HC1840 - Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Domestic Abuse Engagement and Support Service

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 introduced new statutory duties and more accountability on local authorities for the 'local delivery of domestic abuse support to victims and their families in safe accommodation'.

The Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) determined that under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 a grant should be paid to local authorities to support the implementation of this act. Wiltshire Council were allocated £830,051 for 2021-22, and £832,348 for 2022-23. This funding was used to deliver a variety of evidence-based interventions to support victims of domestic abuse and their children in Wiltshire, all of which reflect local need.

In December 2022, DLUHC committed to a further grant of £257 million to be paid to local authorities in 2023-2025; Wiltshire Council were allocated £848,998 for 2023-24, and £865,016 for 2024-25 and will be utilising a portion of this funding to improve the local response to domestic abuse in Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities.

Wiltshire's 2021 Domestic Abuse Health Needs Assessment (HNA) identifies that GRT communities are at increased risk of domestic abuse and as such, recommends that further exploration of domestic abuse in GRT communities is carried out in Wiltshire.

Wiltshire's 2019 Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and Boater (GRTB) HNA reports that the number of people from GRTB communities living in Wiltshire is unclear due to a lack of detailed data and reduced engagement between community members and professional agencies. Approximately 750 people were identified as Gypsy or Traveller ethnicity in the 2011 census, however more recent data suggests that around 630 people live on Traveller sites and 250 children from Gypsy or Traveller communities of Irish Heritage attend local schools, although anecdotal evidence obtained through multi-agency working suggests that these numbers are much higher.

The Traveller Movement's Good Practice Guide: Improving Service Provision for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Domestic Abuse Survivors reports that 61% of married Romany Gypsy women and 81% of married Irish Traveller women have experienced direct domestic abuse. Despite the size of the GRT community in Wiltshire and the reported prevalence of domestic abuse in GRT communities, GRT referrals into Wiltshire's domestic abuse support services are disproportionately low; this highlights a need for improved engagement between GRT communities and domestic abuse services, along with an offer of specialised support and increased understanding of this community within partner agencies.