Councillor Carrollintroduced his motion. He thanked the Chief Executive of the DASH charity, its volunteers and the borough officers who worked in the areas of domestic violence and domestic abuse. Last week he had been proud to launch the new service, an independent source of advice for adults and children and an outreach service. On a national level it was estimated that 1.9m people experienced domestic violence in the year ending March 2017, with the police recording 1.1m incidents. There had been a steady rise in cases reported in the borough year on year. These figures did not include unreported cases. Domestic abuse could be physical, emotional or mental abuse. In any form it was unacceptable and devastating for those affected. The issue needed to be addressed head-on as victims and future generations deserved better. The council must resolve itself to tackle the issue and take a zero-tolerance approach. It was important to bust the myth that only women were affected; men were also victims but found it harder to come forward due to the stigma. It was important people could come forward and know they would be listened to. The council should stand united and send a clear message on such a critical issue.

Councillor N. Airey stated that she was delighted to support the important motion. In 2014, under the last administration, she had brought a motion to Council on raising awareness of domestic violence and offering help and support to those affected. Nationally, domestic abuse crimes accounted for a third (32%) of all violent crime:

   • 1 in 4 women would experience domestic abuse in their lifetime

   • 1 in 6 men would experience domestic abuse in their lifetime

   • On average, two women a week were killed by a current or ex-partner in England and Wales.

   • Domestic abuse cost the UK £17 billion per annum.

The local picture for children and young people was illustrated by the fact that 127 high risk victims were discussed at the RBWM Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference; 172 children were in these households. Of the 2669 referrals into the borough’s Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub, 31% had domestic abuse as the key concern

As Cabinet member for Children's Services, she was delighted that the new contract with DASH had a real focus on supporting children and young people affected by domestic abuse. However, it was known that children learned behaviours. For many children, what they saw was what they would reproduce, and a significant number of perpetrators of domestic abuse were victims themselves. The cycle must stop; domestic abuse was something no person, regardless of age, gender or any other factor, should endure.?No child should feel unsafe in their own home, by being a victim of domestic abuse, living with the threat of violence, or witnessing domestic abuse in the home. The administration would not stop until every child and young person could grow up in safety in the borough.

Councillor Saunders commented that he had been a victim of domestic abuse at various points in his life and he wholeheartedly supported the motion. Domestic abuse and violence, whether physical or mental, whether inspired by jealousy, relationship breakdown, alcohol or drug abuse, or the insecurity and frustration of pressure of work, money or anything else, was a frightening prison for those who suffered it and an abusive environment for children and others who had to live with it.  It was not gender specific, although inflicted more on women than men.  It was corrosive and corrupting of all involved. It was time for this to be a focus of all those who sought to avoid, support and repair the damage of domestic violence and abuse, including this Council.  Councillor Carroll had his full support for the motion and bringing it fully into effective force.

Councillor Werner stated that his side of the chamber were fully supportive of the motion. Domestic abuse had a wide range including emotional and financial abuse. The effect on children was a significant issue. Domestic abuse was not a class issue.

Councillor Hollingsworth commented that he had put his Members’ budget two years in a row towards the DASH charity.  Continuity of funding was important to enable the charity to plan.

Councillor Jones stated that she fully supported the motion. There were areas of the borough with large numbers of vulnerable elderly people and she hoped the motion would bring awareness and support to this issue.

Councillor S Rayner commented that she had spent International Women’s Day with the Prime Minister. The focus of the day had been domestic violence and new legislation to address the issue. Councillor S Rayner had met many victims. It was unacceptable for people to lose their dignity and control of their lives. Psychological scars were long lasting. The decision to take back control was incredibly frightening and brave. To have DASH and other partners to help with this step would empower people to do so.

It was proposed by Councillor Carroll, seconded by Councillor N. Airey and:

RESOLVED UNANINMOUSLY: That this Council:

i)             Continues to robustly adopt a zero tolerance approach to any form  of domestic violence and abuse, and strongly reaffirms our steadfast commitment to tackle domestic violence and abuse through our public health strategy, joint health and well-being strategy, and awareness campaigns;

ii)            Encourages anybody from any background who is suffering from the  impact of domestic violence and abuse to come forward and get the help  and support they need from the police, the council, health services or  key partner organisations such as DASH, Victim Support or the 24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline;

iii)          Resolves to promote awareness across the Borough to ensure residents understand what constitutes domestic violence and abuse and who they can go to locally to access support.