AS22013 Domestic Abuse Dispersed Accomodation

Hampshire County Council are looking for providers to deliver a new county wide Domestic Abuse Dispersed Safe Accommodation Support Service.

The Service will be delivered as a two-year project from October 2024.

The Service will be responsible for:

• Provision of specialist domestic abuse support for victims-survivors in designated emergency safe accommodation (not including refuge accommodation) and
• Identifying and bringing forward suitable properties for the Service, through partnerships and agreements with housing providers/owners.

The Domestic Abuse Act (2021), Part 4, introduced new statutory duties on Local Authorities to provide accommodation-based support to victims-survivors of domestic abuse and their children in refuges and other safe accommodation, and to improve the types of safe accommodation accessible to victims-survivors and children subjected to domestic abuse.

In 2021, as part of its statutory duty, Hampshire County Council conducted the Safe Accommodation Needs Assessment which included service mapping of its safe accommodation provision. This identified that Hampshire has an established county-wide refuge provision and a sanctuary scheme, and opportunities to develop further options for dispersed accommodation.

The needs assessment identified that some victims-survivors of domestic abuse require support in alternative accommodation to refuge to enable their specific needs to be met.

The needs assessment identified that domestic abuse support in safe accommodation could be expanded to meet the needs of a more diverse population. It also identified through an estimate of need that some groups of victims-survivors are unrepresented or under-represented in the current safe accommodation provision.

• Victims-survivors who fall into these groups include:
• Women with male children over 16
• Male victims-survivors, including men with children
• LGBTQ+ victims-survivors
• Older adults
• Victims-survivors with disabilities
• Large families
• Victims-survivors facing multiple disadvantages
• Victims-survivors with pets
• Victims-survivors from diverse ethnic backgrounds facing cultural barriers

Our vision is to commission a Service that provides effective levels of support for victims-survivors who need to access dispersed safe accommodation and meets the needs of a more diverse population. The Service will empower victims-survivors and enable them to successfully recover from abuse and associated impacts.