Issue details

Proposed decision:

1. CONFIRM and ENDORSE the arrangements put in place via Officer Decision OD-23-0002, taken under delegated authority by the Chief Executive, arising from Key Decision 22/00040.
2. APPROVE the framework arrangements set out in the report for ongoing management of the Domestic Abuse Act Funding 2023-2025.
3. DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director Adult Social Care and Health, in consultation with the Leader, Corporate Director for Finance and Corporate Director for Children, Young People and Education, to revise and amend the arrangement set out in the framework details, subject to the scope of the terms and conditions of the grant funding.
4. DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director Adult Social Care and Health, in consultation with the Corporate Director for Children, Young People and Education where applicable depending on affected portfolios, to administer any further Domestic Abuse Act grant monies under the funding / governance framework put in place by this decision, including the determination of Officer Decisions to progress activity via the framework.
5. AGREE to continue to utilise the Kent Integrated Domestic Abuse Service (KIDAS) contract to support delivery of the requirements of the Act until March 2026.
6. AUTHORISE the Corporate Director Adult Social Care and Health, in consultation with the Chief Executive, to take other necessary actions, including but not limited to entering into contracts or other legal agreements, as required to implement this decision.

Reason for the decision:

Total value exceeds £1m and impacts across more than two electoral divisions.

In December 2022, the Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) announced the Local Authority Domestic Abuse Duty: 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025 funding allocations.

This was accepted via Officer Decision OD-23-0002, taken under delegated authority by the Chief Executive, arising from Key Decision 22/00040. It is appropriate and necessary for these previous arrangements to be noted and the ongoing acceptance and deployment of the Domestic Abuse Act funding to be agreed in consultation with the Leader.

It is proposed that a ‘Domestic Abuse Framework’ will be used to determine further spend of Domestic Abuse Act funding and support decision making.

The Framework decision approach places responsibility and accountability as well as Strategic oversight, in a centralised position.  With the Leader exercising the full Executive function as the decision-maker, operational decision-making and implementation activity, within the scope defined by the Framework agreed by the Leader as part of this decision, is delegated to Officers.

Under this Framework all expenditure of Domestic Abuse Act funding must be in line with budget forecasting and adhere to the DLUHC Guidance and Memorandum of Understanding terms. Additionally, proposals for spend must meet one of the following criteria.

A.       Will support the council in conducting its statutory functions under the Domestic Abuse Act which include assessing need, preparation, publication, monitoring and delivery of strategies, commissioning activity and mandatory reporting back to central Government.

B.       Will improve, develop, or maintain specialist support to people who have experienced domestic abuse (adults and children) residing in ‘safe accommodation’, as defined by the Domestic Abuse Act, (this includes Refuge accommodation, Specialist Safe accommodation, Dispersed accommodation, Sanctuary Schemes and Second stage accommodation) to meet gaps identified through the needs assessment.

Examples of projects that would meet the criteria include.

·       Engagement project to develop and maintain engagement with people who have experienced domestic abuse.

·       Development of new services to increase the reach of the existing support offer to survivors residing in a property that is part of a Sanctuary Scheme.

The Domestic Abuse Act requires the countywide needs assessment to be refreshed annually and renewed every three years. The council must also prepare and publish strategies. The current Kent and Medway Domestic Abuse Strategy is for the period of 2020-2023. A new strategy for 2024-2029 is being drafted with partners. The Domestic Abuse Framework therefore requires the council to have the ability to deliver pilots, short-term services and expeditiously realign existing Domestic Abuse Act funded services, to meet the changing needs and demands of people who have experienced domestic abuse, providing all revised proposals meet the criteria set out above.

The proposed decision supports Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement 2022-2026 commitment to working with partners to reducing inequality and integrating our planning at a place and system level.

Options Considered and Disregarded:

The option of turning down the Domestic Abuse Act funding was discarded as there are many people in Kent who will benefit from this resource, and it supports the council to meet its statutory duties.

The option for handling all Domestic Abuse Act funding activity on an individual basis, with certain projects managed at operational level and others progressing via the Key Decision process as and when required was considered.  That option would not enable the council to respond quickly and flexibly to changing demand and need or provide a clear strategic plan for delivering against the Domestic Abuse Grant requirements.

Financial Implications:

Since 2021, Kent County Council (KCC) has received new, Domestic Abuse Act funding to implement the new duties. The initial lack of clarity and late notification from DLUHC around future funding allocations created barriers in staff retention and delays in progression of some projects, resulting in an underspend of the full annual grant amount.

Unspent funding from 2021-22 and 2022-23 totalling £2,032,894.77 has been transferred to reserves, to be drawn down and used for domestic abuse safe accommodation support services in 2023-24.

The estimated expenditure of Domestic Abuse Act funding in line with implementing the Domestic Abuse Framework (section 4.4) across 2023-2025 is;

Funding held in reserves at the end of 2024-25 will spent in 2025/26 to supporting the full duration of the two-year Safe Accommodation Support Service (SASS) and Sanctuary Access for Eligible Residents (SAFER) contracts, ensuring the council has sufficient funding to meet contractual obligations and maintain support delivered within safe accommodation.

Regular financial monitoring reports will be produced and shared with the Corporate Director Finance and Corporate Director Adult Social Care and Health.

Throughout 2023-25 planning will be undertaken on how services can be maintained should DLUHC not provide any further Grant allocations for Domestic Abuse Act duties.