Additional documents:
Minutes:
The
Mayor and Lead Member for Children’s Safeguarding, Adult Social Care and Public
Protection and the Director of Adult Social Care and Health Integration
submitted a report for the Executive’s consideration. The purpose of the report was to request delegated
powers for the Director of Adult Social Care and Health Integration and Chair
of the Domestic Abuse Strategic Partnership, in consultation with the Executive
Member for Adult Social Care, to undertake a needs assessment, revise strategy
(see Appendix 2 of the submitted report) and allocate funding as per
intervention/decisions to meet the statutory duties outlined in Domestic Abuse
Bill.
The
Government was introducing new statutory duties on local authorities ensuring
that all victims, including children, had access to safety and support within
safe accommodation when they needed it. In March, Middlesbrough’s share of the
New Burden funding had been announced and published.
The
funding had been awarded specifically to meet the cost of provision and support
in safe accommodation, for victims and children, and the administrative new
burden relating to local authority costs of delivering the new functions under
the duty. Local authorities were expected to finalise plans for implementation
of the duty, which would mean that victims should not be turned away from
refuge and safe accommodation and be enabled to access life-saving support to
help them recover and rebuild their lives.
To
do that, Middlesbrough Council, with support from Middlesbrough Domestic Abuse
Partnership Board, would conduct a needs assessment to determine the level of
need for domestic abuse support for victims /survivors residing in safe
accommodation and publish a revised version of the Preventing Domestic Abuse
Strategy by August 2021.
ORDERED
1.
That the local needs
assessment be undertaken based on the expectations set out in the Needs
Assessment Template (Appendix 2).
2.
That the terms and
conditions outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding be approved (Appendix
1).
3.
That the Director of
Adult Social Care and Health Integration, in consultation with the Executive
Member for Adult Social Care, receives delegated authority to sign off the
needs assessment, the strategy and allocate funding for the project up to
£394,865 per intervention/decision.
REASON
The Director of Adult
Social Care and Health Integration was the Chair of the Middlesbrough Domestic
Abuse Partnership and the officer who would be responsible for undertaking the
needs assessment and revising the Preventing Domestic Abuse Strategy reports to
Head of Prevention, Access and Provider Services in Adult Social Care.