ACTION FOR CHILDREN SUPPORTS OPEN LETTER URGING PM TO INCLUDE COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES IN DOMESTIC ABUSE BILL

In support of an open letter to the Prime Minister urging him to ensure community-based support services are included in the Domestic Abuse Bill, Action for Children’s director of policy and campaigns, Imran Hussain, said:

“Our ‘Patchy, Piecemeal and Precarious’ report just over a year ago revealed that children living in the terrifying shadow of domestic abuse are being can’t always access the specialist support they need to recover. The pandemic has almost certainly made things a lot worse, with some of our most vulnerable children trapped behind closed doors during lockdown.

“Staff in our services have seen the devastating impact domestic abuse has on children, who can show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, having nightmares, flashbacks, headaches and physical pains and becoming jumpy. The number of chats from parents experiencing domestic abuse to our digital support service has also increased significantly since the start of lockdown.

“The government’s recent announcement of £40m in extra funding for community-based specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence services is welcome but does not go far enough. The Domestic Abuse Bill is a once-in-a-generation chance to help these children and it is vital that it is amended so that community-based domestic abuse services are protected in the future.”