West Berkshire Council Core Domestic Abuse Support Service

The Council is letting a contract for the provision of a Core Domestic Abuse Support Service.

The overall aim or purpose of the Service is to contribute to the local partnership efforts to enable the Council to achieve:

• The vision in its Domestic Abuse Strategy: "For individuals, families and children to live freely from abuse".
• The national Domestic Abuse Plan aim: "Help all victims and survivors who have escaped from domestic abuse feel that they can get back to life as normal, with support for their health, emotional, economic, and social needs".

The overall commissioning intention reflects the recommended approach of the national Domestic Abuse Council:

"I know how much victims and survivors value the support they receive from independent, specialist domestic abuse services. These services bring a wealth of experience and expertise, and additional value through links with their community, and critically, independence from statutory agencies. It is this independence that builds trust with people subject to domestic abuse, and to advocate effectively on their behalf. I would expect the best areas to commission out their services to specialist third sector providers - including services run by and for marginalised communities - to make use of their expertise and to best support survivors."

The Specification is based on the Domestic Abuse Act (2021) definition of Domestic Abuse (DA):

"Domestic abuse is any single incident, course of conduct or pattern of abusive behaviour between individuals aged 16 or over who are "personally connected" to each other as a result of being, or having been, intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. Children who see, hear or experience the effects of the abuse and are related to either of the parties are also considered victims of domestic abuse.

Behaviour is "abusive" if it consists of any of the following: physical or sexual abuse; violent or threatening behaviour; controlling or coercive behaviour; economic abuse; or psychological, emotional or other abuse. This includes incidences where the abusive party directs their behaviour at another person (e.g. a child). Economic abuse means any behaviour that has a substantial adverse effect on someone's ability to acquire, use or maintain money or other property, or obtain goods or services."

The full legal definition of domestic abuse can be found in Part 1 of the Domestic Abuse Act.

The Service comprises these five elements:

• Access service (Helpline/website)
• Community Outreach service
• IDVA service
• Refuge service (women only)
• CAAS (Children and Family Services' Contact, Advice & Assessment Service) Domestic Abuse Practitioner