Mayor Joanne Anderson is set to lay out more details about the council’s response to a rise in domestic abuse in the city later this week.
In a break from previous mayors and council leaders, mayor Joanne Anderson has moved responsibility for the council’s response to domestic violence under her responsibilities as mayor.
She is set to provide her first detailed report on the city’s response to the issue in a meeting this Wednesday as updated figures suggest there was a significant jump in domestic abuse last year.
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It reflects similar rises in domestic abuse across the country as fallout from the pandemic and lockdowns wreaked havoc for many victims, who are mostly women, and left support services stretched to meet demand for help.
Those working in the area say the effect can already be seen in statistics.
Whereas Liverpool would normally report two or three domestic homicides within a 12 month period, 2020 saw five happen in the the city.
The report said: “In 2020 there were five homicides (NB the previous report identified six homicides in 2020, one case has new been categorised as ‘a drug related death’ by the coroner
“Police also referred two suicides related to domestic abuse in 2020. Since January 2021 the partnership has received referrals for one domestic homicide and two domestic suicides.”
Workers are also warning that the increases in domestic homicides and suicides seen across the country are causing delays in fully completing reviews at a local and national level, making it difficult for those on the ground to receive up to date learning that may help them in future.
The council’s domestic abuse strategy group is set to lay out a number of its priorities for the coming year, including proposals for £1.5m of “new burden” funding and £200,000 in recovery mental health funding.
Evidence provided to councillors suggests pandemic-related effects on domestic abuse and response services mean many victims are facing more issues with mental health and their finances compared to previously.
The report said: “DA Specialist Agencies and IDVA report increases in repeat referrals, clients coming back into service suffering PTSD, increased complexity particularly around mental health and debt.
“There have been peaks and troughs in requests for services relating to lockdowns, most agencies have experienced surges in clients accessing support as lockdowns have eased.
“While funding has been increased during 2020- 21, agencies continue to struggle with capacity and there are some waiting lists for therapeutic and group support.”
Mayor Joanne Anderson will report to the council’s mayoral performance select committee on the issue on Wednesday.
