Cumberland's Community Safety Partnership has set out a five-year plan to tackle domestic abuse.
The document defines how the council-led partnership will help prevent abuse, support victims and bring those responsible to justice.
Cumberland Council’s Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, Family Wellbeing and Housing, Cllr Emma Williamson, said:
“This strategy illustrates our incredibly strong commitment to tackling domestic abuse. It has been put together with the real experience of victims in mind,and it focuses on what they told us is needed, rather than what we think should be provided.”
Importantly the document, which was created with input from many partner organisations, will now form the basis of an action plan. All those involved in preventing abuse, supporting victims and pursuing perpetrators will set out how they will achieve the goals in the strategy Cumberland Domestic Abuse Strategy 2025 - 2030
Cllr Williamson said: “What is important now is how the partnership implements the commitments in this document. Everyone should be able to live free from abuse and the threat of it. And when it happens, survivors should have access to swift, appropriate support and care.”
The new strategy covers three areas:
Prevention: This includes education on respect and healthy relationships; training for school staff to spot and respond to abuse situations; public awareness campaigns; ensuring organisations know how to direct people to support; supporting Clare’s Law (the right to know if a partner has an abusive past); supporting community projects which address abuse; and domestic abuse training for workforces.
Support for victims: This includes safe, accessible, confidential spaces for victims; highly-trained staff; informing victims when an abuser is to be released from prison; routine enquiries by healthcare providers to spot abuse; making services inclusive and accessible to all; providing safe accommodation for victims; learning from reviews; recognizing children’s involvement in domestic abuse; consistent training across organisations; collaborating with specialist agencies, and commissioning new ones where necessary; ensuring organisations can support staff who are suffering abuse.
Pursuing those who have caused harm: This includes prompt, high-quality investigations; working with the courts to ensure fair sentencing; accommodation and appropriate programmes to help stop reoffending; Training to help workforces identify perpetrators; strong multi-agency work to manage high-risk abusers; and addressing child-to-parent abuse.
Cllr Williamson added: “We can all contribute to ending abuse, and we need to take action now – this strategy is the first step in the challenge, and I look forward to seeing an action plan implemented by all the partners involved.”
The Cumberland Community Safety Partnership consists of these statutory partners: Cumberland Council, Cumbria Constabulary, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, The Probation Service, North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, and Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board. Other relevant agencies support its work and contributed to this strategy.
Support around domestic abuse can be found at victimsupport.org.uk, or by calling 0808 1689 111.