Women’s Aid slam council pull-out
Women’s Aid bosses insist the council have “pulled funding” for the organisation after awarding a contract to another group.
At a meeting of the council’s education and families committee last week it was revealed that community justice organisation SACRO had been awarded the contract ahead of the local organisations.
North Lanarkshire Council says its new £1.4 million contract with Sacro is better value for money and will better help male victims of domestic violence. However, the move has been blasted by Scottish Women’s Aid.
This move affects Motherwell, Monklands and North Lanarkshire Women’s Aid – three long-established, trusted, specialist services.
Dr Marsha Scott, chief executive of Scottish Women’s Aid, said: “We are appalled at the callous steps North Lanarkshire Council have taken in recent months that have pulled the rug out from under the feet of long-established, trusted Women’s Aid services.
“While Women’s Aid services were busy responding to Covid-19 to continue providing their vital support for women, children and young people experiencing domestic abuse in North Lanarkshire, they were met with hostility in unnecessary, competitive tendering processes from North Lanarkshire Council that lacked both transparency and accountability.
“North Lanarkshire is now the only local authority area in Scotland that does not commission Women’s Aid services – a sad reflection of their complete lack of understanding of the complex nature of domestic abuse and an upsetting dismissal of decades of work by grassroots, local Women’s Aid services who are trusted and respected within their communities.”
The SNP Group in the council released a statement confirming that “councillors were faced with a report to make a contract award to an organisation who had legally and successfully won through a Contract Tendering Process – a process in which councillors under their Code of Conduct are unable to interfere.”
The award of the contract meant that North Lanarkshire Council’s contracted domestic abuse services with Women’s Aid will now be delivered holistically by SACRO.
Motherwell South East and Ravenscraig councillor Agnes Magowan said: “I understand the concern that has been expressed across communities about the potential loss in services by Women’s Aid.
“I have listened and the SNP Group are actively listening but the rules of procurement are clear and the award has been made to SACRO to deliver these vital services.
“But we do not consider this should be done in isolation. We appreciate the services provided by Women’s Aid such as crisis support, advocacy services, on-call services, one-to-one support, housing support services, support groups and refuge.
“We view Women’s Aid as a crucial part of the scheme to support women and children experiencing domestic abuse in North Lanarkshire and therefore the report, which we managed to obtain cross party support for, is a beacon of hope that their work will continue to support the council’s overall service delivery.”
Conservative Group leader Meghan Gallacher stated her party joined with others to ensure that a paper is brought before the relevant committees detailing how the expertise of Women’s Aid and other charities could be used to help shape the new approach to the domestic abuse service provision at North Lanarkshire Council.
She added: “It is extremely disappointing that Women’s Aid was unsuccessful in their bid to provide specialist services, given the outstanding work they do to help women and children who have experienced domestic abuse.”
NLC education and families convener Frank Mcnally said: “The council has undertaken a full, open and transparent procurement process, which Women’s Aid participated in. Under the legal tender framework SACRO have won the contract. Elected members have no role in influencing the tender process.
“The council is committed to tackling domestic abuse in all its forms and supporting victims. There will be no detriment to domestic abuse services in North Lanarkshire.”