"Councils can’t tackle domestic abuse alone. To help prepare for an expected surge in demand for support from victims as lockdown measures ease, we would like the Government to engage more with police, councils and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and to create a Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Strategy for England and Wales."
Responding to an announcement today that more than 100 domestic violence charities will receive a share of £8.1 million in government funding, Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said:
“This funding is really good news for numerous charities working with victims of domestic abuse, and we are pleased it comes at a time when such sickening incidents have been exacerbated during the pandemic.
“Councils can’t tackle domestic abuse alone. To help prepare for an expected surge in demand for support from victims as lockdown measures ease, we would like the Government to engage more with police, councils and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and to create a Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Strategy for England and Wales.
“There needs to be a greater focus on prevention and early intervention measures to tackle the root causes, support and reduce the number of victims, ease pressures on the NHS and other public services, and stop domestic abuse occurring in the first place.
“We want to work with government to ensure councils receive long-term and sustainable funding to protect individuals and families from the physical and psychological harm of domestic abuse both during and after the coronavirus pandemic.”