Urgent action is needed to protect domestic abuse services as the local authority financial crisis ‘spirals out of control’, the domestic abuse commissioner has warned.
The financial pressure facing councils means non-statutory domestic abuse services are likely to be cut back or cut altogether, leaving victims at risk of serious harm and even homicide, Nicole Jacobs said.
Victims from minority communities will be most at risk as they face additional barriers in accessing support and a lack of services to meet their needs, the commissioner added.
Ms Jacobs said: ‘We are standing on the edge of a precipice. If urgent action is not taken, lifesaving services will disappear, risking the safety of thousands of victims and survivors.’
She has urged local government secretary Michael Gove to take ‘decisive action’ and is calling for a legal duty to fund domestic abuse services in the Victims and Prisoners Bill.
The chair of the Local Government Association’s safer, stronger communities board, Heather Kidd, said: ‘Only with long-term, reliable funding, can councils help safeguard individuals and families from the physical and psychological harm caused by domestic abuse.’
