Agenda item

          The Board considered a report from the Executive Director – Environment and Regeneration, regarding the work undertaken by the Domestic Abuse Board and the work programme for the period 2025/26.

 

          The Board, which was a multi-agency partnership, underwent a review which had included its membership, to ensure appropriate senior level representation from stakeholders.  It also published an interim strategy, mobilised its Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and set out a work programme which was supported by a sub-group structure. The Board mets on a bi-monthly basis.

 

          The interim Domestic Abuse Strategy, which was attached to the report as an appendix, set out four strategic priorities:

 

·       act before someone is harmed;

·       increase safety for those at risk;

·       identify and stop harmful behaviours; and

·       support people to live the life they want after harm occurs.

 

The Board responded to these priorities by establishing four sub-groups titled Prevent, Prepare, Protect and Pursue.  The groups work collectively to operationalise the priorities through high level oversight, partnership co-ordination and outcome driven planning.  The structure would also ensure the work of the Board feeds into the Safeguarding Boards, Scrutiny Boards and any other statutory groups.

 

          Accommodation arrangements for domestic abuse had fed into the emerging Housing Strategy for the Borough, to ensure that statutory requirements were met and to improve housing offers for emergency, supported and dispersed accommodation for victims and their families going forward.

 

          Also attached to the report was a draft Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA).  This provided a strategic overview of domestic abuse in Halton, the statutory duties under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 which would inform future service commissioning, Housing Strategy and multi-agency co-ordination.  There had been some key findings from the draft assessment and these were outlined in section 3.9 of the report.  The JSNA also included 13 strategic recommendations, which the Partnership Board needed to consider. 

 

          Members of the Board were advised that work was underway to raise awareness of older persons domestic abuse and a partnership event was planned for 21 November 2025 to discuss prevention and best practice management for those who supported individuals at risk of, or experiencing, domestic abuse in later life.

 

          The following additional information was provided in response to Members questions/comments:

 

 

         

 

 

 

·       although Halton’s perpetrator rate was higher than the national average, it was suggested that the national figure was exceptionally low and therefore more work was required to identify the reason for this.  Further work was also required to identify how Halton compared to its neighbouring authorities.  It was agreed that Members would be provided with a further update in due course;

 

·       concerns were also raised regarding the statistics of Halton’s repeat victimisation rate and the Board requested further clarification on this;

 

·       Members were reassured that Halton was compliant with the Domestic Abuse Act.  However, with regards to accommodation, Halton needed to  strengthen their dispersed step down offer and how it supported victims who required family type accommodation in residential areas, hence the importance of input to the Housing Strategy.  In terms of emergency accommodation, the Executive Board had approved a significant capital investment in a programme of work earlier in the year and this was now in motion;

 

·       there was a mutual agreement between local authorities to share referrals and provide supported accommodation in out of areas to help protect victims; and

 

·       Domestic Abuse victims were prioritised in terms of housing allocations.

 

RESOLVED:  That the Board:

 

1)    note the development of the statutory Domestic Abuse Partnership Board governance arrangements;

 

2)    endorse the work programme; and

 

3)    note the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment for Domestic Abuse.