Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Services Consultation

Overview

Bristol City Council provides support services for people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence. The council currently spends £1.475m per year on the following:

• Counselling services for sexual violence survivors
• Accommodation-based support for women (and their children) who cannot remain in their own homes because of domestic violence
• Helpline services
• Community based support services, where survivors are supported in their own homes
• Specialist services for people affected by domestic abuse from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities
• Support services for male survivors of domestic abuse
• Support services for sex workers
• Co-located services, for example where a domestic violence support worker is based in a GP practice to provide support to patients and advice to staff

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 has made more funding available to Bristol City Council to provide domestic and sexual violence support services and we expect to have £2.18m in total available to spend per year.

The council is proposing to use this additional funding to increase its provision of domestic and sexual violence services, to build on and improve how we provide these services.

We have outlined proposed changes to domestic and sexual violence services in Bristol in our draft commissioning strategy, which is the subject of this consultation. The proposals include:

• New funding for local prevention and recovery services
• Additional funding for accommodation-based support
• Joint delivery of other domestic abuse services

In addition, we are asking for early feedback on a possible joint commissioning partnership for sexual violence services between the council, NHS and Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

If you need this consultation in a printed or alternative format, please email: ph.commissioning@bristol.gov.uk or phone: 0781 0293454.