Published: Tuesday 20 June 2023
Kensington and Chelsea Council and nine other local authorities have secured £1.5 million to be used as part of a two-year programme to tackle domestic abuse and violence against women and girls in London.
The ‘Culturally Integrated Family Approach’ (CIFA) programme delivered by Rise Mutual CIC will be tailored to each borough’s need and is aimed at dealing with perpetrators from racialised and minoritised communities. It is designed to encourage abusers to change their behaviour and reduce reoffending through perpetrator interventions and prevention.
Research by Rise Mutual CIC highlights barriers that the LGBTQI+ community face in accessing support around domestic abuse, due to structural inequalities and fears of discrimination. The programme has been adapted in response to pilot evaluation and uses a culturally integrated, family approach, tailored to meet intersectional needs.
This programme aims to:
- Reduce violence and abusive behaviour
- Increase safety and well-being of (ex) partners and children
- Increase self-awareness by perpetrator of attitudes and cultural beliefs
- Improve community response to supporting minoritised, marginalised victims
- Increase awareness by stimulating dialogue and challenging beliefs, supporting
- communities with overcoming the ‘taboo’ surrounding domestic abuse
Our latest Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls commissioned services shows that 535 of the victims of high-risk domestic abuse cases in Kensington and Chelsea in 2023-24 were female and eight were male.
Latest MOPAC data shows that in London, women are more than three times more likely than men to be a victim of domestic abuse, while over 75 per cent of suspects in domestic abuse cases are men.
Councillor Emma Will, Kensington and Chelsea Council’s Lead Member for Community Safety, said:
“Sadly, we know that domestic abuse and violence against women and girls is happening in our boroughs and is often a hidden crime.
“As part of making our borough a safer place to live, visit and meet our strategic objectives, we have already taken important steps to protect and support survivors in Kensington and Chelsea through our partnerships and working closely with our communities.
"With this extra funding we can now for the first time develop our work in holding perpetrators to account and encourage them to change their behaviour and reduce reoffending.”
This programme has been running successfully in Barnet for the last two years and now along with nine other boroughs, including Kensington and Chelsea.
The funding has been provided by the Home Office and the Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime.
This will address the borough’s needs and aligns with the Council Plan and the Mayor of London’s VAWG Strategy.