Police and Crime Commissioner secures over £600,000 to increase support for victims of domestic and sexual abuse

Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn has secured additional funds of over £600,000 from the Ministry of Justice to increase the support for victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence in the Dyfed Powys area.

The funding will help support female and/or male victims, adults and children who have experienced Domestic Abuse or Sexual Violence at any point in their life.

The extra specialist independent support that will now be available will be provided by a wide range of community based support organisations, following an increase in the demand for support as a result of the pandemic, and the response to the recent Sarah Everard tragedy.

Nine additional roles will be created as a result of the funding. They include two additional full time Independent Sexual Violence Advisor roles, a specialist Children and Young People worker, Specialist Male advisor, and additional seven Independent Domestic Violence Advisor roles, two of which will be specialist Male Independent Domestic Violence Advisors.

Specialist training for local professionals will also be provided, with the aim of building capacity within domestic abuse refuges such as schools and pupil referral units, to enable children to access early interventions by adults they trust in a safe space.

The total additional funds that have been secured by the Police and Crime Commissioner for 2021/22 is £629,093 with an additional £300,000 commitment secured so far for 2022/23. This brings the total investment in victim services to over £1.7million during 2021/22, combining Ministry of Justice and PCC core funding.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Dafydd Llywelyn said; “I’m pleased to announce that we have recently managed to secure this additional funding from the MOJ. Service providers have experienced a significant increase in the number of people that need access to specialist support services unfortunately.

“This additional funding will have a direct impact on the services available, and will ensure that victims receive the required support to help them recover and lead to a future without abuse.

“I would like to thank all our service providers here in the Dyfed-Powys area for their hard work and the crucial support they provide to those who are most in need.”

“I encourage anyone who find themselves in an abusive situation or relationship to report it to the Police on 101 or 999 in emergency. You do not need to suffer in silence.”

Hafan Cymru is one of the service providers in Dyfed-Powys that will benefit from the funding, and Necia Lewis, Director of Operations for the organisation said; “The additional funding has been invaluable in supporting the IDVA service across Dyfed Powys.

“It has allowed us to support the escalating number of victims accessing the services, enabling us to provide specialist workers, such as Male specific workers across the region. We have increased our staff training to make sure that we have further skills and relevant knowledge to robustly support the needs of our clients.

Mike Wilkinson, Deputy Chief Executive at New Pathways, who provide specialist services for victims of sexual violence , said “We are delighted to receive this funding which will provide much needed additional support for people affected by rape and sexual abuse in Dyfed-Powys.

“We are very grateful to the Police and Crime Commissioner, who has again demonstrated his commitment to funding these essential services because he knows that there are many more local people who need help and support.

“Our services are there to support anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse, regardless of how long ago it happened, and I would urge people to contact New Pathways in confidence to see how we can help.”