Supporters of the charity for domestic abuse survivors, RISE, quizzed councillors on how government funding had been allocated.
They said that three contracts were put at risk when Brighton and Hove City Council set its budget last month and cut funding for the community and voluntary sector by 10 per cent.
Their questions focused on “new burdens” grants. These were brough in to reflect a change in the law – the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 – which required councils to provide support in a safe place for survivors of domestic abuse.
Samantha Kidd asked about a “needs assessment refresh” which was due to be carried out last August, before the £632,000 “new burdens” funding was allocated to the council.
Ms Kidd asked for assurances that all of the 2024-25 new burdens funding would be protected for domestic abuse services.
She quoted council leader Bella Sankey who praised the “fantastic organisations” across Brighton and Hove that focus on ending violence against women and girls.
Ms Kidd also asked why the LGBT “dispersal accommodation services” provided by RISE were being recommissioned in September, rather than for the start of the next financial year, allowing the services to operate as they are through to next March.
Labour councillor Leslie Pumm responded at a meeting of the council’s Equalities, Community Safety and Human Rights Committee at Hove Town Hall yesterday (Monday 25 March).
Councillor Pumm, who chairs the committee, said that the new burdens funding was “ring-fenced” and that the council worked with the Pan-Sussex Domestic Abuse Board to assess need.
On the recommissioning of services, he said: “We looked very carefully at this service – and officers are in conversations with RISE and we will continue these conversations.
“There are worries about how the contract performs and we want to make sure to get the best services available to perform the LGBT dispersal accommodation.
“That’s why we will put the contract as agreed previously out for tender when it runs out in September 2024.”
Councillor Pumm also responded to a question from Gail Gray about the recommissioning of the LGBT refuge service by saying that RISE was not being decommissioned.
There was an outcry in 2021 when RISE missed out on key contracts worth £5 million over seven years to support victims of domestic violence and abuse in Brighton and Hove.
Since then, domestic abuse and violence support services have been provided by Victim Support while another organisation, Stonewater, has provided refuge services. The contracts were awarded by the Pan-Sussex Domestic Abuse Board.
Shocking how BHCC do not support vulnerable women.
That is not what the article says.
Shocking how Katy didn’t read the article before coming up with a wild opinion that isn’t based on the words on the screen in front of her.
The weakest of the weakest person ever to have been made a chair of anything. This cmmtt agenda is short, unfocused and not deliberative. How? Will Pvmm be a cabinet member without any real scrutiny? Not doing democracy any favour. FML.
Ask council what they are doing with their ‘Tackling inequality’ budget of £10.7m for 2024 and why Rise can’t have a piece of this pie. https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-budget/our-capital-investment-programme-2024-2025
Feel free Barry, make an FOI on whatdotheyknow. I’ll keep an eye out for the response. We can discuss what the reply says.
An absolute disgrace that RISE was sidelined by BHCC. This organisation grew out of a long standing campaign within the City involving a wide range of groups who gave RISE a ‘local’ identity.
Well, it’s not just RISE that has had cuts. The budget was brutal to everyone. Ironically, this is how local councils have been treated by the central government for the last 13 years, and generally speaking, most have managed to avoid this trickling down to services.
Unfortunately, the reality is due to Green party mismanagement and Conservative central government record-breaking financial mismanagement; a reduction in spending had to happen. If there’s duplication or overlap of services provide, it does make sense for those groups to work together, rather than each one being funded independently, because pragmatically, the latter wouldn’t make financial sense either.
I don’t agree with the feeling of being personally attacked by this. Want to be upset, be upset with the government in parliament that has been actively making local councils into position where these services aren’t given as much as many would like.