Tameside Council are to receive more than half a million pounds in extra government funding to ensure victims of domestic abuse and their children are able to access support and safe accommodation.
It comes as £125 million has been allocated to councils across England to help tackle the issue.
The money will go to supporting safe accommodation, advocacy, counselling and therapy in safe locations such as refuges.
Tameside Council will receive £547,627 in total from central government.
A new duty, which was part of the Conservative Party’s manifesto, will come into effect later this year which will require councils to support domestic abuse victims and their children within safe accommodation services where needs have been identified.
It’s part of the Domestic Abuse Bill and the funding has been announced now to allow councils time to plan.
This funding is part of a wider package of support for victims of rape and domestic abuse, with a £40 million funding boost for victim support services announced on 1 February 2021, building on the £76 million pledged in May 2020 to ensure vital services including refuges, helplines and counselling remain accessible throughout the pandemic.
In January 2021, the Conservative Government also launched the ‘Ask for ANI’ codeword scheme, which provides victims of domestic abuse access to immediate help from the police or other support services from their local pharmacy.
Commenting, Dan Costello, the Conservative candidate for Ashton Hurst in Tameside, and previously the Conservative candidate for Ashton-under-Lyne at the 2019 general election, said:
“Domestic abuse is a devastating crime that ruins lives, which is why this Conservative Government’s commitment to empowering and protecting victims is so important.
“The £547,627 announced today for Tameside will ensure that anyone who needs to access safe accommodation and the support services they need to recover and rebuild their lives will be able to do so, and is part of a wider package of support we have put in place for victims of rape and domestic abuse.
“In taking another big step towards helping break the cycle of domestic abuse and protecting some of the most vulnerable in our society, we are transforming our response to victims and will help them move forward with their lives.”
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