SOUTHERN Domestic Abuse Service (SDAS) has worked with Motiv8 (South) Ltd and Havant Borough Council to secure £190,587.00 from the Department for Communities and Local Government’s £20m fund to support victims of domestic abuse.

This funding is being awarded so that Southern Domestic Abuse Service, Motiv8 (South) Ltd, Havant Borough Council and East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) can successfully deliver a range of innovative interventions and engagement activities with marginalised communities to increase knowledge of domestic violence and abuse, to extend the support available and encourage early take-up of community services to prevent victims requiring refuge provision.

The project will develop better support mechanisms for women and their children in refuge who require specialist support due to their immigration status, ethnicity, religion or additional needs.

This funding will also allow a dedicated worker to seek out marginalised communities, including people with disabilities and older people and build trust with them.

This is innovative work which will challenge the deep-rooted social norms, attitudes and behaviours that discriminate against and limit women and girls, and will create change by educating, informing and challenging young people about healthy relationships, abuse and consent.

It will make early intervention and prevention a priority, identifying women and girls in need before a crisis occurs, and intervening to make sure they get the help they need for themselves and for their children.

Specialist support, including accommodation-based support, will be available for the most vulnerable victims, and those with complex needs will be able to access the services they need.

In East Hampshire, the main support will be via the East Hampshire Refuge, which is currently supporting nine families.

Claire Lambon, chief executive of Southern Domestic Abuse Servic, said: “By supporting victims to move on from refuge accommodation more quickly we will be able to support more families with the same amount of refuge resource. By targeting hard to reach groups we will be able to engage them earlier when community based support is sufficient rather than refuge.

“The Southern Domestic Abuse Service is committed to protecting victims of domestic abuse, and ensuring that no victim is turned away from the support they need.

“We recognise that men can also be victims of domestic abuse and our approach will be to benefit all victims. However, women are more likely than men to be victims of high risk or severe domestic abuse, and therefore more in need of refuges and specialist accommodation based services.

“Our approach is to support all victims and this funding will support our ambition to improve accessibility to domestic abuse services.

“We are committed to partnership working to ensure that there is a co-ordinated community response model to domestic abuse and look forward to continuing to work with Motiv8 and Havant Borough Council. Our vision is a world without domestic abuse.”