DECISION

1.    Approve the council’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Women’s Safety Strategy (Appendix 1 to the report).

2.    Acknowledge that addressing and preventing violence against women and girls requires a whole system response and consider how members can support the delivery of this across the organisation, improving and strengthening system leadership of this cross cutting and critical agenda.

3.    Requests that the Corporate Director for Health and Adult Social Care takes the lead for corporate delivery of the Strategy.

Action by

CORPORATE DIRECTOR COMMUNITIES (S. BAXTER) AND

CORPORATE DIRECTOR FOR HEALTH AND ADULT SOCIAL CARE (G. CHIMBANI)

Director of Community Safety (A. Corbett)

Councillor Abu Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities introduced the report that proposed a new Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy to set out new approach and priorities for 2024 to 2029. He also explained how a corresponding action plan would ensure the Strategies priorities were delivered.

Officers including Simon Baxter, Corporate Director Communities, added further details and context. All attendees offered thanks to Ann Corbett, Director of Community Safety, for her work leading on the Strategy from the officer-side.

Stephen Halsey, Chief Executive, explained he was keen to ensure that the new strategy had corporate oversight for delivery. He asked the Mayor to consider appointing the Corporate Director for Health and Adult Social Care as lead for corporate delivery of the Strategy. He explained such an appointment would not take-away from the Corporate Director Communities’ responsibility for service delivery. The Mayor welcomed and approved this additional recommendation.

RESOLVED that the Mayor in Cabinet:

1. Approves the council’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Women’s Safety Strategy (Appendix 1 to the report).

2. Acknowledges that addressing and preventing violence against women and girls requires a whole system response and consider how members can support the delivery of this across the organisation, improving and strengthening system leadership of this cross cutting and critical agenda.

3. Requests that the Corporate Director for Health and Adult Social Care takes the lead for corporate delivery of the Strategy.