Issue - meetings

Background:

This report requested Cabinet approval of the multi-agency Kent and Medway Domestic Abuse Strategy. The Strategy outlined five priority areas agreed by partners and consulted on with the public. The report noted that Medway would own a local action plan aligned to the Strategy that would be governed by the Medway domestic abuse sub-group that reported into the Community Safety Partnership (CSP).

The report explained that the Domestic Abuse Strategy aimed to prevent and reduce domestic abuse in Kent and Medway through collective working across partners to strengthen preventive activity, improve support for those who have suffered from abuse, and make better use of the combined resources across agencies. Many different services and providers support families and individuals affected by domestic abuse. The Strategy would drive the development of action to better connect the work across partners, focussing on the same objectives, enabling the strongest response and services possible.

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been carried out on the Strategy, as set out in Appendix 3 to the report.

Reasons:

Reducing and preventing domestic abuse will improve outcomes for families and residents living in Medway. By approving the Strategy, Cabinet will be committing Medway Council to work alongside our key statutory partners to reduce the incidences of domestic abuse, better support victims and empower them to come forward and report in an environment where they will feel supported to take perpetrators to justice.