You Trust Paragon Service to run Dorset's Integrated Domestic Abuse Service

The You Trust has been awarded the Dorset Integrated Domestic Abuse Service (IDAS) contract for at least the next three years.

The contract, which can be further extended until March 20230, comes at a time when domestic abuse provision and the response to domestic abuse continues to face considerable developments, both at local and national levels.

The service provides as lifeline to those affected by domestic abuse, with nearly 6,700 people referred to it between 2020/1 and 2023/4 in Dorset. In addition, 6,440 calls were made to IDAS for help and advice.

The new IDAS contract includes four past areas of work:

* Diverse safe accommodation service to support adults and children

* Community based outreach offer, including community engagement

* Single Point of Contact for 24-hour helpline and triage into the service

* Recovery programmes - therapeutic support and counselling.

In addition, over the past couple of years and following the release of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, the council has commissioned additional support for people and their children in safe accommodation, support that allows people to remain living in their own home safely and specialist housing advice workers. This new contract provides the opportunity to combine the two service into one new IDAS contract.

A programme to help families focus on positive changes to behaviour so they can provide a safer environment for their children is now covering the whole of the Dorset Council area following the initial pilot from November 2022. Safeguarding Families Together, which will improve the health and education outcomes for children, has now been launched across the whole of the local authority area.

Under the Safeguarding Families Together initiative, specialist adult service workers work alongside children's social workers, with an approach to keeping children safe in the family home. It is based on a "whole family working" that enables holistic interventions to meet both the child and adult needs by working together and sharing information between professionals to provide the right support when they require it.

Councillor Gill Taylor, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Housing and Health, welcomed the continuation of the partnership through the new service.

"The new service will deliver a range of support options for people and their families affected by domestic abuse in Dorset. And it will enable people to know how to access support if they are experiencing domestic abuse."

Councillor Clare Sutton, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Education and Skills, said: "The work under Safeguarding Families Together is part of our priority to support our families in the communities where they live. 

"The Safeguarding Families Together team wraps around the whole family and support them to find the motivation to make a positive behaviour change. I am incredibly pleased that it has shown impact already on our families and with the addition of the work that the You Trust will be doing through this contract we will be in a stronger position to help our families even further."

Tonia Redvers, You Trust Director of Operations, said the You Trust were delighted to be recommissioned to deliver the Dorset Integrated Domestic Abuse Service following a robust and competitive tendering process: "With the current climate and fluctuating budgets and concerns regarding central government funding, we are proud to work with a council that remains committed to tackling domestic abuse. 

"YOU has always worked in partnership with others across Dorset, and we appreciate being able to continue the Safeguarding Families Together Project, and our partner support work with the behaviour change programmes along with our whole family work.

"The integrated team offers a range of interventions, including safe accommodation, working with children and young people, specialist support in the community, counselling, training and education, as well as accredited recovery groups via our specialist trained team."

Notes to Editors

For further information - www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/dvahelp