The following is the full text of a letter received from the Kelly Tolhurst MP, Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing, dated 5 October 2020:
Dear Colleague,
Domestic Abuse Capacity Building Funding for Local Authorities
I am pleased to share with you that I am announcing today a £6 million Domestic Abuse Capacity Building Fund for local authorities. This new funding will enable councils across England to be better prepared to commission additional vital support for victims of domestic abuse and their children who might currently be turned away from refuges and other safe accommodation because their needs cannot be met.
The Domestic Abuse Bill, currently before Parliament, includes a new duty for Tier One local authorities to assess need and provide support and safe accommodation to victims and their children in England.
Thousands more people are expected to be helped from April 2021 when the duty on councils to support victims of domestic abuse comes into force. Ahead of the Act coming into force, this new £6 million of funding will help councils plan accommodation and specialist services. Councils can prepare by working ever more closely with other agencies such as police or health commissioners and ensure their staff receive training in the new duty. To further help councils prepare, the Government has today published guidance on the fund’s purpose and is providing councils with information and support.
We have committed to supporting all domestic abuse survivors. That’s why since 2014 we’ve invested £80 million in safe accommodation services to support victims of domestic abuse, including a £10 million Emergency Fund to support refuge charities during the Covid-19 pandemic. In April, the Home Secretary announced £2 million to ensure helplines and online services continue to be easily accessible to victims, during the coronavirus pandemic. This follows the appointment in September 2019 of an independent
Domestic Abuse Commissioner to lead on driving improvements in the response to domestic abuse in the UK, putting victims at the heart of the response.
I recognise the invaluable work that local authorities do each and every day to help residents in their local areas, including the most vulnerable in our society.
This fund will be allocated equally to Tier one local authorities (unitary and metropolitan authorities, county councils, the Greater London Authority, and the Council of the Isles of Scilly), who will be the accountable body under the new duty.
Domestic abuse is a devastating crime which creates long term impacts on victims, their children, and wider society. I ask you to encourage all local authorities to use this funding to ensure they are ready for implementation in April 2021.
I am also including an annex detailing wider Government funding and support for domestic abuse victims for your reference. I hope you find this information helpful.
KELLY TOLHURST MP