Minutes:
1. Ms Iona Hunter-Whitehouse (Domestic Abuse Projects & Partnerships Team Lead, KCC) and Ms Rachel Westlake (Senior Commissioner, Adult Social Care and Health, KCC) provided a verbal update and delivered a presentation. They explained that their presentation focused on the specific topics and issues that were covered in the Partnerships, Community Safety Agreement action plan and their key updates around commissioning.
2. Ms Hunter-Whitehouse said that in 2021 a new Domestic Abuse Act (2021) was introduced and, amongst other things, introduced the statutory duty to assess need around domestic abuse, publish a strategy and commission support services for people who were residing in safe accommodation.
3. In Kent and Medway, there were more than 60,000 people who experienced domestic abuse every year. One in five calls to Kent Police were in relation to domestic abuse.
4. Several agencies, including KCC, District/Borough Councils, Kent Police, the OPCC, the Kent Fire and Rescue Service and the Department for Work and Pensions were involved in the Kent and Medway Partnership Domestic Abuse Strategy. They worked together to ensure that there was a coordinated response that was effective in safeguarding victims, but also in holding perpetrators to account.
5. The Strategy consisted of three pillars: Early Intervention and Prevention, Immediate Needs and Recovery.
6. In terms of Early Intervention and Prevention, it was crucial to increase awareness. Partnership work could promote coordinated campaigns that simplified and amplified awareness around domestic abuse. There was a partnership campaign. that provided a monthly calendar of campaign assets that were available for any of the partners to use.
7. In terms of Immediate Needs, Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) brought professionals together to discuss the highest risk victims and create risk reduction plans. After a series of reviews found weaknesses in the system, a new MARAC Hub process was launched in April 2025. As a result, a new online Case Management System was developed where referrals are easily and speedily retrievable by all organisations that are members of MARAC.
8.
Ms Westlake discussed some of the services in Kent
that supported the Kent and Medway Domestic
Abuse Strategy 2024-29. The
main commissioning support service was the Kent
Integrated Domestic Abuse Service (KIDAS). This was a
well-established service that was funded by KCC, the Office of the
Police and Crime Commissioner, Kent Fire and Rescue and
District/Borough Councils.
This service provided support for domestic abuse refuges providing
a variety of accommodations across the county. Last year, 240
adults and 197 accompanying children were supported in the refuges
in Kent. The KIDAS service also provided support, delivered by
Outreach Workers; to individuals who remained in their own
homes.
9. Since the Domestic Abuse Act came into force in 2021, several new services had been developed to address gaps in service provision. One such gap identified was a stronger safe accommodation offer for men. As a result, a male refuge service opened in December 2023 and offers 3 bed spaces for men and their children.
10. Another smaller but successful project involved engagement with the landlords of the refuges to be able to offer pet friendly spaces within the self-contained flats and dispersed units across the Kent Refuge portfolio. Last year, there were five survivors who were able to have their pet accompany them into refuge.
11. Ms Westlake explained that, in terms of next steps, the Kent and Medway Domestic Abuse Strategy remained in place until 2029 and delivery continues to be a collaborative effort across all partner organisations. There was a commitment to maintaining momentum and ensuring that the Strategy would translate into meaningful support.
12. The links to the new Kent and Medway Domestic Abuse Partnership website and to recent newsletters are provided below:
Home - Kent & Medway Domestic Abuse Partnership
Kent County Council Domestic Abuse Projects and Partnerships Team
RESOLVED that the Kent Community Safety Partnership note the updates in relation to Domestic Abuse activity across Kent.