Cabinet to review new strategy designed to tackle domestic abuse

Article date: June 10 2025

Cabinet will discuss the St Helens Borough Domestic Abuse Partnership Strategy 2025-2028, created collaboratively by the Domestic Abuse Partnership Board, which has the focus 'Working together to prevent and reduce the harm caused by domestic abuse whilst addressing the underlying attitudes and behaviours that perpetuate it'.

The council, as one of the Domestic Abuse Partnership Board members, is asked to adopt the plan and as part of the action plan will be tasked with delivering the areas it is responsible for.

Councillor Trisha Long, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, said: "Domestic abuse is a crime that continues to cause significant harm across all our communities. It often remains hidden within personal relationships and can cause a legacy of physical, psychological, economic and social impacts for victims, survivors and their families. So often it is a crime that others will shy away from talking about, but we all have an important role to play to make sure we keep a spotlight on this issue.

"No single agency alone can prevent domestic abuse, support victims, survivors and their families and bring perpetrators to justice. To create an environment in which abuse will not be tolerated and victims can be protected, we need effective co-ordination between agencies in the borough. This is what the partnership has created with an action plan that will give us all the tools to do just that together."

The strategy focuses on five priority areas, which are:

· Community and Culture - raising awareness and tackling attitudes and behaviours.

· Listening to Victim / Survivors - ensuring that lived experience shapes how we respond to domestic abuse.

· Supporting children as victims of abuse - listening to the voice of the child to ensure effective action is taken to support and safeguard them.

· Strengthening Safe Accommodation - ensuring that victims and their families have access to the right accommodation-based support when they need it.

· Improving services and support - ensuring that the voice of those with lived experiences is reflected in the continuous improvement of support services.

Read the proposed St Helens Borough Domestic Abuse Partnership Strategy 2025-2028 here: sthelens.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s169223/Appendix 1.pdf

The strategy will be discussed at Cabinet on Wednesday, 18 June at 4pm. You can watch the meeting here: Agenda for Cabinet on Wednesday, 18th June, 2025, 4.00 pm St Helens Borough Council