Minutes:
Question
How was a contract awarded for a domestic abuse refuge service to a provider that doesn't have any domestic abuse provision?
Following a robust tender process, the contract for Wokingham Domestic Abuse was awarded to Cranstoun and commenced on 1st July 2021.
Domestic abuse is a priority area for the Borough and in recognition of this and increased demands on services in this area, Council funding for this contract has been significantly increased.
The provision of support for victims of domestic abuse is in place as required as part of the commissioned service.
Prior to launching the domestic abuse arm of the Cranstoun service Cranstoun committed 10 years to developing their current domestic abuse model. To do this cohesively they worked with Respect, Safelives, Domestic Violence Intervention Programme, Women’s Aid, to name a few all of whom are key stakeholders within domestic abuse.
Cranstoun offer a fully integrated domestic abuse service in Barking and Dagenham, the County of Sussex, and Sutton all of which are well established. They also deliver victim and survivor work in the following areas, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Birmingham, West Midlands, West Mercia Police Force and 11 Boroughs and Sussex County. They have also won a fully integrated domestic abuse service in South Yorkshire.
This is a considerable reach across the country and one which demonstrates their capability to deliver a comprehensive domestic abuse service to Wokingham residents.
Supplementary Question
You sort of really did not answer my question and I am not sure that they actually have refuge places.
What I also wanted to know is that I understand that Cranstoun is supposed to be attending the Domestic Abuse Partnership Board meetings and the Executive meetings and it is my understanding that they have so far only attended one of these. So how is Cranstoun actually being held accountable?
Supplementary Answer
If I can just come to your first point about having a refuge within the Borough. What I can say is that no one will be left without support and a safe refuge in our Borough should they require it. We do have facilities to be able to house people who are in need of that refuge.
Let me just say that since 21st July, when Cranstoun took over, we have had no demand for a refuge place but that is not to say that there would not be in the future.
Also, I would like to say that when a company takes on a new contract you can hardly expect them to have a house in place ready to house people should they need one and we are actively looking for our own refuge rather than having to rely on outside bodies. But to actually do this I think you have got to also remember that domestic abuse unfortunately is not only about women it is about men and children as well. Therefore to find a suitable property to be able to house a mixed group is very difficult but we are working very hard to do that. Let me go back and say that yes there is availability for anybody who needs refuge, and they would not be denied in our Borough.
As for the meetings I will have to check on that for you as I have got no figures here as to whether they have attended the meetings or not and I will have to come back to you on that particular point.