Domestic Violence

The Government has made clear the priority it affords to tackling domestic and sexual violence through:

• PSA 23: Make Communities Safer (Priority Action 1 seeks to reduce the most serious violence, including tackling serious sexual offences and domestic violence)
• PSA 24: Deliver a more effective, transparent and responsive Criminal Justice System for victims and the public (Priority Action 1 seeks to improve performance in relation to serious offences, including serious violent offences, rape and sexual assault)
• Saving Lives. Reducing Harm. Protecting the Public: An action plan for Tackling Violence 2008-11 which includes specific activity to tackle domestic and sexual violence
• the inclusion of indicators relating to domestic and sexual violence within the new National Indicator Set

GOL work to tackle domestic and sexual violence

GOL is working closely with regional and local partners to deliver Government commitments in relation to:

• reducing the incidence of domestic and sexual violence
• increasing reporting of these offences
• reducing the harm caused by these offences by providing victims with specialist support
• bringing more of these offences to justice

Over the past two years, GOL has used Home Office and Ministry of Justice funding to support the introduction of fully-trained Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) within London boroughs and to ensure that relevant agencies receive the training they need to play an effective role at Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs). Our aim is to ensure that every London borough has at least one IDVA and an effective MARAC in place by 2011.

GOL also hosts quarterly meetings of the London Local Authority DV Co-ordinators Network. The aim of the Network is to provide local DV Co-ordinators with an opportunity to keep up to date with – and help inform – Government policy; share effective practice and problem solve; and develop strong and effective partnerships with one another and with GOL, particularly where domestic violence has been identified as a priority within the Local Area Agreement (LAA). We also hold themed workshops for practitioners.

We support regional and local innovation. This year, we have used Home Office Private Space Violence Funding to support:

• the London IDVA Support Network run by the Greater London Domestic Violence Project
• London Probation to extend DV perpetrator programmes (through the development of a 1-2-1 Manual and the Caring Dads programme). Both will become part of core London Probation provision from 2009-10

We have also supported local innovation in tackling domestic violence through the Tackling Violent Crime Programme (TVCP). This year, TVCP funding has been awarded to the following boroughs: Barking & Dagenham, Westminster, Greenwich and Southwark. Once available, findings from these projects will be incorporated into the TVCP mini-site.

We are working closely with the London Criminal Justice Board to increase the number of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts (SDVCs) in London. There are currently three SDVCs: one in West London (Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham); one in Brent and a third in Croydon.

The Home Office has also provided funding to support six Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) in London: one at each of the three London Havens (Camberwell, Paddington and Whitechapel); one based at the Croydon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre; one within Woman’s Trust West London and one at the Nia Project, Haringey.