Agenda item

Each year the Director of Public Health produces an annual report on the health of the population. This year the report focused on domestic violence and abuse.  Key areas included how to recognise signs of domestic abuse and signposts on where to get help, who might be at greater risk of experiencing domestic abuse and when, including research on warning signs leading up to domestic homicides. It also covered what was known about interventions that contributed to reducing the risk and harms of domestic abuse and the need for more work to focus on preventing perpetrators from committing domestic abuse.

The report made recommendations based on the local situation for the new Buckinghamshire Domestic Abuse Board and a range of partners in Buckinghamshire to implement. The Buckinghamshire Domestic Abuse Board would be responsible for strategy development and development and oversight of an action plan which should include the responses to these recommendations. This would fall under the remit of the Communities portfolio.

RESOLVED –

(1)               That the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2021 be noted.

(2)               That the recommendations within the Annual Report on Domestic Violence and Abuse, that were in addition to the statutory duties for support for people living in safe accommodation, be endorsed with a view to them informing the Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board Strategy and Delivery Plan.

Each year the Director of Public Health produced an annual report on the health of the population. This year the report focused on domestic violence and abuse.  Key areas included how to recognise signs of domestic abuse and signposts on where to get help, who might be at greater risk of experiencing domestic abuse and when, including research on warning signs leading up to domestic homicides. It also covered what was known about interventions that contributed to reducing the risk and harms of domestic abuse and the need for more work to focus on preventing perpetrators from committing domestic abuse.

The report made recommendations based on the local situation for the new Buckinghamshire Domestic Abuse Board and a range of partners in Buckinghamshire to implement. The Buckinghamshire Domestic Abuse Board would be responsible for strategy development and development and oversight of an action plan which should include the responses to these recommendations. This would fall under the remit of the Communities portfolio.

The report had been written taking into account the views of a range of partners from Buckinghamshire Council, the NHS, Thames Valley Police, Women’s Aid and the views of survivors of domestic abuse and service users who contributed to our needs assessment.

Ending domestic abuse was everyone’s business and required a co-ordinated response from national government, local partners and the public. Tackling domestic abuse, and providing effective support services for victims as well as perpetrators was a national priority; the Domestic Abuse Bill 2021 had been passed by Parliament in April 2021. The Bill and its statutory requirements, such as the formation of a Domestic Abuse Board, would inform local actions.

The Cabinet report also contained information on the outcomes of the Director of Public Health annual report 2020 that had focussed on providing an overview of the health of the residents of the new unitary council for Buckinghamshire, the new Community Boards, the local Primary Care Networks and on Integrated Care Partnership and local residents.  The 2020 report was being finalised when the UK was hit by the first wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and since then all public health efforts had been refocussed on responding to this.  Public Health was now planning the recovery, while continuing to learn about the virus and it’s impacts on our communities.  The recommendations in the 2020 report would continue to be implemented during the recovery phase of the pandemic.

The Cabinet Member for Communities informed Members that the Buckinghamshire Domestic Abuse Strategy and Needs Assessment was currently being consulted upon with partners.  The Domestic Abuse Board would then consider it on 6 October, following which a Task and Finish Group would work to co-design the Strategy before it was reported back to Cabinet in November 2021.

Members also sought additional information on issues of concern stemming from the annual report including how people should report domestic abuse, how to improve reporting (with less than 1 in 5 instances were reported to the police), information on national/local support schemes and on emergency accommodation, on recruiting diversity into domestic abuse teams.  Members were also informed that there was a lack of data on ethnicity and domestic abuse although national surveys had shown that a wide range of people were affected.  There had also been an increase in domestic abuse cases during the pandemic lockdowns.

RESOLVED –

(1)               That the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2021 be noted.

(2)               That the recommendations within the Annual Report on Domestic Violence and Abuse, that were in addition to the statutory duties for support for people living in safe accommodation, be endorsed with a view to them informing the Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board Strategy and Delivery Plan.