Integrated Services for Victims of Domestic Violence and Abuse and their Children.

Descriptions

This contract is to provide services for all residents of Buckinghamshire who are victims of Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) and their children; to provide risk assessment and management and early help and preventative work. The highest priority when working with medium and high risk clients must be to secure the safety of the client and the client's children. Evolution of perceived need and funding for DVA over time has led to services being commissioned independently by different BCC services; Public Health, Community Safety and Children and Young People's Services and this contract integrates these areas of responsibility. This approach will support delivery of services which address a range of measurable outcomes covering all three services' agendas and will enable a flexible approach to changes in need and a co-ordinated model of monitoring and evaluation.The contract has 3 elements:1. Support for Victims.To provide a pro-active service to enable victims who have experienced DVA recover and move forward with their lives and to function as well as possible whilst continuing to experience and/or exiting abusive relationships with special regard to safety and the impact of DVA upon their children. To reduce the risks posed to clients and their children and increase their safety, based on a thorough understanding of all their risks and their management. To enable non-abusing parents/carers to understand the impact of DVA upon their children and to enhance their parenting skills and so improve family relationships and outcomes for children. To work with clients (and where appropriate their families) in a holistic way to consider and address wider health, social and economic issues and impacts of abuse that will assist recovery and to reduce health inequalities. 2. Support for Children and Young People.To work with children and young people to enable them to manage the impact of being exposed to domestic violence and abuse. To deliver age-appropriate one to one and/or group work to children and young people who have lived with DVA to help them to process their experiences and to raise awareness of the nature and prevalence of DVA, within the school environment and other youth settings.3. Support for Professionals and Residents.To provide awareness-raising and training for professionals around the issues of DVA, the impact on victims and their children and the services available for them and to foster an integrated multi-agency approach to working with the victims of DVA and their families based on good practice. To raise awareness within the community around the complexities of DVA and the services available. The contract start date is 1.4.2016. The contract will be for an initial period of three years with the option to extend for a further period of 2 x 12 months (i.e. maximum 5 years).A budget cap has been set for the Provision of Integrated Services for Victims of Domestic Violence and Abuse and their Children for the three year contract period at 1 758 630 GBP for the full 3 year contract period.Should additional funding become available during the life of the contract, further services may be required.