Morecambe Bay hospitals get new domestic violence workers

Lancashire Police have secured more than £7m to enhance domestic abuse and sexual violence support across Lancashire.

The funding, awarded by the Ministry of Justice, will benefit a wide range of local organisations and services over three years and will ensure victims have access to specialist support to help them move forward and recover.

The additional funding will be used to strengthen existing services and to bolster Lancashire's programme of placing specialist support in health settings.

Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) will now be based in Morecambe Bay, Southport and Ormskirk, and Preston hospitals, meaning that every hospital trust in Lancashire now has at least one specialist support worker on site. These professionals help victims of domestic abuse to access the support they need to rebuild their lives, navigate the criminal justice process and move forward from what they have experienced.

Funding will also be used to roll out a specialist domestic abuse training, support and referral programme for GP practices across the county helping to identify victims and providing support at the earliest opportunity.

Andrew Snowden, Lancashire Police and Crime Commissiober, said: "Tackling domestic abuse and sexual violence is as a key priority in my Police and Crime Plan for Lancashire and I have invested in the creation of a dedicated rape and serious sexual offences team within the constabulary to tackle this type of crime, to target offenders and to ensure victims get the justice they deserve.

"Ensuring that victims have access to specialist, face to face support is equally important and this funding means that we can now further enhance services across the county which is great news.

"Health settings are a place of safety meaning that victims may feel more confident to talk about what has happened to them.”

*Other organisations set to benefit from the funding include PACE, Empowerment, Lancashire Victim Services, Paladin, The Emily Davison Centre, HARV, Release Counselling, Preston Domestic Violence Services, Flowhesion, Trust House, Humraaz, Positive Action in the Community, The Birchall Trust and Fylde Coast Women's Aid.