DETAILS of Wokingham borough’s domestic abuse strategy were revealed this week.
On Monday, the borough council’s overview and scrutiny management committee heard from Karen Evans, a council officer and domestic abuse co-ordinator.
The strategy aims to tackle domestic abuse, which affects around 2,700 women and 1,500 men in Wokingham each year, according to the council’s figures.
In the meeting, Cllr Sarah Kerr, Liberal Democrat councillor for Evendons praised the draft strategy for being ‘very thorough’, but raised concern about the language used in the document.
She said: “There’s one little piece of language I hope there can be consideration in adapting slightly. It’s the terminology throughout which says victims and children.
“I’ve noticed children who haven’t directly suffered abuse but have witnessed abuse are still victims, and that’s not always recognised, and that needs to change. By separating them, I think that language could be counter-productive to the change we need there.”
She asked for it to be revised to ‘victims which include children’.
Ms Evans said that the document has been written using “statutory guidance wording” but said that the terminology section in the strategy can be changed to reflect the impact on children.
During the meeting, concerns were also raised about refuges.
This year, Cranstoun, a social services company which also provides support for people with drug addictions and those in need of housing support, took over the domestic abuse support contract from Berkshire Women’s Aid.
With no shelters of its own, residents seeking refuge from domestic abuse in Wokingham are currently using centre run by Berkshire Women’s Aid.
Cllr Kerr said she was concerned that once Cranstoun takes over, vulnerable victims could end up in mixed gender accommodation.
Ms Evans said: “There would never be a case where you’d have mixed refuge accommodation, it would always be single gendered accommodation. Cranstoun are working to get another refuge up and running.”
The council’s draft domestic abuse strategy will be published by Tuesday next week.
