Scottish Government's funding to support female domestic violence/abuse victims: FOI release

Information requested

• A breakdown of total funding allocations from the Scottish Government to support female domestic violence/abuse victims from 2019 to the present, broken down by year and by organisation.
• A list of permanent funding schemes available exclusively for female domestic abuse victims in Scotland.

Response

Equally Safe is Scotland's strategy to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls (VAWG), which is understood as forms of violence and abuse carried out predominately by men and directed at women and girls precisely because they are women and girls. Children (both girls and boys) are understood to experience forms of VAWG within the strategy. This strategy is co-owned by the Scottish Government and COSLA. Domestic abuse is identified as a form of VAWG within the strategy.

To support the objectives, priorities and outcomes of the Equally Safe strategy, the Delivering Equally Safe (DES) fund was established in 2021. Through the DES fund we are investing record levels of funding, including significant levels of funding in frontline services, to support victims of violence against women and girls. Funded activity covers a range of areas including domestic abuse, sexual abuse, honour-based violence (including FGM), intimate image abuse and commercial sexual exploitation. It should be noted that while the DES fund is to support Equally Safe and therefore largely positive outcomes for women and girls, it is not intended exclusively for projects that support only females, although some projects may have elements that do.

The DES fund is managed by Inspiring Scotland and supports 112 organisations, delivering 121 projects throughout every local authority in Scotland. In line with the analysis of the Equally Safe strategy, the majority of DES funded projects work with women and children (girls and boys).

Whilst the DES fund is the main source of funding that the Scottish Government provides to projects delivering Equally Safe outcomes, there are also other funds that align with the aims of Equally Safe and in some cases will be support that helps or is accessed by VAWG victims/survivors. Links have been provided below to information about these funds.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. Information about the DES funded organisations is provided in Annex A and Annex B. Further details of the DES fund is available at the Inspiring Scotland website (www.inspiringscotland.org.uk). If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed you can contact us to request
paper copies.

The Delivering Equally Safe (DES) Fund (Oct 2021 to present)

The DES funded organisations are listed in the tables at Annex A and Annex B along with the funding allocation by year, including the current financial year, and a description of the funded activity. Some organisations are listed more than once due to them having separately funded projects. Further information on the DES fund can be found on the Delivering Equally Safe webpages of Inspiring Scotland (https://inspiringscotland.org.uk/fund/delivering-equally-safe/), who manage the fund on behalf of the Scottish Government. If you have any specific questions about this fund, please contact the Inspiring Scotland team directly at: DESEnquiries@inspiringscotland.org.uk.

Equally Safe (Violence Against Women and Girls) Fund (2017-2021)

Prior to the establishment of the DES fund, the Equally Safe VAWG fund supported organisations working towards the outcomes of the Equally Safe Strategy. A breakdown of total funding allocations to organisations funded through the Equally Safe VAWG fund covering periods 2017-2021 is available on the Scottish Government website at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/vawg-fund-2017-2020/.

Other Scottish Government Funding Schemes

The Victim-Centred Approach Fund (VCAF) has awarded £48 million of funding to 23 organisations in Scotland over the 2022-25 period. This support underpins the Scottish Government's commitment to victims and survivors of crime, including female victims of domestic violence and abuse. Any enquiries about the fund should be directed to vcafund@gov.scot. Further information on VCAF, including award amounts can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/news/victims-will-benefit-from-key-support/.

The Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention (CYPFEI) and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities (ALEC) Fund, administered by Corra Foundation, is providing core funding to 115 organisations across Scotland to deliver support that tackles inequalities, child and family poverty, improve learning and build skills. Indirectly, women who have been victims of domestic violence and abuse may have accessed services supported through this fund. Questions about this fund should be directed to the fund manager Corra Foundation (sg@corra.scot). Details of the CYPFEI and ALEC fund can be found at: https://www.corra.scot/grants/cypfeif-alec-fund/.

The Fund to Leave was announced in October 2023. It is a £500,000 pilot fund to support women and children leaving an abusive relationship. This fund offered women experiencing domestic abuse with up to £1,000 to pay for the essentials they need when leaving a relationship with an abusive partner, with the aim of reducing the financial burden of leaving an abusive relationship. The pilot has now ended, and the Scottish Government is now working closely with delivery partners to evaluate the fund to inform the next steps. Details of the fund can be found at https://www.gov.scot/news/support-to-leave-an-abusive-relationship/.

Permanent Funding Schemes

With regards to your request of permanent funding schemes available exclusively for female domestic abuse victims in Scotland, the Scottish Government does not have permanent/ long term funding arrangements. Our funding agreements are aligned with our Programme for Government and Policy Prospectus commitments and Fiscal outlook, therefore are agreed on a year by year basis.

Grants are a type of funding provided by the Scottish Government to individuals or organisations. They are awarded for specific purposes, often covered by legislation, and depend on eligibility and the availability of funds. They are therefore time limited. Scottish Government funds focus on a wider scope of aims and deliverables, feeding into specific services, such as those supporting female victims of domestic violence and abuse.

Therefore, we do not have “permanent funding schemes” available exclusively for female domestic abuse victims in Scotland, but I hope you find the above information of the DES fund, as well as related funds that support such services useful.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202400406100 - Information Released - Annex A and B

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