that a report on outcomes and impact of the recommissioning exercise is brought to Committee.

8.3

Reasons for Decision

8.3.1

8.3.2

8.3.3

Domestic Abuse affects thousands of people in Sheffield each year. It is a cause of physical and emotional harm, and trauma that is long lasting both to adults and their children. It is also a huge cost to services in the city. Providing support at an early stage will contribute to the overall goal of prevention of harm and promotion of wellbeing in the city.

Sheffield’s response to domestic abuse has been recognised as something to be proud of. Recommissioning the community-based support contract, through a process of co-production will enable the offer to improve and ensure tailored support for victims / survivors and their families that enable them to be safer, recover and move on with their lives and contribute fully to their communities and the city.

It is intended that the outcomes will be:

• Easily accessible support that enables engagement at an earlier stage for victims/survivors

• Online resources for those that can access them promoting guided self-help.

• Tailored support that reduces risk and increases the safety of victims and their children.

• Support for victims to stay safe in their homes and prevent them from moving due to the abuse or becoming homeless.

• Effective support groups that enable recovery from the impact of domestic abuse • A wider workforce that are trained to enable them to respond to disclosures of domestic abuse in a safe and trauma informed way.

• Higher levels of awareness, and empathy for victims / survivors, and lack of tolerance for abusive behaviour supported by community champions e.g., in services that go into people’s homes

8.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

8.4.1

8.4.2

8.4.3

The Council could decide to not recommission the service however this would mean that support available for those affected by domestic abuse would be very limited and may not meet the standard required by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. There is also a statutory duty on the Safer Sheffield Partnership to conduct Domestic Homicide Reviews and report these to the Home Office. If there were no commissioned community-based services, the number of domestic homicides would be likely to rise over time.

Reducing the funds available for recommissioning would also be inadvisable as demand exceeds the needs in the city already. The capacity of the existing service has also reduced due to cost-of-living issues affecting all employers.

The current contract is working well: promoting safety, addressing trauma and enabling recovery. Partners value the service and feedback is generally good.