Funding approved to tackle domestic abuse in Sunderland following surge in reports during Covid pandemic

The impact of successive lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic has put existing services on Wearside and across the North East under growing pressure.

But the Northumbria Wide Domestic Abuse Consortium is in line for more than £285,000 from Sunderland City Council over the next two years to ensure it can continue its vital work in the region.

And this is set to include enhancing and strengthening the specialist support on offer, helping those whose needs are not traditionally well met and providing accommodation to victims with complex needs.

The total value of the grant funding for the specialist domestic abuse provision will be £142,998 in 2021/ 2022 and £142,998 in 2022/2023, equating to £285,996 for the 2-year term.

Cllr Kelly Chequer, cabinet member for Healthy City, stressed the importance of the funding.

She said: “It ensures continued provision of and access to specialist accommodation and support for domestic violence and abuse victims with complex needs across the six Northumbria local authority areas.”

Cllr Louise Farthing, cabinet member for Children, Learning and Skills, added: “One of the most adverse aspects of the pandemic and the lockdown was the increase in domestic abuse across Sunderland.

“I think it’s really important that we continue to fund these specialist provisions.”

Councillor Linda Williams, cabinet member for Vibrant City, noted the benefits the combined working of neighbouring authorities and organisations in the consortium can have.

She said: “It’s really good that there’s a consortium to back things up, a collection of services, a bigger collection of ideas, to be able to offer those specialist services.

“It’s very much about being able to get that specific bespoke service for them as individuals.”

The Northumbria Wide Domestic Abuse Consortium secured initial support from the former Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in 2016 to provide support in the region.

However, grant funding from the former MHCLG ended with the implementation of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, with local authorities instead tasked with providing support.

Despite the cessation of the MHCLG funding, the consortium collectively agreed to continue to provide grant funding to the delivery partners and continue service provision.

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