Domestic abuse services in the Highlands at risk under council’s funding plans, warn Women’s Aid services
Domestic abuse services for women and children in the Highlands are at risk of possible closure under funding plans by Highland Council, Women’s Aid groups are warning.
They maintain plans for a single service provider, currently under consultation, could lead to the closure of Inverness Women’s Aid, Lochaber Women’s Aid, Ross-shire and Skye Women’s Aid, and Caithness and Sutherland Women’s Aid if there is no specific funding proposition for expert Women’s Aid services.
In a strongly-worded joint statement which is also signed by Scottish Women’s Aid, the groups say this will directly threaten the lives and the wellbeing of women, children and young people seeking support, their cases will be underserved and this will cause harm.
They are calling on Highland Council to urgently rethink the plans.
• Putting love back into Inverness refuge for women fleeing domestic abuse
• Fears for Highland women fleeing domestic abuse under plans to close refuge
• Refuge in Inverness to continue providing service
The Women’s Aid services collectively support over 1000 women and over 250 children and young people each year in the Highlands.
But they say this support is under threat due to the council’s intention to open funding submissions for a single provider to deliver domestic abuse services for all genders across all areas of the Highlands.
“These Women’s Aid groups are already underfunded to deliver what is an essential, often life-saving service,” they state.
“Any reduction in funding will result in even less opportunity to support women, children and young people affected by domestic abuse.
“Furthermore, if the proposed funding model separates allocations for outreach and refuge services, and Women’s Aid services do not receive sufficient outreach funding, the refuge funding alone will be inadequate to keep them operational.”
They say competitive tender of domestic abuse services for all genders as a procurement model does not work for gender-based violence.
“A clear majority of victims of domestic abuse are women, and the vast majority of perpetrators are men,” they say.
“Traumatised women, children and young people need safe spaces away from men. Extensive research has shown that their support needs are different.”
They argue the plans diminish the value of the decades of expert, specialist support provided to women across the Highlands and directly contravenes the Scottish Government’s commitment to preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls through the Equally Safe Strategy.
The statement continues: “As there is far more demand for domestic abuse support services from women, the one-stop shop model will ultimately reduce the funding for women’s services and reallocate funding to men.
“The single-service model will eliminate the option for women to choose a service that makes them feel safe.
“Women’s Aid groups support services for men but these must be proportionate to the demand.”
They also say the geography of the Highlands is too vast for the centralisation of services to support women, children and young people affected by domestic abuse and will reduce the ability to correctly signpost those affected to other services and support.
They are calling on the council to commit to further discussion with the Women’s Aid groups affected and for “a fair and transparent” procurement process which considers the issues outlined
Eilidh Ross, who chairs Inverness Women’s Aid said the proposed changes would put women, children and young people experiencing domestic abuse at risk.
“We and our sister organisations across the Highland Council region provide experienced, specialist domestic abuse services and it is no exaggeration to say that in many cases that support changes and saves lives,” she said.
“That specialist support is in danger of being lost if the Highland Council proceed with their ill-conceived and badly judged plans.”
Lorraine Revitt, manager of Lochaber Women’s Aid said despite being underfunded for several years, local Women’s Aid groups provided a vital lifeline throughout the Highlands by providing a local, easily accessible and safe space for women.
“The distances involved in providing the service in Lochaber are vast and we cannot contemplate how one provider throughout the Highlands could achieve and provide a sustainable or effective service,” she said.
She added it would also affect the ongoing job security employment of highly-trained specialised staff who had built up local knowledge and contacts.
Caithness & Sutherland Women’s Aid (CASWA) Board said it currently supported 200 women and 89 children and young people, covering distances annually of almost 30,000 miles and working with cross-sector partners.
It stated: “As well as direct work with survivors and their families, CASWA also delivers several outreach and advocacy campaigns going into schools and businesses to educate and raise awareness.
“A cut to this would undoubtedly have long-term impacts on the lives of women and girls in our community.”
Leanne Maxwell, interim manager of Ross-shire and Skye Women’s Aid said: “We believe the region deserves local services to best meet local need.
“Local services, staffed by local women, with local knowledge and professional connections are best placed to understand and advocate for local women, children and young people affected by domestic abuse.”
Dr Marsha Scott, chief executive of Scottish Women’s Aid, acknowledged the challenging economic context in which local authorities were under increased pressure to make savings but said women, children and young people living with domestic abuse could not bear the burden of local government financial challenges.
“Keeping women and children safe should be a significant priority in response to Scotland's current economic challenges,” she said.
“The local women’s aid services are grass-roots services that have grown out of their communities to help the women and children in local families.
“This proposed commissioning strategy wipes out decades of support for the people and the services your communities have developed and nurtured.’
Highland Council has been contacted for comment.
