Domestic Abuse - Non Accommodation Based Support Services

Descriptions

The Council currently has three separate contracts for the provision of domestic abuse services in the town for refuge, family support services, training for GPs plus a grant allocation for outreach support/drop-in. However moving forward it has been agreed that budgets across all service areas will be pooled to enable a holistic commissioning approach and joint re-tender for domestic abuse services. In light of the Council's financial situation the budget for the procurement of domestic abuse services has been reviewed and options for future commissioning within a reduced budget in this area have been agreed. In line with the Community Safety Partnership's Domestic Abuse Strategy 2015-18 and benchmarking data comparing levels of provision in Reading with other areas, it is proposed that there will be a shift in focus and funding away from support within refuges and towards non-accommodation-based preventative and outreach support. Two new contracts will be procured for all domestic abuse services with start dates of the 1st October 2017, one to provide support in Reading based refuges (conducted as a separate procurement), and one to provide all non-accommodation based support for people perpetrating or experiencing domestic abuse. This tender relates to the non-accommodation based support contract. The successful bidder will be offering services to domestic abuse victims, survivors, their families, perpetrators of domestic abuse and services that work with these client groups. All the services will be community based and will compliment refuge provision provided under a separate contract. This service will be offering services to those experiencing domestic abuse, their families, perpetrators of domestic abuse and services that work with these client groups. All the services will be community based. The service will be available to all tenure types (except outreach support to those in Reading Borough Council funded refuges, unless with the prior agreement of the commissioners). This will include but not limited, social housing, private rented, owner occupier, family and friends and bed and breakfast. Some bed and breakfasts maybe outside of the borough and in these cases it is expected that the services will still be available to these individuals and families until it is clear that the household will not return to the borough. At this point the casework should be handed over to the relevant support service in the local area.