Emergency fund to help children at risk of abuse during lockdown
ways of reaching people at risk – with new grants available to help reach children through emails and social media.
About £120,000 is being set aside for the fund following a successful bid from the Home OfficeChildrenAffectedbyDomestic Abuse Fund.
The cash is available for charities, voluntary and community groups and social enterprises and aims to support children and young people either as direct victims or those livinginahouseholdwheredomestic abuse is prevalent.
PCCKimMcGuinnesssaid: “Our message to people at risk of domestic abuse is clear; we are there for you even in these difficult times.
“Despite this we have also seen how charities, community groups and victims services are being hit hard with little or no additional support. I recently announced a CoronavirusResponseFundto help groups adapt, but I know many in the voluntary sector remain worried about how they can continue to support peopleandhelpkeepusallsafe duringthisunprecedentednational emergency. We know also that right now across our region will be people who feel trapped, locked in with their abuser, and whose children suffer as a result.
“So I’m encouraging organisations to come forward and bid to this fund so we can continue to work together to help those in need.
“It is vitally important, now more than ever, that those at risk continue to get the care they need, and to know we are there for them.”
Many children’s domestic abuse services are thought to be experiencing more difficulty than adult services when providing telephone or online support, especially regarding younger children.
Police bosses say support is normally delivered in schools for some services where it is a safespaceforthechildandthis cannot be offered anymore.
Services are now moving to digital tools, including texts and Skype, although there are some services still doing face tofacevisitsonhighriskcases.
Applications for the new ‘Children Affected by DomesticAbuseResponseFund’must
besubmittedby5pmonFriday, May 22.
More information can be found at: www.northumbriapcc.gov.uk/police-crime-plan/ commissioning-servicesgrants/
If you are experiencing domesticabuse,youcanreportan incident by ringing 101 or visiting www.northumbria.pnn. police.uk. Also in a non-emergency situation, text police on 07786 200814.
In an emergency, call 999. If you dial 999 and are unable to speak, the operator will ask youtodial55andtofollowtheir instruction to put you in touch with police.
Help is also available from Victims First Northumbria by visiting https://victimsfirstnorthumbria.org.uk/ or calling 0800 011 3116.