Women's Aid Federation NI's response to the Minister's letter

We appreciate your comments on the value of the work undertaken by the voluntary and community sector and your commitment to the protection of front line services and vulnerable people. 

Women’s Aid is the lead voluntary organisation in Northern Ireland addressing domestic violence and providing services for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. Women’s Aid seeks to challenge attitudes and beliefs that perpetuate domestic violence and, through our work, promote healthy and non-abusive relationships.

I have included further information and statistics on our work for information in Appendix A.

The following comments reflect the collective views of our members, the ten local Women’s Aid groups across Northern Ireland.

• Question 1

What should be the priority areas within DSD to best protect those in need, stress or disadvantage? What works best and what should be reviewed?

Response:

People and communities suffering need, stress or disadvantage are vulnerable to abuse and will be locked into intersecting patterns of inequality based on diverse factors eg disability, race, gender. It is also important to recognise within this the impact of the conflict here on individuals and communities.

We believe that is not helpful to have a bald priority list based on separate issues but to view all issues through a grid of interlocking principles of human rights and equality to determine priority.

We suggest that the first principle to be applied should be the fundamental human right to life and liberty. 

Therefore any disadvantage or inequality which threatens life or liberty would be given a clear priority. We would contend that work to protect and support victims of domestic and sexual violence clearly falls under this umbrella. Protection and support for children and vulnerable adults from all forms of abuse and neglect, both domestic and institutional would also be covered, including for eg support for victims to remain in their own homes and suicide prevention work.

Applying equality principles to help determine priority areas for DSD will require strategic thinking to decide what the key inequalities are in each area (for geographical communities or communities of interest) and a targeted approach to deliver them.

Targeting social need (TSN) within each priority area eg homelessness, community safety) will help ensure resources are targeted at the most vulnerable.

DSD and other departments should review the current monitoring and regulatory systems which are at times overly bureaucratic and subject to overlap. Sharper, focussed systems, with passporting arrangements between them, would meet the need for the accountability of public funds and ease pressure on limited resources.

• Question 2

What could or should be done within the voluntary and community sector to work better to address overheads and deliver greater benefits to the community?

Response:

Continuing support for the infrastructure of the voluntary and community infrastructure is essential, without it front line work cannot be sustained; good practice flounders and accountability and good governance is threatened. Alongside this any duplication of infrastructure needs to be thoroughly examined, through a partnership approach between DSD and relevant organisations, and amalgamations agreed and implemented where necessary.

Relations between government and the voluntary sector need to be refreshed, revisiting the principles of the Compact. Long-term funding contracts, incorporating full cost recovery and linked to service delivery need to be agreed, which will address the ongoing enormous waste of resources for many voluntary groups in continuous fund-raising and loss of experienced staff.

Volunteering is a great source of community energy which has not been fully harnessed eg 3,268 hours was contributed by volunteers to the 24-hour Domestic Violence Helpline during 2008 – 09. The total value of the volunteer hours worked was £31,046. In addition to this thousands of volunteer hours are worked by volunteers across our ten local groups, including the members of Management Committees. However increasing volunteering comes with a caution – it cannot be done on a piecemeal basis or as a replacement for a paid workforce. Successful volunteering requires experienced staff with dedicated hours to commit to training, supporting and managing volunteers.

There are already many organisations and projects which deliver substantial benefits to the community and these projects which are already piloted and proven need to be maintained before money is skewed to the search for new ‘innovative’ projects.  Organisations with the security of longer funding arrangements and clearer targets are better placed to encourage flexibility, innovation and deliver better outcomes.

• Question 3

Do you have any wider comments about how the Executive should address the budgetary situation?

Response:

Women’s Aid believes that the principles of human rights and equality should underpin any budgetary decisions. (See answer to Q1). We are concerned that the present debate around government cuts has lost sight of the fundamental equality principles.

Any change in policy direction or major realignment of resources requires a robust, detailed Equality Impact Assessment to ensure it is not adversely impacting on the most vulnerable groups in society.

We would urge a vigorous re-introduction of the TSN policy whereby all government spending must take account of, and skew budgets towards those who are most in social need.

Government must not lose sight of the importance of emphasis on preventative work for eg the preventative education work which Women’s Aid undertakes in schools or the need for proactively building a shared community in a society coming out of conflict. Without such work the level of need will not reduce instead it will escalate to the detriment of future generations. 

We would urge caution in recognising the different strengths and remits of the voluntary/community sector and the public sector. One cannot replace the other. Any reduction in the public sector will impact adversely on the voluntary/community sector as it will inevitably increase need and disadvantage in local communities.

Finally we would suggest that it would be best practice to be frank about needs which have not been met because of the budgetary constraints.  The effects of any such fundamental needs not being met create a shared problem for all of us and it is better if this is acknowledged directly and the issue addressed collectively.

Yours Sincerely

Annie Campbell
Director
Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland
 

Appendix A

The core work of Women’s Aid in Northern Ireland, including Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland and the 10 local Women’s Aid groups is:

• To provide refuge accommodation to women and their children suffering mental, physical or sexual abuse within the home.
• To run the 24 Hour Domestic Violence Helpline.
• To provide a range of support services to enable women who are leaving a violent situation to rebuild their lives and the lives of their children.
• To provide a range of support services to children and young people who have experienced domestic violence.
• To run preventative education programmes in schools and other settings.
• To educate and inform the public, media, police, courts, social services and other agencies of the impact and effects of domestic violence.
• To advise and support all relevant agencies in the development of domestic violence policies, protocols and service delivery.
• To work in partnership with all relevant agencies to ensure a joined up response to domestic violence.

Women’s Aid Statistics (2008 - 2009)

• 12 refuges with 300 bed spaces, playrooms and facilities.
• 1058 women and 890 children sought refuge.
• 15 resource centres for women seeking information and support; group work and training.
  • 2,814 women and 2,753 children accessed the Floating Support service enabling women to access support whilst remaining in their own homes and communities.
  • 2,753 children and young people accessed protection and support services.
  • Move-on houses for women and children leaving refuges.
  • In 2008/09 the 24 Hour Domestic Violence Helpline open to anyone affected by domestic violence, managed 27,663 calls.  This represented an increase of 14% on 2007/08
  • Volunteers are a core part of the Helpline team: throughout the year they contributed a total of 3,268 hours to the service, an average of 9 hours per day, 365 days of the year

Additional Women’s Aid Statistical Data

• During the last 10 years Women’s Aid across Northern Ireland gave refuge to 12,579 women and 12,748 children and young people
• During the last 14 years Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland managed 212,215 calls to the 24 Hour Domestic Violence Helpline

Statistics: Domestic Violence & Violence Against Women

• Domestic violence is a violation of Article 5 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights – that “no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”;

• Domestic Violence is a crime.  PSNI statistics for 2009/10 indicate that there were more recorded crimes with a domestic motivation (9,903) than the combined total of all the following crimes (9,864).  These include all recorded sexual offences (1,944), robbery (600), armed robbery (557), hijacking (119), theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle (2975), theft, one person from another (591), arson (1980) dangerous driving (865), handling stolen goods (226) and offences under anti-terrorism legislation (7).

• PSNI Statistics for 09/10 indicate that they responded to a domestic incident every 21 minutes of every day of the year.

• The number of all recorded offences of murder in Northern Ireland in 09/10 total 18.  Those classed as having a domestic motivation total 7. Therefore, 38.9% of all murders in Northern Ireland in 09/10 had a domestic motivation.

• There were 461 rapes and attempted rapes in Northern Ireland in the period 2009/10.  Those classed as having a domestic motivation total 101.  Therefore 22% of all offences of rape and attempted rape in Northern Ireland in 09/10 had a domestic motivation.

(Source: PSNI Statistics 2009/10)

• The joint NIO, DHSSPS Strategy “Tackling Violence at Home” estimates that the cost of domestic violence in Northern Ireland, including the potential loss of economic output, could amount to £180 million each year.

• UNICEF research released in 2006, showing per capita incidence, indicates that there are up to 32,000 children and young people living with domestic violence in Northern Ireland.

  ---

  Other Responses

  A list of the other organisations willing to share their responses. If you would like yours to be included, please forward to lisa.mcelherron@nicva.org

  Smart Solutions in Tough Times

  To keep up to date with what's happening in the sector on the issue of the Comprehensive Spending Review, including a number of events, check our Smart Solutions section or read the campaign blog.