Funding of London Women's refuges - an evaluation

London Councils commissioned the Women's Resource Centre to undertake a research project to provide a common basis for understanding the varying costs of women's refuges and future service needs. The objectives of the research were to:

• Identify costs and income sources of women's refuges
• Establish the actual and potential deficits in each borough in maintaining women's refuges
• Assess the costs of the support of women with "no recourse to public funds"
• Identify the extent of reductions/increases in resources for women's refuges and the reasons
• Make recommendations for the future commissioning of services by boroughs and boroughs working together and with partner agencies to meet the needs of women and dependents in women's refuges

The final report notes that over £12.1m of boroughs Supporting People Grants have been spent on services for 'people at risk of domestic violence' (as the primary client group) in 2007/08, with individual borough spending ranging from £75,041 to £807,468. First stage refuge accommodation accounted for 81% of boroughs Supporting People spending on domestic violence services in 2007/08. However, it was acknowledged by both boroughs and refuges that more bed spaces were needed.

The report makes recommendations for boroughs to ensure that Supporting People and other funding enables provider diversity and the sustainability of organisations, particularly in regards to staffing.

Contents

Executive summary
Introduction
Methodology

1. Supporting People
2. Refuge accommodation funded by Supporting People
3. Community services funded by Supporting People, Table A: Summary of domestic violence services funded by Supporting People 2007/2008
4. Domestic violence services funded by 'other' sources, Table B: Domestic violence services delivered by refuges and funded by 'other' sources 2007/08
5. Women with no recourse to public funds
6. Unmet needs
7. Sustainability of refuge providers
8. Conclusions and recommendations, Table C: Summary of key statistics and services delivered by refuges 2007/08

Appendix 1: Steering Group members
Appendix 2: Questionnaire respondents
Appendix 3: Boroughs' domestic violence spending as proportion of Supporting People grants in ascending order 2007/08