Decision details

This report seeks approval to secure funding for years two and three of the Domestic Abuse Plan which is a partnership commission across Lancashire.  This will require the use of the Crime and Disorder reserve (£0.730m) and outline approval to carry forward a year one (2013/14) under spend of £0.455m to year three (2015/16).  This will allow the project to deliver the full programme of support and have the greatest impact on domestic abuse and assist in reducing demand for social care.

Ensuring a consistent provision of domestic abuse services across Lancashire has been a shared strategic vision across statutory partners in Lancashire since November 2012.  In response to that vision a substantial amount of work has taken place to ensure that the joint commissioning of services is based on need, informed by evidence and builds upon the support already available. This work has led to the development of a model of delivery (Appendix 'A' refers) and a number of partnership recommendations captured in the Domestic Abuse Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). The full JSNA report sets out the prevalence of domestic abuse in the county, service mapping, evidence based good practice and service user consultation and can be found in the Lancashire Profile.

While strategically partners have been supportive of the agenda, realisation of the required funding commitment from some partners has been difficult to achieve for the duration of the three year commission. This has delayed the commencement of commissioning activity and made the development of a three year funding plan complex.

The funding model for Year One has been agreed setting out interim arrangements for current service providers to pilot new ways of working. This report outlines the financial model for delivery in Years Two and Three of the commission. 

Subject to approval, an open tender and procurement process will commence in November 2013 with a further report to award the new contract for the Medium and High Risk Victims Service submitted in February 2014.

County Councillor Tony Martin, the Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services:

(i)  Approved the use of Crime and Disorder reserve to meet the gap in funding over Years Two and Three of the joint commission of domestic abuse services (£0.730m);

(ii)  Provided outline approval to use the 2013/14 project under spend of £0.455m to support activity within year 3 of the project;

(iii)  Approved the service model for delivery of specialist domestic abuse services over Year Two and Three of the project.