Issue details

Grant Funding - Statutory Duty, Domestic Abuse Act 2021

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 became law on 29 April 2021 and this report concerns the duties placed on West Sussex County Council under this Act.

 

The Act places a duty on Local Authorities in England to:

 

  • provide support to victims of domestic abuse and their children in refuges and other safe accommodation;

     provide all eligible homeless victims of domestic abuse with an automatic ‘priority need’ for homelessness assistance;

     ensure that when Local Authorities rehouse victims of domestic abuse, they do not lose a secure lifetime or assured tenancy;

     provide all eligible homeless victims of domestic abuse with an automatic ‘priority need’ for settled housing under the homelessness legislation.

 

Each Tier One Local Authority is required to undertake a needs assessment and prepare strategies to support victims of domestic abuse in safe accommodation. In Sussex a collaborative approach has been taken to the completion of the needs assessment and a strategy that covers East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove has been developed.

 

West Sussex County Council has been allocated £1,498,174 from Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)  to respond to the results of the required needs assessment and strategy.

 

Decision type: Key

Reason Key: Expenditure > £500,000;

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Divisions affected: (All Divisions);

Notice of proposed decision first published: 15/09/2021

Decision due: January 2022 by Cabinet Member for Adults Services (Cllr Amanda Jupp)

Lead member: Councillor Amanda Jupp amanda.jupp@westsussex.gov.uk

Lead director: Emily King

Contact: Jim Bartlett, Head of community safety and wellbeing Email: jim.bartlett@westsussex.gov.uk Tel: Mobile: 07548 125813.

Consultation process

Representations concerning this proposed decision can be made via the officer contact.

 

Consultation with District and Borough Councils in West Sussex,  Police & Crime Commissioner and East Sussex County Council.

 

 

Democratic Services Contact: Erica Keegan Tel: 033 022 26050

Decisions

Background papers