Our new report on services for children and young people affected by domestic abuse
Domestic Abuse Act 2021
We had a series of conversations in 2021 with local agencies to identify emerging issues of concern. Organisations working with women and families affected by domestic abuse told us they welcomed the content of the new Domestic Abuse Act 2021. The Act recognises that children living with domestic abuse should be treated as victims in their own right and provided with specialist services.
What support is available in Newcastle?
In many respects, Newcastle has some good services for children and young people and compares well to local authorities elsewhere in England. Provision for children and young people affected by domestic abuse in Newcastle is mainly delivered by seven charities. The organisations providing these services have specialist knowledge and experience in this field. There is dedicated provision for both children and young people. There is also specialist provision for children from minoritised communities. The organisations include one-to-one therapy, group work and advocacy, alongside education and awareness work in schools.
However, we found that parents are often unsure what support is available. Parents don't always know where to seek help because there is currently no single point of access.
Our Healthwatch Newcastle report
We are grateful to all the organisations who supported us in carrying out this study. This work was carried out to help inform future commissioning decisions for services for children and young children affected by domestic abuse in Newcastle. The Healthwatch Newcastle report focuses on:
- What is currently provided across the city.
- How that provision is resourced.
- How secure is funding?
- How easy it is for families to find and access support?
