Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration introduced a report on the independent Barking and Dagenham Domestic Abuse Commission Report.

The Barking and Dagenham Domestic Abuse Commission was launched in September 2019 at Eastbury Manor House.  The Commission brought together a panel of 12 national experts, chaired by Polly Neate CBE, CEO of Shelter and former CEO of Women’s Aid. The Commission was given three tasks – to look at the community attitudes towards domestic abuse, to look at the response of the Council and partners and to provide a toolkit for others to follow.

Nicki Norman OBE, Acting Chief Executive of Women’s Aid England, who was part of the Commission, addressed the Cabinet on the work undertaken since the Commission was launched.  It had conducted a range of qualitative and quantitative insight in the Borough with residents and professionals. In particular, Ms Norman advised that survivors of domestic abuse had co-produced the report and the outcomes, and recommendations within it.

The Cabinet noted that the report was structured as seven survivor-based outcomes with a series of recommendations.

The Cabinet supported the work of the Commission and welcomed the launch event for the report, which would be taking place virtually on 10 March 2021.

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Agree to the publication of the Independent Domestic Abuse Commission Report, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report; and

(ii)  Note that the Council’s formal response to the Commission, outlining how it intended to respond to the recommendations, would be presented to a future meeting of the Cabinet for approval.