Women's Views on News |
| New toolkit for women’s services in Wales Posted: 23 Aug 2016 10:15 AM PDT
The Lloyds Bank Foundation, Welsh Women's Aid, SafeLives, Women's Aid Federation of England and Imkaan, have developed a toolkit which is to support commissioners responsible for violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence services in Wales. In line with the changing environment and context in Wales following the introduction of the Violence Against Women and Girls, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015 the guide is to help commissioners in Wales adopt more collaborative approaches, to ensure a full understanding of local needs and the services that can meet those needs. This new toolkit, Tackling Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence: a collaborative commissioning toolkit for services in Wales’, which is available to download by clicking here, has been developed in consultation with survivors, charities and commissioners throughout Wales in an endeavour to ensure it represents and addresses the challenges and opportunities all the parties concerned face. It aims to help agencies in Wales to work together to provide an effective commissioning approach to ensure the future well-being of all those affected by violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence (VAWDASV). The toolkit is therefore intended for current and future commissioners, providers of services, the Welsh government, to help support local action that will deliver impactful solutions and others with a stake in the safety and well-being of local people. It includes practical advice, examples and templates to help commissioners to navigate the complex environment, outlines the strategic and legislative requirements to be considered, and suggests frameworks for effective collaborative working by service providers. And it emphasises the importance of preserving local specialist services, and catering for specific groups such as BME communities, or women in same sex relationships. It also acknowledges the contextual knowledge and expertise of the service providers in the specific communities they currently serve, knowledge and expertise that allows them to reach some of the most marginalised and disadvantaged survivors and which cannot be substituted by larger, more generic providers. Paul Streets, chief executive of Lloyds Bank Foundation, said: "We know from the many charities we fund and support on the frontline of tackling abuse and violence against women and girls right across Wales that navigating the public funding and commissioning process is one of their greatest challenges. "Yet doing so successfully is critical if those affected by abuse are to access the specialist services that can meet their individual needs. "We are already supporting specialist charities to better prepare for commissioning but wanted to look at the commissioning process itself and support local commissioners, government and service providers to achieve the best outcomes for individuals. "We hope that this resource will support commissioners and providers in Wales to work together to prevent and reduce abuse and ensure the needs of survivors are met effectively across the country." Welsh Assemby member Carl Sargeant, Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children, said: "I am pleased that I have been able to increase funding for VAWDASV in Wales this year – but other sources of funding are drying up. "So it's even more important that organisations make the most of funds they receive, fully understand needs and target services effectively. This toolkit will help commissioners to do that. And Rhian Bowen-Davies, National Adviser for Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence, said: "Tackling violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence demands a coordinated response across Wales. "This resource," Bowen-Davies continued, "comes at a really important time as we implement the Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015." Eleri Butler, chief executive of Welsh Women's Aid, said: "By encouraging joined up investment into specialist services, more women and children will be able to access the help they need when they need it, and be supported to recover from abuse. "Its publication is timely," Bulter continued, "as last year over 11,000 adult survivors were supported by domestic abuse services in Wales yet nearly half of these services face funding cuts this year. "Survivors of abuse, who rely on lifesaving services that every year risk closure, deserve better. "This guide moves us one step closer to achieving a sustainable funding model for specialist services in Wales, which would ensure that everyone who has suffered abuse has access to support when they need it the most."  |
| Posted: 23 Aug 2016 10:13 AM PDT
Recounting Women is a participatory photovoice project that supports women to reflect on, share and highlight issues related to their personal experiences of domestic abuse. A key theme of the project is to gather evidence of the impact that welfare reform, cuts to social security and other austerity measures have on women’s ability to rebuild their lives. Women also wanted to highlight the other barriers they experienced in accessing justice, education, work and housing, as well as the impact of domestic abuse on their own and their children’s health and wellbeing. The project has provided a unique platform for women who have experienced domestic abuse and whose voice is rarely heard in public policy making, to anonymously and creatively share information about the issues that affect them. The Recounting Women Project is a partnership between Scottish Women’s Aid, Perthshire Women's Aid and Glasgow East Women's Aid and is supported by funding from Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Digital Challenge Fund. It was developed from work with Women's Aid groups in Scotland to map the impact of austerity measures on the women and children they support. In the first phase women were recruited to the project through their involvement with Perthshire Women's Aid. Ten weekly group sessions were held between October 2015 and January 2016. In the second phase weekly group sessions were held between February and March 2016 with women recruited through Glasgow East Women’s Aid. In these sessions women defined the issues that were most important to them, developed photography and other digital skills and how to use images and text to tell stories. All the photography was created on digital point and shoot cameras. The text with one picture: 'A letter comes in the door and your stomach just goes like the waltzers. You have this fear and almost a phobia about opening mail. I stopped opening it – it makes me feel physically sick and it doesn't stop, I have to deal with this every week.' Or 'I had to buy these shoes when I was made homeless they were £6 from Tesco. I lost all my belongings – I walked everywhere in them. I can't throw them away even though they have holes in them. From riches to rags.' The text on another: 'When you go to the Jobcentre you feel so humiliated and disbelieved. I kept applying for jobs and couldn't get any interviews, even though I had the skills and experience. You don't get any feedback. I feel left on the scrap heap because of my age.' And: 'Light at the end of the tunnel, that's what everyone says, but how do I get there, with no money, no bed. Light at the end of the tunnel – but when?' Click here to see the project's pictures.  |
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