KMCAS-144 Independent Domestic Abuse Advocates

Contracts

• Contract 005679-2022-KMCAS-144-1

  Signed

  10 Feb 2020

  Value

  £778,424

  Status

  active

  • Change To recruit an additional IDAA to be linked to the mental health service. This post is required to respond to the increase in the proportion of domestic abuse victims with significant mental health issues, which may be linked to a broader deterioration in mental health due to Covid-19. The contract will be varied to allow for a specialist to be recruited to link in mental health services, to respond to the increase of domestic abuse referrals with significant mental health problems. This increase is likely to the result of to the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns, which have increased mental health difficulties for significant proportion of the population, and have exacerbated risk for victims of domestic abuse. A recent needs assessment, undertaken by the Domestic Abuse Strategic Partnership to consider support provided to victims of domestic abuse, and their children, in safe accommodation, identified gaps in provision relating mental health, and increasing numbers of referrals highlighting mental health as a need that the majority of victims in safe accommodation required support with. This is consistent with national research, as highlighted in research coordinated by Safelives: over 70% of victims reported clinical levels of psychological distress, with their mean score almost four times that of the general population. More more than three quarters (77%) of victims had been suffering post-traumatic stress disorder in addition to high levels of depression and anxiety - of which the severity was positively correlated to the severity of abuse experienced. This highlights a strong bi-directional relationship between abuse and mental health issues and a need for interventions to address both abusive relationships and mental health issues together, suggesting a need for interventions that target the trauma of domestic abuse, available in health services, and for health care professionals to identify mental health difficulties or PTSD symptoms as potential indicators of domestic abuse. It has been agreed that the provider will therefore recruit 1 x additional IDAA with a specialism around mental health. The Council will fund this additional post for a 12 month period to correlate with the broader IDAA contract, which will need to be recommissioned in 2023. Previously the contract was varied for: Variation no. 1 - for the Domestic Abuse IDAA Car Project at a cost of £24k per annum which covered the overtime hours of an Independent Domestic Abuse Advisor (IDAA) or Domestic Abuse Support Worker (DASW) to work alongside Police Officers to offer a dedicated response to victims of domestic abuse during peak times i.e. Friday and Saturday evenings 1600 to 1200 hours. Variation no. 2 - for additional staffing x 2 IDAAs; one with a specialism around sexual violence and the other with a specialism around working with BAME victims, following a substantial and continual increase in referrals of high risk victims, in particular, the number of cases where sexual violence is part of the domestic abuse and the number of BAME victims seeking help. Expected outcomes for the car project, staffing and specialist role: Reduction in the repeat incidents of domestic abuse and repeat victimisation rate, reduced attrition and improved victim engagement with specialist services'. All variations will now form part of the original contract., Need for modification brought about by circumstances which a diligent contracting authority/entity could not foresee: This modification has been brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact this has had on all businesses and the economy as a whole. The modification allows for additional staff to be recruited in order to respond to a significant increase in domestic abuse referrals which have occurred due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the unique circumstances and heightened risk created by lockdown for victims of domestic abuse. It also includes a previous variation for the Domestic Abuse IDAA Car which covered the overtime hours of an Independent Domestic Abuse Advisor (IDAA) or Domestic Abuse Support Worker (DASW) to work alongside Police Officers to offer a dedicated response to victims of domestic abuse during peak times to reduce repeat incidents. The modification does not exceed 50 % of the value of the original contract. The modification is considered by the contracting authority to not be substantial and therefore to be within the exception set out in Regulation 72(1)(e).

Dispute resolution & review bodies

• High Court of England and WalesReview body N/A