Integrated Community Domestic Abuse Service

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 provides a statutory responsibility on Local Authorities to provide support services to victims, children and their families living in safe accommodation. Part 4 of the Act includes the duty for Local Authorities to provide support to survivors of domestic abuse and their children in safe accommodation. This duty came into effect on 1 October 2021. To support LAs in delivering this duty the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) has allocated Sefton new burdens funding which Council granted delegated authority to the Cabinet Member for Communities & Housing to allocate appropriately.

The adoption and children act 2005 refined the definition of significant harm to include ‘witnessing or experiencing the harm or ill treatment of others’, in short to protect children who live in a house where DA is a feature of their lives. Section 3 of the DA act 22 specifically provides that a child who hears or experiences the effects of DA be regarded as a victim, to whom a service must be provided.

In Sefton DA is overwhelmingly our most prevalent source of concern. For context, in this financial year to date we have received 2600 contacts where DA is listed as the prime concern. The next biggest concern is listed as ‘Parenting support’, 860 contacts. DA outstrips the next biggest reason we are involved with children by over three times. In reality, this is a minimisation, once we begin to work with families DA often reveals itself as a significant concern that was not the original reason for referral. We know that children who experience parenting within the context of domestically abusive relationship can go on to model these behaviours in their own relationships later in life.

Current Domestic Abuse (DA) provision in Sefton has evolved historically and has the potential to be disjointed and based on risk.

The needs assessment that was commissioned to meet our statutory obligations under the DA Act, tells us we have unmet need around:

• Reporting of DA in more affluent areas of the borough was less than in areas of deprivation.
• Women with complex needs
• Older Victims / Survivors
• Male Victims

We are proposing to procure a fully integrated Community Domestic Abuse service that operates on a network approach, is open to anyone irrespective of their protected characteristic or risk level.

This contract will be for the period 1st September 2024 to 31st August 2027, with the option to extend for up to a further 2 x 12-month periods. (at the Council’s sole discretion).

Bidders will be deemed to understand the processes which the Council is required to follow under domestic legislation (particularly in relation to public procurement rules) where such legislation might apply.

For this reason, the Council is bound to follow the procedure in accordance with Section 7 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, also known as the ‘Light Touch’ Regime under the EU Procurement Directives. It is the intention of the Council to invite full tenders to be submitted in accordance with these instructions.