Issue - meetings

Further to Minute 78 (15 February 2021), the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration presented a report on the Council’s initial response to the recommendations of the Independent Barking and Dagenham Domestic Abuse Commission (DAC).

The Cabinet Member confirmed that the Council had acknowledged and accepted all of the DAC’s recommendations and a five-year delivery plan was being developed to enact them.  It was noted, however, that Outcome 3, Step 3 of the DAC’s report, which related to funding a young ambassador’s group, was likely to be achieved in a different way than that proposed due to the level of resources required to achieve the projected outcomes. 

A two-phased approach to embedding the principles and recommendations had been adopted, Phase 1 being ‘Priming the System’ and Phase 2 ‘Realising Change’.  The Cabinet Member advised that domestic abuse survivors would be at the centre of the delivery plan’s development and implementation, supported by dedicated staff resources within the Council, and led by a new strategic group, the Barking and Dagenham Against Domestic Abuse (BDADA).

Members commended the work of the DAC and the considerable progress already made by the Council in response to the recommendations.  Members also expressed their pride at the Council’s pro-active approach to tackling domestic abuse within the Borough and referred to other initiatives, such as the introduction of a new bereavement leave policy for staff that suffer a miscarriage before the 24^th week of pregnancy, that exemplified the Council’s position as an innovator in the public service sector.

Cabinet resolved to approve the Council’s initial response to the Domestic Abuse Commission’s recommendations, as detailed in the report.