The independent strategic review of funding and commissioning of violence against women and girls services: call for evidence

Overview

The independent Strategic Review of Funding and Commissioning of Violence Against Women and Girls Services, chaired by Lesley Irving, has been established by the Scottish Government to develop a new funding model that will ensure high quality, accessible specialist services across Scotland for those experiencing any form of violence against women and girls.

This call for evidence is being issued to the public to help gather evidence on a number of key topics including:

• The types of services that should be available for women, children and young people experiencing any form of violence against women and girls
• Who should provide these services
• Whether access to services for those experiencing violence against women and girls should be a right in law
• How barriers to services can be removed
• How the quality of services can be ensured across Scotland
• Whether services and providers should be based on local need
• Action that should be taken to address unmet need and regional disparities
• How to include those who have experienced violence against woman and girls in the co-design/evaluation of services
• The optimum length of funding periods to ensure sustainability of services
• Requirements around funding application processes
•  Action that should be taken to reduce/mitigate the impacts of violence against women and girls in Scotland

The call for evidence does not seek views on the provision of services for perpetrators as the remit for the review is to focus on services for women, children and young people who are victims.

Evidence is welcomed from all individuals or organisations with relevant experience, knowledge and views. The call for evidence will run for a period of 8 weeks until 1 August 2022 and will be complemented by a series of wider engagement events with key stakeholders.

If you would prefer to speak to someone face to face or over the phone, then please contact the Violence Against Women and Girls Review Secretariat at: vawgfundingreview@gov.scot

We know that discussing aspects of gender based violence can be difficult; please see below for a list of resources for support:

• Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline - provides confidential information and support to anyone affected by forced marriage or domestic abuse. The Helpline is available 24/7, 365 days a year on 0800 0271234. For information on your local Women’s Aid group or on refuge accommodation, please visit Scottish Women’s Aid.
• Rape Crisis Scotland – The helpline can be contacted on 08088 01 03 02 and is available daily from 5pm- midnight offering free and confidential support and information to survivors of sexual violence, their friends, relatives and workers.
• NSPCC Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Helpline –  The FGM Helpline is available 24/7 on 0800 028 3550 and offers a free and anonymous service for anyone who is worried about a child who is at risk of or has had FGM.
• Amina – The helpline offers free and confidential support for Muslim and BME women across Scotland. It can be contacted on 0808 801 0301 and is available between 10am-4pm Monday to Friday.
•  LGBT Helpline Scotland – provides information and emotional support to the entire diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community across Scotland, including queer, intersex, asexual people and all identities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella.The helpline can be contacted on 0300 123 2523 and is available Tuesdays and Wednesdays 12-9pm and Thursdays and Sundays 1-6pm.
• The Scottish Women’s Rights Centre – provides free advice and support to women aged 16 years and over who have been affected by violence or abuse and workers and others services working with women affected by gender-based violence. The helpline can be contacted on 08088 010 789 and is available every Thursday between 1.30-4.30pm.

Read the consultation paper 

Easy Read version: Violence against women and girls services: call for evidence - easy read - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Why your views matter

The review will only succeed if it can draw on a broad range of views and evidence which looks at the experiences of individuals and organisations. Your input will be invaluable in shaping the development of a new funding model that will ensure better outcomes for women, children and young people experiencing all forms of gender based violence.

Responses are accepted for a period of eight weeks from the date of publication.

What happens next

The Chair will deliver her recommendations to Scottish Ministers by June 2023 which will be informed by the responses to this call for evidence. The recommendations will be published alongside a report providing the evidence for how the review arrived at its recommendations.