Domestic abuse strategy agreed

Providing safe accommodation for victims

The Royal Borough’s cabinet has approved a new strategy for providing safe accommodation for victims of domestic abuse.

The Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Strategy, which covers the period 2021 to 2024, is a new legal requirement for councils and sets out how accommodation for victims and their children will be provided.

Cabinet agreed the strategy at a meeting in York House, Windsor, on Thursday last week, with councillors agreeing on an action plan and six priorities.

These are: access to safe accommodation; support to remain safely at home; perpetrator management; coordinated support; victim representation, and improved data collection.

The Royal Borough previously

undertook a public consultation on its draft strategy, produced with input from relevant partner organisations including The Dash [Domestic Abuse Stops Here] Charity.

Of the 41 respondents, 51 per cent indicated they had been impacted by domestic abuse at some point in their lives.

Cllr Ross McWilliams, cabinet member for housing and community engagement, told the meeting: “Sadly domestic violence is something that does happen in our society and clearly it is an issue that we need to grasp. We always take a zero tolerance approach and we stand behind any victim of domestic abuse and we will always do what we can to help.”

Representatives from

Dash – which is marking its 45th year in 2022 – were in attendance at Thursday’s meeting, including Rebecca Spiller.

She said: “Removing a victim from their family home is a last resort option but unfortunately it always is an option.

“[The strategy] represents a good opportunity for the Royal Borough to further enhance the support that we have already offered.

“We are really looking forward to working with the councillors and officers involved to bring it to life.”

The decision by cabinet to approve the strategy is subject to call-in by the relevant scrutiny panel.