New contracts to improve domestic abuse and sexual violence support services

Paddy Tipping, along with Nottingham City Council and Nottingham City Clinical Commissioning Group, unveiled the details of three specialist providers who will deliver cope and recover services to victims of domestic and sexual abuse in the city and a prevention service to prevent further domestic and sexual violence.

The announcement follows an innovative and robust multi-agency tendering process, which was led by the Crime and Drugs Partnership on behalf of all three organisations, and which is designed to integrate funding and provide more holistic services to survivors of violence.

A £447,714 contract is intended to be awarded to domestic violence campaign organisation Equation to reduce abuse as part of the Commissioner’s prevention strategy.

The intended contract, which is jointly funded and will run from April until March 2019 with the possibility of an additional two years in one year extensions, is aimed at empowering survivors to improve their safety and help them cope and recover from the harm they have experienced.

It is part of a funding pot worth £1.8m over the three years, £330,638 of which has been funded by the PCC per year.

The total amount of available funding could potentially be worth £3.74m if extensions to the intended contracts are granted for the full five years.

Paddy Tipping said: “We are determined victims of domestic and sexual violence in Nottinghamshire receive the help they need when they need it and these new contracts will go some way to improving this recovery process as well as ensuring survivors of violence are protected from further harm.

“A large part of our agenda is developing awareness and challenging attitudes towards domestic and sexual violence within society but particularly among children and young people who are more vulnerable to abuse. We must also not forget the perpetrators of these horrific crimes and we will continue to tackle domestic violence at its source.”