Coventry to receive £6.7m to support domestic abuse survivors
Mary Creagh MP with Councillor Dr Lynnette Kelly at the Coventry Counts Dead Women Vigil
Women in Coventry facing domestic abuse and sexual violence will be some of the first in the country to get additional specialist help through their GP under a new NHS programme.
Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is one of the first twelve organisations in England receiving funding for the first phase of Steps to Safety. The new programme lets GPs and local health services refer victims and survivors directly to specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence services.
The joint bid between Coventry and Warwickshire ICB and Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB is worth £6.7 million, and is the largest amount awarded. A further £87,849 from the Victims Support Fund will strengthen local specialist services.
The Step to Safety programme will:
create a "no wrong front door" system, so that wherever someone first asks for help, they are quickly connected to specialist support
strengthen the NHS's role in spotting abuse early, since health services are often the first place where victims disclose it
appoint a new National Clinical Lead for Violence Against Women and Girls
consult on a national public health framework focused on prevention and early intervention
The £49.4 million investment over is part of the Government's Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.
Mary Creagh, MP for Coventry East, said:
"For many victims, a GP appointment is the first, sometimes the only, safe moment to ask for help. Too often women have been left to find the right door on their own. Steps to Safety recognises this and provides greater support. Now, a single conversation with a doctor or nurse can lead straight to the specialist support someone needs.
I'm pleased that Coventry and Warwickshire ICB has been chosen to lead the way on this national programme. This £6.7 million allocation will help services in our city reach more survivors, and sooner. I will keep working with local health and domestic abuse organisations to make sure it makes an impact here in Coventry."