Recommendation 2

Government departments do not have a realistic understanding of the experiences of survivors seeking support, nor the demands faced by local services on the ground. Government departments appear to have a starkly different understanding of the support provided to survivors of domestic abuse who seek support in their local communities compared with the reality. We were particularly concerned to hear that the Ministry 3 for Housing, Communities and Local Government believes that in the majority of cases domestic abuse survivors are met with adequate support from their local authority, as this does not align with what we have learnt from our constituents. It is also clear that this disjointed understanding extends to departments’ understanding of the demands being felt by support services locally. The Chief Executive of Women’s Aid told the Committee that the demands being faced by charities are increasing both in volume and complexity. For example, an increased demand for specialist mental health support for victims and survivors of violence against women and girls following the COVID–19 pandemic. Developing technology is also contributing to changes in the nature of abuse and the methods used by perpetrators. Wider pressures on services are exacerbating these demands, for example the housing crisis is making it even harder for local authorities to provide survivors with safe accommodation and, in turn, increasing the demand for temporary refuges. Wider demands on the justice system also mean that the criminal justice process is taking longer, with family courts processes becoming harder to navigate, thus increasing the demand on independent advocacy services (IDVAs). We are particularly concerned to hear that it is common for survivors to find going through the family courts processes to be almost more abusive than having experienced abuse by the perpetrator, seeing the courts as harmful, misogynistic spaces. recommendation As part of its Treasury Minute response, th