Plans for Peterborough-focused £770k domestic abuse service a ‘strong step forward’

Peterborough City Council’s cabinet voiced their approval of a city-focused domestic abuse mobile advocacy service.

The service will be funded for a period of three and a half years, with two one-year extensions.

Funding for each year of the contract will be in the region of £140,000, with a total contract value in the region of £770,000.

The current programme is commissioned jointly across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough by Cambridgeshire County Council until September 30.

However, the new procurement will be for a Peterborough-only service that would ensure victims and survivors of any gender can access direct support.

According to a council report put before a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, January 14, there were approximately 7,000 victims of domestic abuse in Peterborough in 2022/23. There were 2,378 incidents and 4,160 domestic abuse crimes reported to the police in the same period.

The report stated: “It is essential that those who are being subjected to domestic abuse are able to access specialist support without having to enter the criminal justice system, or for them to have to make contact with other professionals. This will enable those who are concerned with their situation to access support at the earliest opportunity.”

‘Mobile advocacy’ refers to domestic abuse support which can be accessed by anyone regardless of level of risk, to enable them to remain safe in their own home or to find alternative accommodation.

It is anticipated that approximately 250 people subjected to domestic abuse will be supported each year from the new service.

At Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, Adrian Chapman, executive director for place and economy, said: “This is a really strong step forward for the city’s support services.”

The current procurement plan is to issue an invitation to tender in March, with a period of six weeks for interested parties to submit their documentation.

Award of the contract is scheduled for early July, allowing a three-month transition period for commencement of the contract from October.

The contract will be funded using the Safe Accommodation Grant from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Cabinet members agreed to approve the procurement of the domestic abuse service.

Following the meeting, Councillor Alison Jones, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, said: “For people that need the service, they won’t see any difference.

“There will still be a contact number and email for them to contact and keep in touch with us.

“It’s more about the back office where we will have the resource that will look at them as an individual and see how we can best support their situation, where they want us to meet them, and how we can best work with them to help them through the difficult time they’re going through.”