Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent
In response to the request for the Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) in Wales’ to provide their forth coming work plans for tackling Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence, I have provided a brief outline of;
· How VAWDASV aligns to our Strategic Priorities.
· The current funding support provided for tackling VAWDASV from the PCC
· Partnership Approach to VAWDASV in Gwent
· How VAWDASV aligns to our Strategic Priorities
The Police and Crime Plan 2017- 2021, is currently being developed for implementation on 31st March 2017. The priorities, which are currently being publically consulted on, provide the direction of travel for Gwent Police to delivery against. One of the proposed priorities includes ensuring that people are protected from serious harm and violence. Therefore, within this priority there will be a clear focus on our approach to VAWDASV, including all victims, survivors and perpetrators.
In additional, we have a joint Strategic Equality Plan (SEP) 2016- 2020 with Gwent Police. Domestic abuse is part of equality objective one which ensures that our Police service is cognisant of people who suffer domestic abuse and share protected characteristics. The objective aims to ensure the Force are more equip to identify and record victims and survivors of abuse and encourage them to engage with the specialist support. Emphasis has been given to better recording of protected characteristics for victim of domestic abuse to enable the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and Force to gather an evidence base to ensure we are full aware of the needs of victim in our communities and respond effectively. We have also provided a particular focus on increasing identification, reporting and prosecutions of female genital mutilation, honour based violence and forced marriage due to marginalised groups suffering from these impactive crimes types disproportionately.
I have provided the link to the joint SEP (below) for further information on the specific actions and measures that the OPCC and Force are undertaking. To ensure transparency, the OPCC publish an annual report against our delivery of the SEP, the first report will be published April 2017.
· The current funding support provided for tackling VAWDASV
The commitment to this agenda can be seen through current PCC commissioning; this includes, but is not limited to, the following initiatives and provisions’:
- 5 independent domestic violence advisors (IDVA’s)
- An IDVA Manager
- Support local providers voluntary perpetrator programme
- Sexual Assault Referral Centre
- Funded the set - up of Connect Gwent Victim Hub, providing all victims in Gwent support services, including those suffering from VAWDASV.
- Child sexual exploitation support officers (across two providers), which support adults that have historically experienced CSE and support for young people who are currently experiencing CSE or abuse or have historically been a victim.
- Supported the South East Wales Safeguarding Children’s Board deliver CSE awareness raising sessions in schools across Gwent.
· Partnership Approach to VAWDASV in Gwent
As you will be aware, in 2015, Welsh Government agreed that Gwent would be the pilot area for implementation of a regional approach to VAWDASV and ensure that the VAWDASV Act is mobilised. A regional team was created and managed through Newport City Council on behalf of Gwent.
The South East Wales VAWDASV Board provides strategic governance, on a partnership basis, to the regional team and holds partners to account for delivery and monitoring progress, the OPCC is a key member of the board. The board is chaired by the national VAWDASV advisor for Wales, which provides additional direction, scrutiny, focus and accountability for delivering against the VAWDASV Act and consistency across Gwent.
In 2016, Cordis Bright was commissioned by Newport City Council on behalf of the South East Wales VAWDASV Board to conduct an independent evaluation of a new regional model. The evaluation made eleven recommendations that have been signed-off and provides the VAWDASV board with collective strategic priorities to be achieved over the next 2 years, which are aligned to the provisions in the VAWDASV Act.
For further information please contact Rebecca Haycock the manager of the regional team to provide more detail on this regional model and partnership delivery.