Funding worth £100,000 has been awarded to Nottingham to ensure that survivors of domestic abuse with complex needs such as alcohol and substance addiction and mental health issues are fully supported.
The new funding will allow Nottingham City Council to work with partners such as Women’s Aid and local refuges to make sure those most at risk are able to access the support they need. This includes vital bed spaces in refuges but will also ensure that survivors will be referred to urgent drug and mental health treatment services.
The funding will support a wide range of services and safe accommodation, including refuges, outreach services, Sanctuary Schemes and mainstream local authority accommodation.
Given that victims of domestic abuse will have different needs, many of the projects being supported are tailored towards support for specific groups including women with mental health issues, substance abuse problems, or the particular needs of different ethnic minority communities.
Jane Lewis, Community Safety Strategy Manager at the Nottingham Crime and Drug partnership, said: “It is amazing that we have been given this fund to help domestic abuse survivors in Nottingham.
“This will give us a greater opportunity to work with survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence who are living with substance issues or mental ill health – often that they have developed as a result of the domestic violence.
“We will be working with our partners, Women’s Aid, Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust, Nottingham Health Shop, and Opportunity Nottingham to deliver services that will change the lives of survivors and help them to recover from their experiences.”
Last November, the Government published its “Priorities for Domestic Abuse Services” setting out what local areas need to put in place to make sure that their approach to domestic abuse is collaborative, robust and effective.
This latest funding has been awarded to local areas that will deliver on these priorities – for example by working collaboratively across local authority boundaries and with other partners including specialist domestic violence service providers to strengthen support.
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid made the funding announcement today (Friday 17 February, he said: “Domestic abuse is a devastating crime that all too often remains hidden. That’s why we’re determined that no victim will be turned away from the help they need, at the time they need it.
“This significant investment shows our clear commitment to supporting and strengthening a resilient network of refuge services across the country, with further specialist support to help victims go on to rebuild their lives.”