£7m government fund to improve support services for Blackpool rape and domestic abuse victims

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Fylde Coast Women’s Aid, and Bispham-based charity Empowerment will be awarded a grand total of £992,864.50 over three years to ensure that victims have access to specialist support.

The £7m funding, which will be used to strengthen existing services across Lancashire, was secured by Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden, who said: "Placing support in health settings and ensuring that hospitals and GP practices are aware of the support available has proven hugely successful. Health settings are a place of safety meaning that victims may feel more confident to talk about what has happened to them. The support that is already in place has seen more victims referred into support services at the earliest opportunity so it's fantastic to be able to build on this success and to make sure support of this kind is rolled out across Lancashire.

"The money will also see additional support workers joining services across the county which will ensure that anyone affected by domestic abuse or sexual violence can access support that's right for them, whenever and wherever they need it."

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will be awarded two grants of £143,523 and £310,458 between 2022 and 2025. These will be used to introduce an independent domestic violence advisers (IDVA) to Morecambe Bay hospital, and two additional IDVAs to Blackpool Vic. These advisers help victims of domestic abuse to access the support they need to rebuild their lives and navigate the criminal justice process.

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals also provide health IDVAs working and responding to domestic abuse alongside police officers across Blackpool, Fylde, Wyre, Morecambe and Lancaster, with improved outcomes for victims , this service has now reached 2000 victims and is the first of its kind nationally.

Other hospitals receiving grants include Southport and Ormskirk and Preston, meaning that every hospital trust in Lancashire will have at least one specialist support worker on site.

Hazel Gregory, head of safeguarding at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to receive the additional funding which will ensure a health IDVA service to reach and support victims as and when they present to health services.

“Additionally, this funding will facilitate increased collaboration with the independent sexual violence advisor services also provided in both Trusts, to respond to sexual violence and rape which can also be a feature of domestic abuse.”

Jane Pemberton, divisional director of nursing for community and intermediate care at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "The work being carried out by our independent domestic violence advocate to support vulnerable men and women experiencing domestic abuse is so important and in some cases life-changing.

"In the last three months alone, they have supported over 130 people with safety planning, offering advice and helping access much needed support.

"This funding will be used to recruit an additional advocate, helping us expand our service and provide safe, personal and effective care to even more people who are victims and survivors of domestic abuse."

Fylde Coast Women’s Aid will receive £341,689.50 for four specialist IDVAs for ethnic minorities, older victims, male victims, and children.

Glenda Smith, service manager at FCWA, said: “The domestic abuse sector across Lancashire welcome this additional funding which will enable Fylde Coast Women’s Aid to extend existing specialist services for a further two years until March 2025.

"The FCWA roles covered by the funding include a Minorities Independent Domestic Violence Advisor, IDVA, an IDVA trained to work with older people and a male IDVA. The funding also covers an extension to March 2025 for a Childrens IDVA who supports young people in their own abusive relationships and young people living in abusive households.

“Without this funding these essential services were at a high risk of closure in March 2023.”

Empowerment, which supports young people in Blackpool, will be awarded two grants of £95,194 and £102,000 for two child IDVAs.

The charity, however, refused to comment.

The Commissioner said: "Tackling domestic abuse and sexual violence is as a key priority in my Police and Crime Plan for Lancashire and I have invested in the creation of a dedicated rape and serious sexual offences team within the Constabulary to tackle this type of crime, to target offenders and to ensure victims get the justice they deserve.

"Ensuring that victims have access to specialist, face to face support is equally important and this funding means that we can now further enhance services across the county which is great news.”