Issue - meetings

That the Domestic Abuse Strategy 2021-2024 be approved so that it can be released for publication.

The Executive considered a report relating to a proposed Domestic Abuse Strategy covering the period 2021-2024.

During his introduction the Executive Member for Neighbourhood and Communities informed Members that the Strategy had been delayed in order that the relevant parts of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 could be included within the Strategy.    Councillor Soane thanked Karen Evans, the Domestic Abuse Co-Ordinator, for all her hard work in putting the Strategy together.

Laura Blumenthal highlighted the awareness training that was being made available to Council staff and stated that she was impressed that every month a training session, often delivered by specialist charities and groups, was set up covering domestic violence against various groups including, older people, LGBT victims and men.  Councillor Blumenthal thanked Officers for establishing this learning culture about domestic violence and empowering front line staff to support domestic abuse victims.  In addition, trauma training would be offered to staff in the new year which would assist them in spotting the signs of victim behaviours in relation to domestic violence so that victims could be provided with the support they needed. 

Councillor Howe stated his surprise that 1 in 3 victims of domestic abuse were men.  He highlighted the figures in the Foreword of the Strategy which stated that in the year ending 31^st March 2021 1,479 women and 568 men in the Wokingham area had reported domestic abuse incidents to the police.  Councillor Howe believed that the true number was actually 2,700 women and 1,500 men.  This showed that the number of male victims was increasing and queried if it was known why this was?  Councillor Soane responded that believed that the increase in the number of men coming forward to report domestic abuse may have always been the true figure but because the matter was now more openly discussed and the stigma of being a victim had gone away more men now felt able to report the fact that they had been victims of domestic abuse.

RESOLVED: That the Domestic Abuse Strategy 2021-2024 be approved so that it can be released for publication.