Following the closure of the Isle of Wight’s only Island-based domestic abuse survivors charity, concerns have been raised about support for victims in the future.
Cllr Sarah Redrup, the new ward councillor for Wootton Bridge, questioned the Isle of Wight Council on Wednesday about improving services for Islanders.
She highlighted, with the closure of Wight DASH, there was now just one counsellor who travels from the mainland one day a week to provide face-to-face sessions to survivors of sexual and domestic abuse — but that counsellor has a six-month waiting list.
A new domestic abuse service will start on October 1 — provided by those who took over the Isle of Wight Council’s contracted services from Wight DASH in 2018 — the mainland-based The You Trust and its domestic abuse, sexual violence and stalking team, Paragon.
A response from the cabinet member for public health, Cllr Ian Stephens, said the new contract, as well as the previous services, provide a holistic range of approaches to supporting victims and survivors of domestic abuse, and counselling was only one form of them.
The support offered via the bodies also includes Island-based domestic abuse services for children, young people and adults; refuge and safe accommodation; as well as a service supporting change in people using abusive behaviours, through evidence-based interventions.
The £1,938,730 contract has been split in two, with one service for victims and survivors; the other for people using abusive behaviours.
Cllr Redrup, however, was still concerned about a physical space on the Island where survivors can go as the contract providers are both based in Fareham and the refuge they provide, she said, has no staff on weekends or after hours.
She questioned what the council would be doing to provide a place for Islanders to access, not phone or video calls, which can be a drop-in centre or where counsellors can be based.
No answer was given at the meeting, but Cllr Redrup was asked to contact Simon Bryant, the Island’s public health director.
The new contracts will run for five years, with the option to extend them for two more years if the council would like.
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