2,000 domestic abuse offences in a year in Shropshire

In the financial year to March 2017, West Mercia Police recorded 2,186 domestic abuse offences in the area, concentrated in Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Market Drayton and Ludlow.

The number is a 22 per cent rise on the previous year, according to a report released ahead of Shropshire Council's performance management scrutiny committee meeting tomorrow.

Police pursued 1,703 prosecutions for domestic violence, resulting in 1,352 convictions.

In the same financial year, the borough’s multi-agency risk assessment conference (MARAC) recorded 319 higher risk cases of domestic abuse.

West Mercia Women’s Aid’s Independent Domestic Abuse Advisers provided help for 280 people in Shropshire.

Refuge

The report adds that Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service (SDAS) is commissioned by Shropshire Council to provide a refuge and longer-term outreach service to between 80 and 100 people each year.

SDAS runs a 10-bedroom refuge for women only, as well as a two-bedroom property that can accommodate anyone. A further three-bedroom property will become available later this year.

Between April 1 and December 20 last year 42 women and 55 children used the refuges, and 40 per cent came from within Shropshire.

The report says: "Although people from elsewhere used the service, Shropshire was not a popular destination for people fleeing abuse due to its relative geographical isolation and lack of comprehensive services."

As well as refuge space, SDAS organises a range of support services both for people staying in refuges and the wider population.

There has been a steady increase in demand for support services.

Last year West Mercia Women’s Aid’s IDVA services represented 280 people, having forecast to support 200 to 220 clients. SDAS also reports growing demand, which cannot be met with existing services.

The authority's performance management scrutiny committee will recommend that the joint health overview and scrutiny committee explore opportunities for NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to offer acute support to children who are staying in domestic abuse refuges.

The committee will also recommend that the joint health overview and scrutiny committee explore opportunities for working more closely with Telford & Wrekin Council to deliver domestic abuse support services.

The committee noted that the government had proposed the introduction of a draft Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill to Parliament.

The group will recommend that Shropshire Council responds to the government’s consultation on housing costs for short-term supported accommodation, asking that the government postpones the proposals until such time as there is more certainty about the proposed domestic abuse legislation.

The committee will meet at Shirehall tomorrow at 2pm.