Communities and Culture Committee

Scrutiny Inquiry : Domestic Abuse

Response to Committee Inquiry into Domestic Abuse by Conwy County Borough Council

Tackling Domestic Abuse: The All Wales National Strategy Conwy Community Safety Partnership’s progress to date

February 2008

This report has been planned to discuss the Strategy Aims of ' Tackling Domestic Abuse: The All Wales Strategy’ (p.3, 2005) in relationship to Conwy CSP progress to date.

To facilitate the development and implementation of a quality coordinated joint agency response.

Conwy is continuing its progression to develop and implement a coordinated joint agency response to Domestic Abuse. Conwy and Denbighshire Community Safety Partnerships were successful in procuring Home Office funding for an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor.

IDVA

The IDVA started employment 4^th February 2008 and is based in the North Wales Women’s Centre. CAADA training is to commence 25^th February 2008 through a Home Office sponsored course. A further £5,600 was sourced from the Home Office for a database system to monitor this work. A report is currently imminent on the Coordinated Community Response progression in Conwy and Denbighshire.

SDVC

Conwy and Denbighshire completed a formal assessment to progress the SDVC against the core components required. Conwy and Denbighshire magistrate benches and both the Area Director and Justices Clerk for North Wales supported the application however the National Steering group did not give accreditation to Conwy and Denbighshire.

However Conwy and Denbighshire courts in Llandudno and Prestatyn will be changing their listing system for Domestic Abuse cases to be heard on specific days.

MARAC (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference)

The MARAC monthly meetings began in July 06. The aim is to discuss 'high risk’ domestic abuse victims. Present at the meetings are representatives from Conwy County Borough Council, North Wales Police, Conwy and Denbighshire NHS Trust, North Wales Probation, Victim Support and Women’s Aid etc. The aim of the MARAC is to offer services to protect the victim (and any children) from further abuse.

A CBM Action plan flow chart for the MARAC has been produced by North Wales Police. Information protocol has been produced for the MARAC in Conwy and Denbighshire.

The development of the MARAC is a priority for the Conwy CSP and Conwy Domestic Abuse Forum.

Safer Home project

The aim of Safer Home project is to set up of a specialist Target Hardening Service for victims of Domestic Abuse in Conwy and Denbighshire to give them the choice to remain in their own home and feel 'Safer’. The service will provide and fit door and window locks and other safety equipment. £25,803 was received to set up this service in December 06 from the Home Office.

This service has been going 'live’ since July 07 in Conwy and Denbighshire. The project has a steering group to oversee this project and to look at quality assurance issues. The official launch took place at the OpTic Conference Centre on 3/12/07 with guest speakers who spoke from a victim perspective and the Director of White ribbon UK.

To improve the current service provision for all victims and to particularly increase the safe choices for women and children/young people who experience domestic abuse.

Conwy has two Women’s Aid organisations, which provide support and refuge to women and children who are experiencing domestic abuse. Tai Hafan also provide accommodation and support services in Conwy for women experiencing domestic abuse.

The further development of the MARAC and the Safer Home Service (please see above). Freedom program is present within Conwy and linked to the MARAC process however again funding is limited.

To hold abusers accountable for their behaviour

In 2006 there has been the development of the MARAC for repeat victims and the CBM flow chart linked to the MARAC. The names of the repeat perpetrators are gathered by the Community Safety Partnership Analyst and given to the district inspectors for distribution to their CBM’s. Therefore an increased police positive action of domestic abuse which has been consolidated across North Wales with the Centrex training course to police officers. In the local police stations of Conwy and Denbighshire a Polaroid camera and film has been distributed for officers to take to an incident to enhance evidence gathering.

Caring Dad’s is currently being piloted in Conwy with trained multi agency facilitators this programme is children focussed and non Mandatory. Relate are about to facilitate a Choose2Change programme. IDAP programmes run through probation are taking place in Conwy run by Probation.

Improved data collection within the Conwy and Denbighshire area to identify first time reporting and repeat offenders, which is fed back to local Domestic Abuse Forums and CSP’s.

To increase public awareness as to the issues surrounding domestic abuse.

CSP has been involved in White Ribbon day, writing articles in local newspaper on the issue of domestic abuse. Further work needs to be done in this area.

To challenge the notion that domestic abuse is acceptable

Basic Domestic Abuse Awareness Multi agency training is facilitated on a monthly basis in Conwy and Denbighshire through Conwy and Denbighshire Domestic Abuse Forum Training Subgroup.

To protect children and young people in Wales from the negative impact of domestic abuse.

Children’s Domestic Abuse Project

The children and young people appropriate for the project will be identified via the YISP (Youth Inclusion Support Panel), where approximately 70% of young people going through Prevent and Deter have been identified as having experienced/experiencing domestic abuse. Of these young people a small number are also domestic abuse perpetrators, with current partners or parents.

The engagement will compliment the other interventions undertaken, focusing on the young person as having survived/been a victim of domestic abuse. The difficulty that has been identified is that there is often young people who are offending or at risk of offending and they are only being seen as offenders, never as victims. This project can attempt to address the underlying issues behind the offending which can often be more difficult to identify. Butterflies have been commissioned to develop the group work part of this project.

To educate and inform children/young people to enable them to make informed choices.

Conwy are linking in with the Spectrum programme for North Wales. Educational Social Work service are integral members of the Conwy Domestic Abuse Forum Strategic Group.

Recommendations

Minimum Standards
Be aware of all individual victims.
Diversity issues is included in the Conwy Domestic Abuse Forum Priorities. Links are also being made with regards to the MARAC development on Mental Health, older people, people with disabilities.
Have appropriate systems in place for identifying domestic abuse where there are no outward signs.
The Conwy CSP and CDAF have been involved in the training of community midwives and health visitors in the All Wales Pathway for Domestic Abuse.
Level 3 Child Protection Training focussing on Domestic Abuse was facilitated to Health Professionals in Conwy and Denbighshire.
MARAC Seminar was facilitated to professionals in Conwy and Denbighshire.
Domestic Abuse and Children and Young People training facilitated to the voluntary sector.
Provide clear information and referrals to victims.

Updating and further development need to be ongoing with regards to this minimum standard. A bilingual information leaflet has been developed for children and young people in Conwy. This has also been facilitated via MARAC Seminars.

Provide relevant training to staff with one specific nominated individual to have overall responsibility.

Please see above on training.

Have a domestic abuse policy in place.
Draft work place policy is in place for Conwy.
Develop safe information sharing protocols
This is being done on a North Wales level.

Conwy Domestic Abuse Coordinator