Brighton council to investigate changes to domestic abuse services in the city.
Decision follows presentation of 30,000 signature petition
Pic credit: Augustin Hardy
A city council is to set up a cross party working group to investigate changes to the provision of services to survivors of domestic abuse, violence, and sexual violence.
The move was agreed at Brighton and Hove city council’s policy and resources committee meeting last night (18 March).
The decision was reached after campaigners behind a record-breaking 30,000 signature petition met with the council’s chief executive Geoff Raw to present proposals to support local domestic violence charity Rise.
Domestic abuse services provision has been awarded to two separate national organisations.
Campaigners asked for a commitment that they would be involved in monitoring and overseeing the new contracts. A further request was that Rise is supported financially and treated as a full partner in the City’s domestic abuse strategy whilst it continues to deliver aspects of this essential work.
The petition creator Nicola Benge said: “When I heard RISE had lost funding from this Council I was devastated. I am shaken by this decision and confused about why it should have happened. Rise have run a vital, specialist, trauma focused service for so many for so long. I spoke to others in my position to look at how we could help. There are so many other concerned survivors. We felt we had to act - our support services are being dismantled.
We have had to fight so hard to be heard. The break up of these services leaves us seriously worried about safeguarding and survivor needs aren’t being taken into account. Our focus now is on securing proper scrutiny in place for these council contracts going forward. Lack of oversight or care has been the problem. We must be part of the solution.”
The decision to split up domestic abuse provision in the city from one provider to three has caused waves of protest in recent weeks.