A comprehensive review of domestic abuse and sexual assault services on the Isle of Wight will help to meet residents’ needs, it is claimed.
It comes as the Isle of Wight Council approves a new multi-million-pound contract to provide integrated services for the next 7 years.
On the Island, the services give specialist help including safe accommodation; outreach support; training and counselling as well as programme options for perpetrators. The current contract is delivered by You Trust at an annual cost of £315,112 a year.
It is funded by the Isle of Wight Council, government grants and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner.
Speaking at the cabinet meeting last week, Councillor Lora Peacey-Wilcox said following a visit to You Trust, she was really impressed with the team who were caring and going over and above to help the Island. The new contract will start from 1st October 2023 and run for 5 years, with the potential to extend it for 2 further single years at a cost of up to £350,000 a year.
Over the potential 7-year time frame, the council has set aside up to £2,500,000. Before the new contract starts, the council’s newly appointed domestic abuse team will lead a needs assessment on the Island to determine where and what is needed.
The Isle of Wight Council’s cabinet also approved where government funding would be spent in the next year to support the delivery of domestic abuse duties.
More than £292,000 will be spent on safe accommodation units, training, staffing and the development of a survivor voice forum.
Cabinet member for adult social care and public health, Councillor Karl Love, expressed his concerns about any potential government funding in the future due to events in parliament. He said:
“We cannot see what the future funding is given the terrible events recently. The government has done more harm to local authorities than I have ever seen in my life.”
IE censoring perfectly reasonable comments on here yet again… You should be ashamed of yourselves.
yep – and criticism about the use of a man threatening a woman in the image – no representation of women perpetrators.
That’s right, I asked why the article showed a picture of a male standing in front of a female with a clenched fist, suggesting that males are the abusive sex. The post never appeared hence my censorship comment. It is time, in this woke society, that men are not always depicted as abusers. There are a huge number of abusive women out there too. Obviously, all abuse is wrong.
Safe accommodation units for the girl to move into ….invite some nutjob off tinder around have an argument and call it domestic violence again.
What a vicious circle and 2.5 million pound to get it done.
Lessons in how not to be a skank and lessons in appropriate times to actually call the police.
Followed by a one to one class on why false accusations are bad.
Yet there is no interest, yet alone funding from Councils,Police or any other community minded dept for a group, that aims to reduce aggression and increase the understanding of the consequences of violence in children from 4-15 years or in a group that empowers women ?