VAWG Strategy launch
Barnet Council has worked with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime to secure £1.46m in funding to expand a two-year programme to tackle violence against women and girls living in the borough to more boroughs across the capital.
This comes following the success of the council’s pioneering pilot scheme, and nine boroughs will now access this funding and begin rolling out their own programmes.
A ‘Culturally Integrated Family Approach’ (CIFA) programme, delivered by Rise Mutual CIC, is aimed at dealing with perpetrators from racialised and minoritised communities and is designed to encourage abusers to change their behaviour and reduce reoffending.
According to the Barnet Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2022-2025, 90.6% of the victims of high-risk domestic abuse cases in Barnet in 2022-23 were female, and 89.8% of alleged perpetrators were male.
Councillor Sara Conway, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said: "We are a council that cares for people, and we are committed to making Barnet a borough where everyone can live free of domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.
“This funding will enable us to continue and develop our work in holding perpetrators to account and engaging them in behaviour change interventions while supporting survivors and improving multi-agency working. I congratulate the team on their work in securing this important support.
“We look forward to working with our partner boroughs to deliver this programme and make a positive impact on our communities."
The funding for the CIFA programme has been provided by the Home Office and the Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime.
London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Sophie Linden, attended Barnet Council offices for an update and discussion on the pilot scheme, lessons from which informed the programme. She said:
“We’re really pleased to support Barnet Council in securing additional funding to extend this vital service and help Barnet and nine other boroughs tackle violence against women and girls across our diverse communities.
“At City Hall, we’re determined to end violence against women and girls once and for all, and through the Mayor’s refreshed strategy, we are putting the onus on men to change their behaviour. This includes investing over £15m in programmes focused on addressing and changing the behaviour of perpetrators of abuse, in order to protect those at risk from violence and help build a safer London for all.”
This will address the borough’s needs and aligns with the 2022 Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan, the Mayor’s VAWG Strategy, and local VAWG strategic aims, aiming to encourage abusers to change their behaviours and reduce reoffending, through perpetrator interventions and prevention.
The nine other boroughs are Brent, Harrow, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Haringey, Enfield, Hammersmith & Fulham, Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, and Westminster.
Culturally Integrated Family Approach (CIFA) pilot | Barnet Council