Reducing the Risk are thrilled to be partnering with Westminster Insight around their Domestic Abuse Digital Conference, taking place on Friday 28th May 2021. The event will be broadcast live 8:50am – 1pm.
The conference will cover:
- Implications of the Domestic Abuse Bill for Practitioners
- Implementing the VAWG Strategy and New Updates for March 2021
- Adapting Services to Meet the Changing Needs of Provision Due to Covid 19
- Accessing Funding for Domestic Abuse Programmes and Projects
- Supporting Minoritised Groups and Making Services Inclusive
- Identifying Victims, Providing Refuge, and Coordinating a Multi-Agency Response
- Transforming the Justice Process: The Domestic Abuse Bill’s Impact on the Punishment and Rehabilitation of Perpetrators
We’re delighted to be able to offer a 20% discount for anyone interested in attending. Register here and enter discount code: RISKZO-DA.
Ahead of the conference, Westminster Insight spoke with one of the expert speakers, Valerie Wise, National Domestic Abuse Lead for Victim Support, who discusses the dramatic rise in domestic violence cases during the past year. Valerie Wise explores why this is the case, what is being done to help victims of domestic violence, and how a new source of funding can help tackle this growing issue.
Read an excerpt below and read the full article here.
Since mid-April 2020, the number of people affected by domestic abuse referred to Victim Support services has increased significantly. When the pandemic struck and the first lockdown was announced on 23rd March 2020, the PM stated that “you must stay at home”. The government quickly realised they made a mistake and backtracked slightly by adding in the caveat of being able to leave your home if you were subject to domestic violence.
Over 11,500 more survivors have been referred between 23rd March and 1st November than if levels remained at baseline. Between July and September, levels remained around 25% higher than average.
At Victim Support, we have seen a rise in standard/medium cases. This refers to the level of risk associated with the abuse victim. The problem is that you can leave your home but it’s far from easy to do so. Some people are trapped both physically and emotionally, whilst some have nowhere else to go, and there’s also the issue of children being involved.