Survivors of domestic abuse will receive improved recovery support thanks to outreach services funded by Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster.
Refuge, the country's largest single provider of specialist domestic abuse services, has been awarded a contract worth £583.5k to deliver services over the next three years following a competitive tender process.
The outreach service will deliver tailor-made support packages to help victims of standard or medium risk domestic abuse cope and recover from their experiences.
It also aims to protect them and their families from further harm and prevent the escalation of abuse as well as reduce the risk of domestic-related homicide.
Commissioner Angelique Foster has pledged to improve victim support and safeguarding as part of her Police and Crime Plan priorities to ensure all victims - especially the most vulnerable - receive appropriate help to protect them from harm.
She is also committed to commissioning excellent services to help victims recover from and cope with their experiences and working jointly with partners to encourage the reporting of violence against women and girls.
Commissioner Angelique Foster said: "I am determined to provide the very best support services for victims of domestic abuse in Derby and Derbyshire. It is vital we invest in the right resources to help people recover from trauma and to protect them from the threat of future harm.
"We are looking forward to working with Refuge who will deliver this new outreach service. Refuge demonstrated a good understanding of the needs of Derby's communities and has a proven track record of delivering excellent support to survivors of domestic abuse."
Abigail Ampofo, Director of Service Delivery at Refuge, said: "I am delighted that Refuge has been given the funding to continue our work supporting domestic abuse survivors in Derby. Our community-based services will be an important resource for survivors and their families as they transition into a life free from abuse.
"One in four women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, so I'm pleased to see that this will be a priority for Commissioner Foster. Continued support from local and national government is vital in effectively tackling the epidemic of violence against women and girls we are currently witnessing."
The service will be offered to victims/survivors of all genders aged 16 and over and their families, although their children will also be supported in the family context.
Support will be holistic and community-based and there will be an option of extending the contract for a further two years at the end of the funding period.
The service will include:
- Practical support with benefits, bank accounts, national insurance registration, employment opportunities
- Assistance with emergency refuge provision, short/longer term housing provision
- Access and direct applications for civil remedies and protection orders and support throughout the criminal justice process
- Referral for children into other services such as health visitors, safeguarding, local authority provision
- Specific outreach support for targeted communities where there are known additional needs in the City for example, South Asian, Eastern European, African communities
- Awareness-raising and training activity needed to encourage self-referrals into the service as well as improving the confidence for targeted communities to seek help
The provision is just one of a suite of services commissioned by the Police and Crime Commissioner under her statutory duty to protect and support victims of crime across Derbyshire.
Refuge will work closely with key partner agencies such as the Police, Children and Adults Social Care, acute and primary health services, mental health services, substance misuse services, housing and refuge providers, sexual abuse support services and other voluntary and community sector providers.
A separately contracted service for high-risk victims of domestic abuse will be delivered in Derby City.