Letter to the Editor from Martin Phillips re Wycombe Women’s Aid award
Sir,
I was delighted to learn that the Wycombe Women’s Aid organisation has just been awarded a prestigious national quality mark for the work it does to help victims of domestic violence.
The award of Women’s Aid National Quality Mark is no less than this wonderful service deserves for the help it gives all year round to women and children in Wycombe, Chiltern and South Bucks districts.
The Women’s Aid Quality Standards are national standards which measure the quality of specialist domestic violence services on a number of factors. I understand Wycombe Women’s Aid (WWA) was particularly commended for its provision to marginalised and excluded groups of survivors, as well as for its work with children and young people.
Buckinghamshire County Council has had the fortune to have a long history of working in partnership with WWA. We commission Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) to work with the organisation to improve safety for victims of abuse. This is achieved through the provision of crisis intervention, safety planning, advice, information and support, including during court proceedings against the perpetrator.
We know it has been successful from both the anecdotal and statistical evidence. In 2015-2016, for example, the group supported 89 women and 97 children to find refuge space away from the High Wycombe, Chiltern and South Bucks area. A total of 166 women attended Outreach groups, such as the Open Door drop-in and coffee morning, 23 children attended the Children’s Therapeutic support group and 835 women contacted the helpline
This shows that the work of Wycombe Women’s Aid is utterly essential, so well done to all involved and long may they continue doing such a great job,
Martin Phillips, Buckinghamshire County Council Cabinet Member for Community Engagement & Public Health