Annex 1
EXAMPLES OF CONTRACTS FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
SERVICES BEING AWARDED TO GENERIC PROVIDERS
Women's Aid has collected the following
examples from our member organisations around the country:
PLYMOUTH WOMEN'S
AID
The contract for all domestic violence
services currently managed by Plymouth Women's Aid were put out
for competitive in the last financial year. This includes refuge,
outreach and IDVA services. The contract was awarded to a generic
housing association who appears to have little experience of providing
specialist support to victims of domestic violence. It is particularly
concerning that the housing association will also be running an
IDVA service—these services are normally delivered by statutory
agencies or specialist domestic violence service providers, not
a housing association.
EAST NOTTINGHAM
WOMEN'S
AID
In 2007, East Nottingham Women's Aid
submitted a consortium bid with three other Women's Aid services
to retain the contract for an outreach and resettlement service.
The contract was won by a large housing association, Nottingham
Community Housing Association, who is purported to have put in
a cheaper bid.
DARTFORD AND
GRAVESHAM WOMEN'S
AID
DG WA submitted a bid in 2007 for a new
outreach service to extend their current refuge service provision.
West Kent Housing Association won the contract.
LEEWAY NORWICH
WOMEN'S
AID
In 2007 the local authority decided to
combine a number of specialist floating support services which
were delivered by different voluntary sector organisations. The
voluntary sector organisations submitted a consortium bid for
the whole service, but Stonham Housing Association won the contract.
Leeway Norwich Women's Aid lost four workers because of this,
but managed to pull together alternative funding to keep two workers.
OXFORDSHIRE WOMEN'S
AID
Historically, Oxfordshire Women's Aid
has provided both refuge- and community-based services. In 2008,
the contract for refuge services was won by Dominion Housing Group
through competitive tendering despite not being a specialist domestic
violence service provider. Oxfordshire Women's Aid were funded
through Comic Relief to provide an outreach service, but this
funding will end shortly. In future there will be reduced community-based
floating support services and no longer run by a specialist domestic
violence organisation.
The contract for refuge services which
was won by Dominion Housing Group was a cause for concern. The
service provider is required to fill any voids with other vulnerable
homeless women, eg those living on the streets and/or with substance
misuse problems. This clearly reflect a lack of understanding
about domestic violence, the reasons for the confidential nature
of refuge accommodation, and the needs of victims of domestic
violence (and of other vulnerable women). This will quite possibly
lead to increased risk to the women staying in the refuge.
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