Women’s refuge budgets cut by almost quarter over seven years, probe finds

By Tess de la Mare17th October 2017News EnglandAdult Care, Domestic Abuse / Violence, Local Authorities, News England, Victim Support, Vulnerable Adults

Women’s refuges across the country have had their budgets cut by nearly a quarter in the last seven years, according to new figures.

Budgets have been slashed despite the number of domestic violence cases reported to police increasing by a third in the same period.

An investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BiJ) found three quarters of councils have reduced the amount spent on women’s refuges since 2010.

Funding for refuges across England has dropped from £31.2 million in 2010 and 2011, or £36.7 million when adjusted for inflation, to just £23.9 million in 2016 and 2017.

Information obtained from 84 local authorities across England revealed over 1,000 vulnerable women and children were turned away in the last six months.

One woman from the West Midlands was told that the nearest free space in a refuge was in Orkney off the coast of Scotland.

Scandal-hit Kensington Chelsea Council was among those singled out for criticism when it emerged it had cut spending on refuges by 45% since 2010.

A month after the Grenfell Tower disaster claimed 80 lives, the ceiling of a refuge in the borough collapsed.

One refuge manager warned “women and children are going to die as a result” while another said they were providing just a “bare bones service”.

Two women a week in England and Wales are killed by their partners or ex-partners on average.

Many of the 40 refuge managers surveyed said they were often forced to turn away women with physical disabilities, mental health problems or because they had too many children with them.

Many services like child support workers, specialist support for women from ethnic minorities and substance abuse workers have had to be cut.

Clare Phillipson, a manager for a refuge in Sunderland, said: “I spent last weekend trying to work out which woman to turn away.

“You’re thinking is this woman going to die if we turn them away. It’s awful.”

One woman had to call the police four times while she waited for a space in a refuge.

The Government last year announced a £20 million pot to fund domestic violence projects, but 50 local authorities received nothing.

Refuge managers told the BiJ that eight months after the winning bids were announced the funds had still not come through, prompting one to put its entire staff on notice for fear of imminent closure.

Conservative MP and former education secretary Maria Miller, who chairs the women and Equalities Select Committee, called for a statutory requirement for local authorities to provide refuge places in their area.

Labour MP Jess Phillips, chairwoman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Domestic Violence, said: “The Government keep saying that they are investing tens of millions into domestic violence services but this is not being felt on the ground.”

A Government spokesman said: “Domestic abuse is a devastating crime and we’re taking action to make sure that no victim is turned away from the support they need.

“We’ve secured £40 million of dedicated funding for these domestic abuse services over four years up to 2020, and so far allocated half of this to local authorities to support 76 projects across England, which will create more than 2,200 bed spaces and support to over 19,000 victims.

“We know there’s still more to do to tackle domestic abuse, which is why we’ll be introducing a landmark Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill to protect and support victims and bring perpetrators to justice.”