This report summarises the draft Domestic Abuse Strategy for Reading, 2019-22 and the report on the recently completed consultation.  The report also recommends that the committee adopts the draft strategy in appendix 1, as the live Domestic Abuse Strategy for Reading 2019-22.

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report which summarised the draft Domestic Abuse Strategy for Reading, 2019-22 and the report on the recently completed consultation, and recommended that the draft strategy be adopted as the live Domestic Abuse Strategy for Reading 2019-22.  The following documents were appended to the report:

·         Appendix 1 – Draft Domestic Abuse Strategy;

·         Appendix 2 – Consultation Summary;

·         Appendix 3 – Equality Impact Assessment.

The report explained that the existing Domestic Abuse Strategy for Reading ended in 2018 and a new refreshed strategy was required.  A consultation exercise on the draft Domestic Abuse Strategy 2019-22 had been carried out between 19 August 2019 and 13 September 2019.  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 respondents to the consultation strongly agreed with the priorities so they remained 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 draft Strategy be approved as the adopted Domestic Abuse Strategy for Reading 2019- 2022.