Domestic abuse services struggling to fill critical gaps in a challenging landscape, exacerbated by the rising cost-of-living
National domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid is marking 50 years of supporting women and children, but a new report published today highlights that our services are needed now more than ever. The annual Domestic Abuse Report highlights the ongoing challenges that the rising cost-of-living, alongside shortages in funding, present to domestic abuse services across England. The report is especially significant, during ongoing financial precarity of local government and an increase in the complexities of cases.
Specialist women’s domestic abuse services across England have been facing a funding crisis for over a decade, resulting in a postcode lottery of support for women and girls who are being turned away daily at the point of need or crisis. Local government budget cuts, the rising cost-of-living and an increase in the complexities of cases is having severe impacts on the sector. A Local Government Association (LGA) survey found that half of local council leaders surveyed were not confident they will have enough funding to fulfil their legal duties next year. This includes the delivery of statutory services, such as refuges and safe accommodation. There are also severe concerns about the funding of community-based support services, for which there is no statutory duty, particularly those that are seen as ‘less essential’ – such as therapeutic support. This is most acute for ‘by and for’ services, who are far less likely to receive statutory funding.
This year, our report showed that:
- Almost half (49.0%) of the organisations surveyed for the report were forced to run an area of their domestic abuse service without dedicated funding, including services like therapeutic support, children’s services and domestic abuse prevention, all of which play an integral part in helping women fleeing from abuse. The noted lack of support for children’s services was especially concerning, given that the law now recognises them as victims in their own right, which should be reflected when it comes to funding.
- The impact on children was further exacerbated as a staggering 62.5% of domestic abuse services reported that due to the ongoing effects of the rising cost-of-living, many women and children were unable to leave the perpetrators, while 57.7% felt that survivors had been reporting that they had experienced economic abuse more frequently.
- A lack of funding across services proved to be a further challenge to those supplying domestic abuse support, with 44.2% of organisations reporting that they delivered services that should be provided by a statutory agency, under a public statutory duty. These included children’s services (28.3%); financial advice (26.1%); mental health support/counselling (26.1%); employment/careers advice (21.7%); and housing support (10.9%).
Despite the ongoing challenges, services also reported some significant improvements. Several organisations reported examples of good practice in commissioning being rolled out under the statutory duty, including additional funding in some cases, based on identified needs through comprehensive needs assessments. Effective local partnership working was also highlighted by a quarter (25.0%) of respondents as a particular success of how the duty had been implemented over the past year. However, these experiences were not the case for most services, and significant changes are required to ensure that implementation of the statutory duty is consistent. Good commissioning practices must be replicated across the board, with regular reviews of the services’ needs and with a multi-faceted approach to address the many issues facing services, from local funding cuts in some areas, through to a shortage of suitable housing across the country.
Farah Nazeer, chief executive of Women’s Aid, comments:
“Our Annual Audit is a critical report that provides unique insights into the state and health of the domestic abuse service provision in England, demonstrating just how much has been achieved, while also showing us where gaps exist and what should be done to tackle them to ensure that women and children are kept safe.
“This report is especially poignant, coming 50 years since we became a federation. 50 years of supporting survivors and campaigning for change is a mission we are incredibly proud of, but it is one we could not do alone. Our federation is now over 170 members strong, with each organisation providing life-saving support and helping survivors take those essential first steps into a life free of abuse. Yet specialist women’s domestic abuse services have been facing a funding crisis for over a decade now, resulting in a postcode lottery of support for women and girls, with many being turned away at the point of need. Since 2021, we’ve seen six local authorities issuing section 114 notices, declaring that they are unable to set or maintain a balanced budget. We have been highlighting their plight to the Government and urge all parties to prioritise domestic abuse and commit to investing £427 million per year to fund specialist women’s domestic abuse services, alongside ring-fenced funding for ‘by and for’ services.
“Despite this stark reality, the report has also shone a light on success stories, with services going above and beyond to deliver life-changing help to survivors. It also showed us a clear path for improvement, demonstrating what works in commissioning expert services that meet the needs of survivors. It is only by working together, and ensuring that the needs of those providing vital, life-saving services are met, that we can work towards a society which has no place for domestic abuse.”
Notes:
- The full report is available to view by following this link: https://www.womensaid.org.uk/annual-audit-2024/