Agenda item

To consider the draft Wokingham Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy.

The Committee considered a report, set out at Agenda pages 49 to 72, which provided a follow-up to the briefing given to the Committee in November 2022 and detailed progress in the development of the draft Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2023/26.

Sarah Kerr (Executive Member for Climate Emergency and Resident Services) attended the meeting to present the report and answer Member questions, supported by Narinder Brar (Head of Enforcement and Safety).

The report stated that the Wokingham Community Safety Partnership had taken significant steps to improve its response to tackling and ending VAWG. This included strategies covering domestic abuse, serious violence and exploitation and radicalisation (within the PREVENT agenda). In addition, a local Wokingham VAWG Strategy was seen as essential in coordinating a robust approach.

The draft VAWG Strategy was nearing completion having been considered by a number of key stakeholder groups. It was aimed to achieve final approval of the strategy by the Council’s Executive in the autumn of 2023. Alongside the strategy, the Council was seeking White Ribbon Accreditation which would help the organisation to tackle VAWG.

The following priorities were included in the draft VAWG Strategy. They reflected priorities set out in the national VAWG Strategy and the strategy produced by Thames Valley Police:

·           Putting the victim/survivor at the centre of service design and delivery;

·           Taking a strategic, system-wide approach to commissioning;

·           Having a clear focus on perpetrators and holding them to account;

·           Safeguarding and supporting individuals and victims at every point with a strong emphasis on early identification and help;

·           Raising local awareness of the issues and involving, engaging and empowering communities to seek, design and deliver solutions;

·           Changing inappropriate attitudes and behaviours of men and boys.

In the ensuing discussion, Members raised the following points and questions.

What progress had the Council made in achieving White Ribbon accreditation? It was confirmed that meetings with White Ribbon had taken place. This included an introductory meeting with Members followed by two informal meetings with officers. This was a three year process, following the Executive decision to seek accreditation in November 2022. Work was ongoing to develop the accreditation work programme.

The VAWG Strategy include a detailed action plan. Was there a risk that this could generate additional demand from other parts of the local community? If so, would WBC have adequate resources to respond? It was confirmed that the action plan was in line with the VAWG Strategy developed by Thames Valley Police. This was a long-term process, so it would be difficult to measure progress in the short term. Implementation of specific measures such as safer by design, improved street lighting and parking could be monitored.

What were the top 3 deliverable arising out of the VAWG Strategy? It was confirmed that the voice of survivors/victims would be embedded within the strategy and action plan. There would also be a focus on feelings of safety – where to find help if an incident occurred. This fitted into wider targets around crime reduction in the Borough.

Once the VAWG Strategy was approved, how will WBC ensure sufficient resources are available for implementation? It was confirmed that a key element would be to work with survivors/victims to identify gaps and weaknesses in current procedures. Resourcing gaps had not been identified yet, but it was accepted that this work would progress within the financial challenges facing the Council. It was important that potential avenues for communication are explored to ensure that the key messages in the strategy hit home.

Was the Council talking to neighbouring authorities about their experiences and strategies? It was confirmed that such discussions were taking place, for example with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

RESOLVED That:

1)     Sarah Kerr and Narinder Brar be thanked for attending the meeting to present the report and answer Member questions;

2)     Comments and feedback from the Committee be fed into the development of the VAWG Strategy;

3)     The Committee receive a further update on the VAWG Strategy and Action Plan in due course.