Following the closure of the Isle of Wight’s only Island-based domestic abuse survivors charity, concerns have been raised about support for victims in the future.
Councillor Sarah Redrup, the new ward Councillor for Wootton Bridge, questioned the Isle of Wight Council on Wednesday about improving services for Islanders.
She highlighted, with the closure of Wight DASH, there was now just 1 counsellor who travels from the mainland 1 day a week to provide face-to-face sessions to survivors of sexual and domestic abuse — but that counsellor has a 6-month waiting list.
A new domestic abuse service will start on 1st October – provided by those who took over the Isle of Wight Council’s contracted services from Wight DASH in 2018 — the mainland-based The You Trust and its domestic abuse, sexual violence and stalking team, Paragon.
A response from the cabinet member for public health, Cllr Ian Stephens, said the new contract, as well as the previous services, provide a holistic range of approaches to supporting victims and survivors of domestic abuse, and counselling was only 1 form of them.
The support offered via the bodies also includes Island-based domestic abuse services for children, young people and adults; refuge and safe accommodation; as well as a service supporting change in people using abusive behaviours, through evidence-based interventions.
The £1,938,730 contract has been split in 2, with 1 service for victims and survivors; the other for people using abusive behaviours.
Cllr Redrup, however, was still concerned about a physical space on the Island where survivors can go as the contract providers are both based in Fareham and the refuge they provide, she said, has no staff on weekends or after hours.
She questioned what the Council would be doing to provide a place for Islanders to access, not phone or video calls, which can be a drop-in centre or where counsellors can be based.
No answer was given at the meeting, but Cllr Redrup was asked to contact Simon Bryant, the Island’s public health director.
The new contracts will run for 5 years, with the option to extend them for 2 more years if the Council would like.
Almost £2million wasted,sure the service of Wight Dash and Refuge here didn’t cost that much. By not having service here I bet that more children have been exposed to watching domestic abuse and local Authority has instead of support and prevention then taken children into care system damaging families more and costing council tax payers £millions more in cost of careing for these children. Social Work used to be there to help and prevent family breakdowns and homelessness,but seems they do the opposite now by allowing abuse etc so can then look like are protecting, generating work for the system. Prevention is always better all round but our Council think otherwise.
So, if you feel like beating up your wife and kids, do it on an evening and/or weekend and you’ve got a free reign… Why half the 2 mil for the abusers? How about a custodial sentence? That usually stops them