The People Overview & Scrutiny Committee of Oxfordshire Council met on Thursday 19 March 2026 to discuss domestic abuse safe accommodation provision and the committee's future work plan. The committee agreed to recommend that the council explore systematic long-term follow-up with victimsurvivors after they leave safe accommodation to understand ongoing wellbeing and inform future commissioning.

Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Provision in Oxfordshire

The committee received a report on the provision of safe accommodation for victims of domestic abuse in Oxfordshire, outlining the council's statutory duties under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Councillor Kate Gregory, Cabinet member for Public Health & Inequalities, Ansaf Azhar, Director of Public Health and Communities, and Serena Abel, Interim Head of Public Health Programmes & Public Health Principal (Domestic Abuse), presented the findings.

The report detailed the current service delivery model, which includes refuge accommodation and Places of Safety (POS) provided by A2Dominion, with specialist support for children from SAFE!. The committee heard that demand for safe accommodation is rising, with increasing complexity of need, and that effective housing move-on pathways are crucial for system flow.

Members raised concerns about the procurement process for A2Dominion, the value for money of the contract, and capacity pressures within the service. Officers explained that a full procurement process had been followed and that future recommissioning would focus on wider market engagement. They also clarified that many referrals did not lead to placements because individuals were directed to more appropriate support, and that increasing complexity of need had affected throughput.

The discussion also covered housing pathways and system-wide pressures affecting move-on, with an emphasis on closer working with housing associations. The length of stay in safe accommodation was noted as a factor, with an increasing trend towards residents remaining for the full six-month period or longer due to complex needs and limited move-on options.

Assurance was sought regarding cases that did not enter local safe accommodation, with officers explaining that these were redirected to more suitable provision. The committee also discussed prevention and early intervention efforts, partnership working with voluntary and community sector partners, and the language used in reporting.

Service-user feedback had informed practical changes, such as inconsistent advice from housing teams and delays in police background checks. The committee also discussed the responsibilities within the two-tier local authority system, access for households with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), and out-of-hours provision. The challenges of rural need and the intersection of domestic abuse with other vulnerabilities were also addressed.

The committee agreed to a recommendation that the council will work with the commissioned domestic abuse service provider to explore options for systematic long-term follow-up with victimsurvivors after they leave safe accommodation to understand ongoing wellbeing, identify unmet needs, and inform future commissioning and service improvements. This will be developed in consultation with the service provider and mindful of their capacity and contractual scope.

Committee Forward Work Plan

The committee discussed its forward work plan and agreed that the suggested programme would serve as an appropriate starting point for subsequent committees. Amendments were proposed, including bringing back the domestic abuse item after the needs assessment, inviting the provider and including lived-experience input, and providing more comprehensive statistics on male victim-survivors. The committee also suggested presenting the remaining three pillars of the domestic abuse strategy in the future. The Community Grants Panel report, which had been delayed, was also scheduled to return to the committee at a forthcoming meeting.

Committee Action and Recommendation Tracker

The committee noted the action and recommendation tracker.