Strategy launched to help prevent the cycle of domestic abuse

A new five-year strategy has been launched to prevent domestic abuse in the borough, support victims and change the behaviour of perpetrators.

The Blackburn with Darwen Domestic Abuse Strategy 2018 to 2023 sets out how organisations will work together to tackle the issue at a time when the public sector is facing significant financial challenges.

The four priorities drawn up by the multi-agency Blackburn with Darwen Domestic Abuse Partnership are:

• Prevention and early intervention. This includes supporting children and young people who have witnessed domestic abuse to prevent them becoming perpetrators or victims.
• Protecting those at greatest risk of harm. Bespoke support for those who often have the most complex needs such as families with substance misuse and mental health issues.
• Partnership working. Better integration of services and ensuring staff have the skills needed to prevent abuse and protect vulnerable people
• Pursuing perpetrators. Identifying those at risk of carrying out domestic abuse and delivering high-quality preventative projects to help them recognise and change inappropriate behaviour.

Blackburn with Darwen works with partners to prevent domestic abuse. The borough has lower rates of repeat victimisation than similar areas.

Other successes from the last five-year domestic abuse strategy include a 50 per cent increase in the reporting of domestic abuse from black and minority ethnic communities.

But the number of cases where children need protection has risen significantly and domestic abuse is a feature in a high proportion of these. More bespoke support is also needed for older people, LGBT people and those with mental or physical impairments.

Councillor Pat McFall, chairman of Blackburn with Darwen Domestic Abuse Partnership, said:

Domestic abuse can have a devastating and long-term effect on the lives of victims, their children and the communities in which they live. It is an issue unrestricted by age, gender, sexual orientation or background and requires a broad, multi-agency response.

Over the next five years, we intend to break the cycle of domestic abuse by both building on what we have already achieved and learning from our successes and failures. This will include maintaining our strong focus on early intervention, protection and support for victims and their families, and integrating our approach to working with those in greatest need of support and complex need.

We have unprecedented demand on all our public services and during these extremely challenging financial times we need to find new ways of keeping our population safe and healthy, and enabling our communities to thrive.

Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw added:

Tackling domestic abuse is a key priority for me under the Police and Crime Plan for Lancashire. However, policing alone cannot deal with every aspect of this issue which is why it’s so important to be working this way.

We know that over 90 per cent of incidents are witnessed by children in those environments so whatever we can do to encourage and support people to come forward, seek help or challenge perpetrators is vital. I look forward to supporting the excellent work across Blackburn and Darwen in the coming years through this strategy.

Blackburn with Darwen Domestic Abuse partnership includes: Blackburn with Darwen Council, East Lancashire Hospital Trust, Changing Lives, The Wish Team, Lancashire Police, Blackburn with Darwen Public Health, Humraaz, East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen Clinical Commissioning Groups, Community Rehabilitation Company and the Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner’s office.