Issue - meetings

Community Safety Priorities

 

 

Meeting: 22/01/2013 - Cabinet (Item 106)

106 Community Safety Priorities pdf icon PDF 120 KB

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Smith)

 

Report of the Head of Environmental Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Smith)

 

Cabinet received a report from the Heads of Environmental Services and Community Engagement which requested specific decisions relating to the funding by the City Council of domestic abuse services in the district – in particular, the use of £50,000 Performance Reward Grant allocated in principle to address this issue. It also provided more general information on other aspects of community safety.

 

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

 

 

 Advantages

 Disadvantages

Risks

Option 1

Do nothing

 

Money can be used to fund other projects

 

Lack of provision in the District to support victims and those at risk of domestic violence / abuse

 

Increased ‘hidden’ domestic violence

 

Additional costs to services within the District

 

Option 2

Agree basic level domestic violence  service: £12,000 per annum for three years

 

 

 

Victims of high level domestic violence and their families supported from report of incident through to potential prosecution.

 

Victims feel safer and place lesser demands on other public services

 

Basic provision does not meet the need of the District

 

Increased IDVA work may raise number of referrals which the service may not be able to manage

 

High number of referrals, IDVA service not able to meet demand

 

 

Option 3

Agree the recommendations as proposed: use of full £50,000 of PRG

 

 

Basic IDVA service provision for three years supporting victims of high level Domestic Abuse.

 

Continuation of current Domestic Abuse Outreach provision.

 

Complimenting the IDVA service, the outreach provision will continue to support low to medium risk victims and prevent escalation of abuse.

 

 

Still doesn’t meet the needs of the District, but will ensure continuation of current provision and development of a sustainable support system for victims at risk of, or experiencing domestic violence and/or abuse.

 

 

The preferred option was Option 3. The basic Domestic Abuse contribution of £12,000 for three years would ensure victims and their families of high level domestic violence were supported and enabled to make safer and better life choices. The outreach support would complement this service by supporting those at low to medium risk services preventing escalation of violence and increased demand on services.

 

Councillor Smith proposed, seconded by Councillor Sands:-

 

“(1)      That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

 

Councillors then voted:-

 

Resolved unanimously:

 

With regard to Domestic Abuse Services it was agreed:

(1)                    That Cabinet approves in principle the request from Lancashire County Council that Lancaster City Council contributes £12,000 a year for three years towards the commissioning of mainstream domestic abuse services as per Appendix A to the report

(2)                    That £36,000 of previously allocated Performance Reward Grant (PRG) be used to meet the expectations in (1) above, and that the remaining £14,000 be allocated to maintaining the Domestic Abuse Outreach Service in the district 2013/14.

(3)                    That £17,526 of unused funding earmarked for mainstream domestic abuse services during 2012/13 be returned to balances. 

With regard to Police Community Support Officers it was noted:  ...  view the full minutes text for item 106