Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration introduced a report on the proposal to commission a number of separate services aimed at tackling domestic and sexual violence via a new contract with a single, strategic partner from 1 October 2019.

The Cabinet Member explained that the Council currently commissioned a number of services from several external voluntary providers.  The new arrangement would bring together elements of refuge, advocacy, therapeutic support and community engagement under one service provider who would be responsible for delivering a service that could be adapted to the changing needs of residents and fluctuating budgets.  The new arrangement would also bring additional benefits, including the ability to source other potential funding streams to strengthen sustainability through the service.

The Cabinet Member referred to some of the key domestic and sexual violence challenges and the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy 2018-2022, recently adopted by the Health and Wellbeing Board, which set out a needs-led approach to tackling the problems in Barking and Dagenham.  A future report to the Cabinet would also set out arrangements for a new, independent commission to look, in particular, at overcoming the perceived acceptance and ‘normalisation’ of domestic and sexual violence amongst the local community.

Cabinet Members spoke on some of the positive activities already being undertaken by the Council and voluntary sector in the Borough to raise awareness of domestic and sexual violence issues and the support services available to victims.  The Cabinet Member also confirmed that support services related to the entire community, including the LGBT community, and the new contract included specific requirements regarding fully accessible services and their promotion / visibility across all groups.

The Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Agree, in accordance with the provisions of clause 6.6(h) of the Council’s Contract Rules, to waive tendering requirements and directly award the contract for the provision of an Independent Domestic and Sexual Violence Advocacy Service for a three-month period up to 30 September 2019;

(ii)  Agree that the Council proceeds with the procurement of a contract with a strategic partner to deliver outcomes based Domestic and Sexual Violence Services with effect from 1 October 2019, in accordance with the strategy set out in the report; and

(iii)  Delegate authority to the Commissioning Director of Adults Care and Support, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care Integration and the Director of Law and Governance, to conduct the procurement and award and enter into the contract(s) and all other necessary or ancillary agreements with the successful partner, in accordance with the strategy set out in the report.