Purpose

The purpose of the report was to present the findings of the Panel’s report following its Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). A service plan was developed in response to the Panel’s recommendations.

Decision

ORDERED that Executive:

1. Note the report of the Adult Social Care and Health Scrutiny Panel on Violence Against Women and Girls and its accompanying recommendations;
2. Approve the Action Plan prepared by the relevant service areas in response to those recommendations and to include references and testimony of the Survivor’s Panel as part of the recommendation B and the review of DASP Terms of Reference.

Reasons for the decision

REASONS

It was a requirement that Executive formally considered the Adult Social Care and Health Scrutiny Panel report and confirmed the service area’s response to the accompanying plan.

Alternative options considered

OPTIONS

To create an entire stand-alone strategy for Violence Against Women and Girls in Middlesbrough. However, this was not recommended, as officers recognised the interdependencies with the work relating to Domestic Abuse, for which a full Strategy had already been developed. Therefore, it was considered appropriate to strengthen the existing strategic framework and the associated partnerships already in place to lead on this work, ensuring that available resources within the Domestic Abuse Strategic Partnership were used efficiently, rather than replicating the strategic framework with largely the same organisations.

The action plan in Appendix 1 supported the conclusions in the report that Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) remained a significant challenge in Middlesbrough and required a whole-system response. While strong victim support and domestic abuse arrangements were already in place, further progress depended on strengthening prevention, early intervention, organisational leadership, and cultural change. The Panel's central ambition was for Middlesbrough Council to take a leading role in coordinating a strategic, partnership-based approach, with White Ribbon Accreditation acting as a visible commitment to challenging violence against women and girls across the organisation and the wider community.