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Equality Impact Assessment - Tackling Domestic Violence Strategy
1. What is the name of the policy or service that is being assessed?
Tackling Domestic Violence Strategy 2005 – 2008 Swindon and Wilts
2. What are the aims of the policy or service? Whose needs is it designed to meet? What are the current priorities?
This is a partnership strategy, between the Safer Wilts Executive, Community Safety Partnerships, Swindon CS Executive board and Wiltshire Criminal Justice Board. The 4 key strands are Prevention and Support – by the CS Partnerships and Protection and Justice by the Wiltshire CJ Board. The priorities are to build on existing efforts, have a clear vision of how all agencies should work together, provide a fair and qualitative response. Aims – challenge DV attitudes, identify risk factors when working with perpetrators, maximise services available to victims and children and increase their safety.
3. In what ways might this policy or service affect some groups of people differently? Might some groups find it harder to access the service? Do some groups have particular needs that are not well met by the current policy or service?
This strategy has specific action plans that have been produced to target the strategy aims. The overall aim is to reach identified vulnerable groups through a multi-agency approach (eg black/minority ethnic groups, same sex partners, male victims, children, elderly adults, mentally and physically disabled adults, religious group)s. This team ensures that the information is readily acceptable to ALL victims, but in particular those from minority groups who may require a specific type of support. The team aims to provide victims with the confidence to report incidents, support victims through the criminal justice system and ensure an effective response by criminal justice agencies.
Consultation is carried out through local forums, county forums, multi-agency work and via the police. There is also feedback from voluntary organisations. Consultation days are attended by practitioners and held by the DV team. Much of the consultation work is recorded in the CS strategies. Further detail regarding the consultation contributed to Strategies can be found in the LAA safer strand EIA.
All of the vulnerable groups would potentially find it harder to access the services and as a consequence the DV strategy focuses on these groups. Unmet needs relate to perpetrator programme places and refuge places for 15 + year old boys.
Domestic Violence is a priority within the LAA Safer Strand.
4. What evidence do you have for your judgement? Is there evidence of public concern (e.g. complaints)? Have staff raised concerns? Is there local or national research to suggest that there could be a problem?
When the DV strategy was created, in depth consultation was carried out by Crime Concern. Some consultation has been carried out by the Police directly within the refuges to understand the needs of the victims and how they felt they were treated by the agencies. Further work in this area has been identified requesting a greater understanding of needs. Considerable work has been carried out ‘behind closed doors’ – an international research programme to understand the impact of DV on children. This has raised the issue of raising the profile of children and the provision of education for children to raise awareness and increase confidence. It has also been identified that there is a need to increase accessibility to services (eg NSPCC) and to encourage adults (eg teachers) to ask questions if there is a question of unusual behaviour from the children.
5. Who have you consulted with as part of your assessment? What were the results? Have you published the results of that consultation? If so, where?
As above in Q3/4. Those results which are not sensitive to the public, are published in line with WCC policy – normally on the WCC website network although hard copy strategies have been produced in leaflet form. In addition the 4 local partnership sites have published results on their websites. Reports are published through the main steering groups and local forums.
6. If you have found that the policy or service might have an adverse impact on a particular group of people, can you justify this?
This team believes that it is trying to reduce/minimise any adverse impact and consequently reduce fear, reduce the impact on the victims etc. This team feels that they have worked in multi-agency partnership and have considered these 6 key areas for some time. This is evidenced within the strategies and policies already in place.
7. If the impact cannot be justified, what do you intend to do about this? Are there changes that you could introduce which would make the policy or service work better for this group of people? Is further research or consultation required?
A co-ordinated multi-agency approach is focusing on:
- Increasing the reporting of incidents by the victims – by encouraging the victims to come forward earlier
- Reducing the percentage of repeat victims.
All the agencies take ownership and responsibility of these processes. The strategy enables the right agencies are on board and therefore able to actively contribute to decisions.
There is always room for further consultation however it is felt that this should be specific and focused on the objectives.
8. How will you monitor the take-up or impact of the policy or service in future?
The points made in Q7 will be monitored. Monthly/quarterly figures are collated by the Police and reported to the forums and the Multi-agency groups and assessed accordingly.
Recording of data by the Police has improved significantly recently and will improve the quality of the information provided.
9. What actions do you plan to take as a result of this equality impact assessment? Please state any resource implications.
Actions to take:
- Continuing to consciously consider the 6 equality strands
- Continue to monitor the targets re Q7
- Review equality impact assessments 6 monthly
10. There is a legal requirement to publish the outcomes of Equality Impact Assessments. Please outline how / where this will happen.
The assessments will be available under WCC policy – most likely on the council website
11. Name of person completing form
Domestic violence reduction coordinator
Date assessment completed:
11/10/06
12. Senior manager approval
Assistant Director Community Services
Date
11/10/06
Contact Details
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Wiltshire County Council
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