Thursday, 2 May 2013
Tackling domestic violence in Calderdale
Domestic abuse is a serious social problem, and Councillors in Calderdale will be asking questions of those involved in tackling it at a special meeting on Thursday 9 May.
Calderdale Council’s Communities Scrutiny Panel will be holding a detailed review to take an in-depth look at some of the issues around domestic abuse, as well as some of the future challenges.
They’ll be hearing from Mark Burns-Williamson, the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire, who has made domestic abuse a priority in his Police and Crime Plan.
Domestic abuse is not only about violence, but can also encompass psychological, sexual, financial or emotional abuse, as well as other forms of controlling behaviour. The Panel will speak to frontline workers who deal with victims of abuse and their children.
They want to hear about what people need to help them out of abusive environments. In Calderdale, in 2012/13, domestic violence was the main cause of homelessness with 20 of the 60 households accepted as homeless in the year, having to leave their previous home because of violence from a partner or associated person.
They also want to know what work is done with perpetrators, as nationally it’s estimated that in 2010/2011, repeat victimisation accounted for 73% of all incidents of domestic violence.
Calderdale Council’s Communities Chair, Cllr Helen Rivron, said: “Domestic abuse is a scourge on society. It damages people mentally as well as physically, and the scars may never heal. We want to be sure that within Calderdale, everything is being done that can be done to protect people from abuse. We know that when times are tough and money is tight, people are under even more stress and one of the results of this is that domestic abuse increases so we want to know that we are as prepared as possible for further potential problems including those caused by welfare reform.”
The meeting will be held in public at Halifax Town Hall on Thursday 9 May from 3pm to 7pm.
For advice and further information visit the Council’s website: Domestic violence.