Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 15
15
Deferred
Short-term funding settlements critically undermine VAWG services' ability to recruit and retain specialist staff.
Conclusion
Written evidence submitted to the Committee highlights the impact that short–term funding settlements can have on locally run services’ ability to provide adequate, specialist support to survivors of VAWG. Women’s Aid told us that single–year finding settlements limit service providers’ ability to recruit and retain specialist staff as they are unable to provide long– term employment security.32 Evidence submitted by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner highlights that short–term funding settlements can lead to service providers recruiting and training staff at very short notice, only to potentially close the service or make staff redundant a year later.33 The Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s 2022 mapping of specialist domestic abuse services found that 80% of organisations receive statutory funding as their main source of income, meaning that the majority of organisations are affected by the short–term and insecure nature of funding.34 The Home Office told us that it is expecting the current spending review to be three years’ RDEL and four years’ capital, which moves away from a series of one–year 28 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.5, 2.9 29 C&AG’s Report, para 9 30 Q 28 31 Q 33 32 Q 6 33 VAWG0076 34 VAWG0076 14 spending reviews. Whilst acknowledging that it is a 10–year ambition to halve VAWG, the Home Office told us that it cannot expect a settlement longer than 4–years given the current financial climate.35
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation on funding stability but states that final funding allocations and plans for cross-government VAWG spending are contingent on the upcoming departmental budget allocation process following the Spending Review. The Home Office commits to updating the Committee once decisions and clarity are obtained, by Autumn 2025.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Autumn 2025 3.2 The government is committed to delivering its ambition to halve VAWG in a decade, underpinned by a transformational approach to be set out in the upcoming VAWG Strategy. This includes ensuring that maximum stability is provided to the sector so that they can continue to deliver for victims and respond to perpetrators. 3.3 The Home Office is due to undergo the departmental budget allocations process, following the Spending Review, through which the final funding allocation will be agreed. 3.4 The coordination of VAWG spending across government will also be subject to other Government departments completing their own internal allocation processes. 3.5 Once the Home Office has decisions and clarity on plans for cross-government spending on VAWG for the Spending Review period, the Home Office will write to update the Committee.