Tackling Domestic Violence in Sunderland

1
Tackling Domestic Violence in Sunderland

• The role of the Sunderland Domestic Violence
  Partnership (SDVP)
• Sharon Kane
• Domestic Violence Policy Co-ordinator

2
Structure of the Presentation

• Facts and figures on domestic violence
• Strategic context and an overview of the SDVP
• Types of interventions in place for tackling DV
• Some key development over the next 3 months
• The outcomes of a co-ordinated community response
  to domestic violence

3
Facts and Figures

• Domestic violence takes many forms from
  intimidation, social isolation, economic
  hardship, sexual assault and humiliation,
  physical assault, and in some cases, murder
• Domestic violence accounts for around a quarter
  of all violent crime.
• Over 400 domestic violence incidents a month are
  reported to the police in Sunderland thats
  almost 5,000 a year.
• 2 women a week in the UK are murdered by a
  partner or ex-partner

4
Facts and Figures

• One woman in four experiences domestic violence
  at some stage in her life, with an estimated one
  in eight women experiencing domestic violence in
  the past year. (British Crime Survey 2005).
• In 9 out of 10 incidents children were either in
  the same or the next room when the violence took
  place.
• This is a hidden crime and persistently
  under-reported with only around 25 of incidents
  reported to the police.
• It has more repeat victims than any other crime.
  It is rarely a one off event and a victim may
  have been assaulted on up to thirty occasions
  before calling the police.

5
Tackling Domestic Violence in Sunderland

• Key strategic priority for the Safer Sunderland
  Partnership (SSP) in its Safer Sunderland
  Strategy
• Responsibility lies with the SDVP - a thematic
  delivery group of the SSP.
• SDVP members are from statutory, community and
  voluntary sectors
• Council e.g. Childrens Services, Adults
  Services, Housing,
• Police
• Wearside Women in Need
• Gentoo
• Probation
• Teaching Primary Care Trust etc.
• CPS and the Courts
• And many other

6
SDVP Structure

• The long standing Wearside Domestic Violence
  Forum was restructured in 2007 to become the new
  SDVP.
• SDVP Board
• Strategic Direction
• Resource and Allocation
• Consultation with Practitioners
• Performance Overview
• Operations Group
• Operational Delivery of Strategic Aims
• Performance Driving
• Wider Forum
• Consultative Body
• Identification of Best Practice
• Networking

7
How Are We Tackling Domestic Violence?

• Through effective partnership working
• Delivering a balanced range of activity based
  around
• Prevention
• Early Intervention
• Enforcement
• Support, Rehabilitation and Resettlement

8
Prevention and Early Intervention

• Education and awareness raising e.g. schools
  DVD
• Media and marketing materials e.g. leaflets and
  cards in community locations such as Health
  Centres and Housing Offices.
• Safer Homes Initiative / sanctuary scheme
  intervene to prevent further risk
• Single and multi-agency training e.g. Police,
  Health, Childrens Services, Probation,
  Magistrates etc.

9
Enforcement

• Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements
  (MAPPAs) in place for high risk perpetrators
• Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs)
  for high risk victims (due to be operational by
  April)
• Police Public Protection Unit with 10 dedicated
  police officers e.g. Operation Silent Night
• Specialist Domestic Violence Court (due Spring
  2008)

10
Support and Rehabilitation

• DV Refuges run by WWIN plus outreach and
  resettlement work. New 10-bed refuge due to open
  this Spring
• DV Perpetrators Hostel now being developed
  first nationally
• Probation programmes to change behaviour and
  attitudes (Community Domestic Violence Programme)
• Safer Homes Initiative providing improved home
  security for victims including sanctuary rooms
• Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) -
  are a first-line response at the point of crisis
  for victims

11
The Next 3 Months

• New 15-year Safer Sunderland Strategy is under
  development
• Reducing repeat victimisation of DV is a top
  priority
• DV has been proposed for inclusion in the Local
  Area Agreement
• A more detailed DV Strategy will be produced to
  support this
• Risk assessments moving towards a common
  approach
• Several new developments due this Spring e.g.
  Specialist Courts, MARACs, IDVA, 3rd refuge,
  Perpetrator hostel
• Co-ordinated Community Response is needed

12
Co-ordinated Community Response

• This will ensure that
• The safety of victims and children is at the
  centre of all activity
• Perpetrators are held accountable
• All agencies with responsibility to act are part
  of the process and are held accountable for the
  delivery of agreed actions
• The outcomes will be
• Effective (and appropriate) services for victims
• An increase in reporting
• A reduction in repeat victimisation
• An increase in successful prosecutions
• An increase in perpetrators attending a court
  mandated programme
• A reduction in children experiencing/witnessing
  domestic violence
• A safer Sunderland

13
Contact Details

• Sharon Kane
• Domestic Violence Policy Co-ordinator
• Safer Communities Team
• Development and Regeneration Services
• PO Box 102, Civic Centre, Sunderland, SR2 7DN
• Direct Line [phone]
• Email sharon.kane_at_sunderland.gov.uk
• Safer Sunderland Partnership WebPages 
• www.sunderland.gov.uk/safersunderland