This report summarises the draft Domestic Abuse Strategy for Reading, 2019-22 and requests authorisation to complete a consultation exercise with stakeholders on the proposed priorities for the strategy.

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report which summarised the draft Domestic Abuse Strategy for Reading, 2019-2022 and sought authorisation to complete a consultation exercise with stakeholders on the proposed priorities for the strategy.

The following documents were appended to the report:

Appendix 1 - Draft Domestic Abuse Strategy;

Appendix 2 - Consultation Plan;

Appendix 3 - Equality Impact Assessment.

The report stated that the existing Domestic Abuse Strategy for Reading ended in 2018 and therefore a new refreshed strategy was required.  It was proposed that a consultation exercise on the priorities set out in the attached draft Domestic Abuse Strategy 2019-22 (Appendix 1) take place from 19 August 2019 to 13 September 2019.  It would then be submitted to Housing, Neighbourhoods and Leisure Committee with a draft action plan for formal adoption on 6 November 2019.  Key stakeholders for consultation included residents, Adult Social care, Brighter Futures, Thames Valley Police, Health, commissioned services and voluntary sector services.

The report explained that the priorities within the draft strategy had been developed via a series of workshops with members of the Domestic Abuse Strategy Group (DASG), a sub-group of the CSP.  They reflected the group’s aspirations to move the practices and approach of partners in Reading forward in specific areas, and it was assumed that the progress made during the previous strategy would be embedded by agencies as part of their ‘business as usual’ and therefore continued.  Data would continue to be monitored by the DASG and any changes in performance or outcomes would be challenged regularly.

The priorities within the draft strategy for 2019-22 were as follows:

Priority 1 –Raising awareness about domestic abuse with a focus on:

·         Workforce Development – Continue to ensure a knowledgeable and well trained workforce;

·         Healthy Relationship Education – increasing the resilience of Young People to negative relationships and behaviour;

·         Engagement with marginalised communities - Encouraging those experiencing abuse to seek help at an earlier stage.

Priority 2: Developing a multi-agency approach to working with perpetrators: Working with strategic partners to create a perpetrator approach to reduce and prevent repeat domestic abuse

Priority 3 – Improving our partnership response to Coercive Control: Training professionals to understand and identify coercive control, so as to increase and better manage disclosures.

Resolved:     That the Assistant Director for Housing and Neighbourhoods, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Neighbourhoods be authorised to approve the commencement of a consultation exercise on the proposed priorities for Reading’s Domestic Abuse Strategy.