That:

1)    The following decision of the Cabinet on 19 October 2021 (Minute 265(2)/10/21 refers) be rescinded:

‘full consultation on the Safe Accommodation Strategy and action plan is undertaken as part of the consultation on the new DASV Strategy. A wider DA Needs Assessment has been commissioned alongside the production of the Safe Accommodation Strategy Needs Assessment, these will inform and enable the production of a new Strategy for Domestic Abuse in Torbay. This new DASV Strategy will involve a full consultation process and therefore come back to Cabinet as will form part of the Council’s governance framework. Hence why at this stage it is recommended to approve this direction of travel ahead of full consultation next year;’

and replaced with the following:

2)    The Safe Accommodation Strategy be approved for public consultation.

To ensure the Council is compliant with Government regulations.

None.

This decision will be implemented immediately.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 received Royal Assent in April 2021. Part 4 of the Act established a new duty upon Tier 1 local authorities in England, including Torbay, to provide support to victims of domestic abuse and their children in refuges and other safe accommodation. 

Under the new duties the Council must prepare and publish a local domestic abuse support in safe accommodation strategy based on a robust needs assessment.  The needs assessment, looking at what is available in Torbay, what is needed, and informed by the experiences of people who have used domestic abuse services in Torbay, was carried out during the summer of 2021. 

The deadline for submission of an outline strategy to the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities was 31 October 2021.  However, the government has issued new regulations instead requiring that the draft strategy must be published by 26 October 2021, with a final version to be published before 5 January 2022.  It is therefore necessary to rescind part of the Cabinet’s decision made on 19 October 2021 and publish for consultation the draft Safe Accommodation Strategy. 

None.