£1.3m has been secured to help tackle domestic abuse across Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Dorset County Council is supporting Hart District Council in leading on an innovative project bid to prevent domestic abuse and support victims across the region, securing £1,297,125 of funding.
The funding has been awarded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to:
- introduce new initiatives focused on early intervention
- break down barriers faced by those in our most hard to reach communities
- support people experiencing domestic abuse and keep them safe in their homes
This new funding means that the success of Dorset’s Isolated Communities Engagement Project provided by the You Trust will continue to operate in the county for another 18 months. Learnings from the project will be shared with Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
New initiatives that will be adopted through the fund include early intervention in hospitals, GP surgeries and other community health care settings and increasing the number of specialist refuge bed spaces locally.
Dorset will also learn from Hampshire’s Making Safe Scheme, which provides security measures to homes of people threatened by domestic abuse to help keep them safe.
Cllr Steve Butler, cabinet member for safeguarding said: “We are pleased to have secured this funding to help people affected by domestic abuse in Dorset.
“It’s important that vulnerable people are reached early. I’m pleased that we are taking on new initiatives from Hampshire, as well as sharing our work with them. This is proving to be making a difference in helping to keep people safe across our communities.”
Housing Minister Heather Wheeler MP said: “Domestic abuse is a devastating crime, which shatters the lives of survivors and their families. It is our duty to ensure survivors can seek help by providing the support they need to restart their lives.
“This fund will ensure local authorities and charities can provide a strong safety net for anyone facing the threat of abuse in their own home.”
Partners involved include East Dorset District Council, North Dorset District Council, Purbeck District Council, West Dorset District Council, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group, Dorset’s Police and Crime Commissioner and the You Trust.
Anyone who is experiencing domestic abuse can contact the confidential, free 24-hour helpline on 0800 032 5204 or by visiting these help pages.
