New Service To Help Tackle Domestic Abuse

Plans for Swansea to have the first service set-up of its kind in Wales to help children and families experiencing domestic violence or escalating relationship problems have been approved. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Swansea Council has worked with staff, service providers, partner agencies, charities and survivors in designing future services. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The aim is to ensure the right help is available at the right time to promote positive, healthy relationships and prevent the negative impact that domestic violence has for adults and children. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Now Cabinet members have backed plans for a new Domestic Abuse Hub to ensure effective support for families where domestic violence is a feature of family life. This includes a whole family approach, involving both group and individual work with children, survivors and perpetrators. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The hub has grown out of a successful pilot scheme. The new hub will have more of a multi-agency focus and will concentrate on simplifying the pathways into support services, including mental health and substance misuse. It will also improve tracking of need and what works for families to develop future services. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Christine Richards, Cabinet member for Children and Young People, said: “We are proud of the way that we are developing services with our partners to prevent domestic violence before people come to harm and to help survivors move on with their lives. Our aim is to support everyone effected. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The new hub and the services it will bring in to support families in particular will be empowering and responsive to keep them safe and give them a better future. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“People in relationship difficulties or those already suffering abuse will only have to tell their story once to open the doors to a range of services to help them turn their lives around.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

She added: “The Sustainable Swansea led review of this service was all about saving lives and giving children the best possible futures not all about saving money. Our aim is to support everyone affected. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We will look to attract funding including grants to take the planned improvements even further. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The cost of domestic violence to individuals who experience or who witness it as children is enormous. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The social and economic cost to our society and to Swansea is huge.’ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The findings of the Council’s Domestic Abuse review – which is part of a Council review of its family support services through its Sustainable Swansea programme- was presented to Cabinet on Feb 16. Members backed the recommendations. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​