DEVON County Council had no need to secure a new county-wide support service for victims of domestic violence and their families, as the Express & Echo reported last month.
The three charities who pioneered this work have been delivering this service throughout Devon since the mid-1970s. In 2010 Devon was the only county to ever be awarded a prestigious Green Flag by the Audit Commission for its outstanding achievement in its work on domestic violence and abuse.
A couple of years later an independent review highlighted the high quality and importantly, the cost effectiveness of these services. These are the same local services, with all their expertise and experience and good working relationships with all the other involved agencies that are that are now to be replaced. They are devastated.
Stop Abuse For Everyone (formerly Exeter Women's Aid) the Exeter-based charity that has been delivering highly respected services to all affected by domestic violence and abuse for 39 years, has now been deprived of its core funding. Over the years SAFE has faced many insecurities, threats and reductions in its statutory funding – this year having a reduction of 15 per cent. Yet, the charity continued to innovate and expand its work and by attracting other funding streams, to extend the services it could offer – for example, having a male worker to work with men and boys, specialised workers with children and young people living in their Refuge, and Pattern Changing courses for women ready to move on in their lives.
It is becoming clear that the new service providers will not be offering a refuge for women and families in crisis. Last year when celebrating an anniversary in the soon-to-close building, this much-needed Exeter facility had in 10 years offered safe accommodation and support to 916 women and 943 children and young people escaping domestic violence and abuse. This demonstrates the need for such a facility in Exeter. This is underlined when we know that two women a week are killed in the UK by a partner or ex-partner. Three women were killed in Devon last year. Some women and many children need the safety, specialist services and support that living in a refuge gives them.
While recognising that Devon County Council needs to make yet more savings, it is difficult to accept that it needed to put these services out to tender when it already had excellent services that had shown themselves adaptable to cuts in funding and proved their worth in every way. They don't seem to understand that the crime of domestic violence and abuse affects twice as many women as breast cancer, that children living in abusive households are at risk of a range of health, social and educational problems and that many of our young people form abusive, unhealthy relationships. Without a range of fully funded services, many individuals and families will not only suffer but will in the short or longer term cost the community and tax payer more.Dr J A Collier BSc, PhD Heavitree Park Exeter
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