Violence Against Women and Girls - Independent Strategic Review of Funding and Commissioning of Services: report

Chapter 2 - Who We Spoke To and What They Told Us

In this chapter, we set out what we were told as we gathered our evidence, and how this influenced our thinking. We show how intersectionality and lived experience were central to our engagement and have informed our recommendations.

Our engagement

The high prevalence of VAWG means it is experienced in every community and social group, with particularly high levels among for example D/deaf, disabled and learning disabled women. We wanted to engage as widely as we could in the time available, and also to ensure that we were speaking to women from as diverse a range of backgrounds as possible to support our intersectional approach. This depended on our being able to reach particular groups, often going through organisations to do so, and we are very grateful to all who arranged these meetings for us. We also provided an Easy Read version of our Call for Evidence.

Engagement with services for women with different characteristics in relation to VAWG has not historically been strong, although that is thankfully now changing, with the work of the Scottish Commission on Learning Disability (SCLD) among others being a welcome example.

Many people have engaged with the Review since January 2022 – from commenting on our Terms of Reference, to submitting responses to our Call for Evidence, as 475 organisations and people did, to taking part in around 100 online and in person meetings.

We were very privileged to be able to speak to survivors of rape, domestic abuse and 'so-called' honour based violence, and to a small group of children and their mothers who had taken part in a CEDAR programme.

In relation to children and young people, we found the Everyday Heroes research highly relevant to our aims and we used this throughout our deliberations, alongside previous research with children, aware that 71+ young abuse survivors had contributed their views on services and collectively made recommendations. Our participatory ethical approach (Houghton 2015, 2018) meant that we prioritised established groups, with support, in our engagements and were disappointed at the lack of established participation groups for children across the range of VAWCYP, which meant we spoke to only a few children and young people. We note the need for resourcing of such participation.

Although, in some cases, we were only able to speak to small numbers, we also looked at research dating back to 2003 (see Annex) which included elements of participation by women, children and young people to add to our understanding. We were aware of so-called 'research fatigue' where some communities are asked for their views regularly, but nothing seems to change as a result. We did not want to add unnecessarily to this phenomenon hence

including previous research to supplement our engagement.

Our engagement programme is therefore limited in some aspects due to time and other constraints such as particular difficulties for organisations with which we were keen to partner. Overall however, we are very pleased with what we were able to achieve. Vouchers were provided to all survivors who spoke to us in that role, as a small thank you for sharing their experiences with us. We are very appreciative of the generous response, and want to thank everyone who took part – your contributions have all been carefully considered, even if we eventually came to different conclusions.

What you told us

We heard about a number of discrete issues from many of the groups we engaged with which have contributed to the development of our recommendations.

Some of those participants had not used specialist services and we were therefore able to gain an understanding of why that was. Among the reasons given were lack of accessibility i.e. no 24/7 availability, experiencing racism and worries about services not being culturally appropriate, feeling that services were not aimed at them (particularly older and younger women), and concerns about the possible involvement of statutory authorities for women with insecure immigration status. Gypsy/Traveller women were concerned about having to take their children away from onsite schooling. In addition, concerns from mothers about potentially having their children taken into care if they sought help were a significant issue.

Minority ethnic women, children and young people: racism and cultural sensitivities

We were aware that the current service offer for minority ethnic women, children and young people, including Gypsy/Travellers, was inadequate, particularly given that there are still only two Women's Aid groups providing services to these communities 30 years after they were both set up, in spite of the huge change in Scotland's demographics over that period.

However, this became even more stark when we spoke to women, including older women, from a range of minority ethnic and faith heritages. Meetings with women from a range of minority ethnic communities were arranged for us by Networking Key Services and Age Scotland.

We were told that very few women would consider seeking help outwith their own communities, and that this included the two specialist Women's Aid groups. This is obviously not a universal reaction given both of these groups receive many referrals, and are supporting women in a number of parts of Scotland out with their bases in Glasgow and Edinburgh, although this does not extend to remote, rural areas. There are a few minority ethnic women's organisations that campaign against VAWG including FGM and provide services such as referrals, sign posting and information to women and girls from their communities. However, there are currently no faith based Women's Aid services in Scotland, unlike in England, although we do have AMINA, the Muslim women's helpline, and have also already highlighted the precarity and limitations of funding for services for these communities.

Minority ethnic women, including women of faith, and organisations supporting them, told us about the racism and lack of cultural sensitivity they faced from mainstream services. Fears about insecure immigration status also hold women back from seeking help, particularly but not exclusively, from social work or the police. We heard that, for many minority ethnic communities, including Gypsy/Travellers, it was unthinkable to involve the police, and cultural norms prohibited seeking help outwith their own communities.

It was also strongly felt that there is a lack of recognition, as we have noted in Chapter 1, that the person who carries out abuse in some communities may be a woman – mother-in-law or sister-in-law of the victim. This reality does not conflict with an intersectional feminist analysis where it is recognised that women are not a homogenous group but have differential access to power which they may use to oppress other women; although there may be a misunderstanding that it does and therefore it remains unacknowledged. This apparent lack of acknowledgement puts women off seeking support as they feel they will not be believed or their experiences will not be viewed as VAWG.

As we have minority communities in all local authority areas, we need to have a national approach to services for women, children and young people from these minority communities across Scotland.

Some organisations supporting minority ethnic women reported that the funding criteria and the system adopted for funding VAWG in Scotland has resulted in these organisations being excluded from funding.

At one engagement event with minority ethnic women in Edinburgh, the suggestion of a 'soft landing' in their own communities was made – this would not be a specialist service based on the current model, but an organisation staffed by women who would understand them, their experiences and needs, on a deep and shared level. This stayed in our mind as we continued our engagement programme, and was reinforced by the voices of others.

D/deaf women: needs not being met

We heard from D/deaf women that services did not always work for them on the current model. Issues ranged from accessibility, to a lack of understanding about needs. The lack of British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters is clearly a problem, and a lack of VAWG training for interpreters adds to the difficulties. An exception to this was a project bringing D/deaf Links together with Women's Aid groups in Dundee, Perth & Kinross and Angus which has resulted in D/deaf women being able to use refuge for the first time. Here, refuge workers are trained in BSL, and in turn, train the BSL interpreters in understanding VAWG. Training is also provided to mainstream services. We also heard of interesting pilots and approaches to increase access, such as D/D/deaf Independent Domestic Abuse Advocates in England, following evaluation, the potential for upscaling these innovative approaches across the country should be explored.

Disabled women: lack of access to services

We were keen to speak to disabled women across a range of disabilities, as it is well established that disabled women, including those with learning disabilities, experience high rates of VAWG. Disability Equality Scotland organised an online meeting for us which helped us to understand what they had gone through and what had and had not worked for them.

We heard that mainstream services often had been counterproductive rather than helpful and lack of accessible refuge provision had been a barrier to getting support. One of the participants lives on an island and told us that while her local Women's Aid and Rape Crisis services were helpful, although constrained in what they could offer her due to lack of adequate funding, other services were less accessible.

It was also mentioned that the women's mental health had been weaponised against them in court proceedings; their disability, or one of their disabilities, being used to the advantage of their abusers. Training for professionals, and for justice system professionals in particular, with an intersectional lens which includes disabled women's experiences of VAWG, is clearly required.

Learning disabled women: unheard and ignored

We had the privilege of being able to participate in a day-long workshop with learning disabled (LD) women who have experienced VAWG, organised for us by SCLD and Central Advocacy Partners - Surivors Project. This event took place a week after the launch of SCLD and People 1st’s powerful report Unequal, Unheard, Unjust: But Not Hidden Anymore, Women with Learning Disabilities Experience of Gender-Based Violence in Scotland .

During the session, we explored contrasting journeys through experiencing and reporting abuse, and what stood out was the importance of just one person believing survivors. It was clear that the women in the workshop had not been believed, in spite of telling many people, and it was a reminder of the many layers of longstanding discrimination experienced by LD women in relation to VAWG.

Working with an experienced facilitator, the women identified their top five asks:

1. To be listened to

2. To be believed

3. Education for people with learning disabilities about VAWG

4. Training about awareness of learning disabilities, delivered by women with LD for all professionals

5. Help to get justice, no matter how long it takes

All of this is achievable and needs to become standard practice. As SCLD's report title states, women with LD are not hidden anymore and we owe it to them to provide services and support which meet their needs.

Women offenders: marginalised and far from services

Our recommendations for the minimum core services specifically include women offenders.

It has long been known that there is a strong correlation between lifelong experiences of VAWG and women offenders. Recent research into undiagnosed brain injury among this population showed a very high number have such injuries, most likely as a result of abuse, which have been undiagnosed and which have impacted on their behaviour.

It can be challenging to provide services for women whose lives can be chaotic and who may have a range of support needs as a result of their experiences of VAWG.

We heard about effective work being carried out in Dundee, which is gender-informed and trauma-aware, and provides mentoring and after care for women offenders. Virtually all the women who use the service have a history of domestic abuse, including coercive control, difficult relationships with men and do not have care of their children. Substance and mental health issues are also common, as are learning disabilities. The aim is to reduce the use of custody and re-offending, and mentoring provides sheriffs with an option for a community based order. This project will form part of the Beyond Mentoring Project which will be located in a new Women's Hub in Dundee.

Women of faith: lack of understanding

Interfaith Scotland arranged an event for us to meet women of faith and discuss their experiences of using services. Women who attended represented Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Ba'hai faiths.

We heard about the issues women of faith have to contend with from others in their faith communities, who may support the abuser rather than them and the pressures put on them to stay with their abusers and cover up the abuse in the interests of family and community unity. Lack of understanding or faith awareness from services was also a powerful factor in preventing women of faith from seeking help.

Older and younger women: lack of identification

Older women often mentioned feeling services are not for them, or that they did not identify that they have experienced VAWG. This was particularly the case for older minority ethnic women. Looking back over their lives, older women told us that they wished there had been services for them when they were younger, but they were more likely to seek help from family or community sources.

We heard compelling evidence from young women and student survivors of the need to consider bespoke services for 16-25 year olds. We also heard that current terminology does not always resonate or reach out to young people, including survivors of abuse in relationships. Connected with this, they may feel services are not 'for them'. Pilots such as a young people's group jointly facilitated by adult and child specialists (such as ASSIST) sound promising.

Young women are also experiencing huge levels of abuse and violence in further and higher education institutions. We were privileged to receive a presentation about as yet unpublished research in this area which was shocking in its revelations. After around 13 years of interventions tackling VAWG in this sector, the situation has got worse, not better.

Students, under stress and with a lot going on in their lives, did not tend to identify themselves as victims, though those from more privileged backgrounds were more likely to seek help than the more marginalised. Experiences of abuse on campus were similar to those in rural communities, with perpetrators embedded into tight knit communities.

This research also pointed to the increasing prevalence of selling and exchanging sex, particularly online, which increasing numbers of women students are engaging in for economic reasons. Understandably, they can find its inclusion as a form of VAWG challenging, though some accept that it is while still participating in it. All Universities/Colleges' should have specialist GBV resources and these should be expanded and developed, and there is a need to co-design services with a range of students.

Teenagers identified a lack of services suitable for them and expressed reluctance to access online services, despite their high levels of electronic literacy. This is a reminder not to make assumptions about how victims/survivors prefer to access services and to retain a range of options.

We were told, by a group of young women Mentors in Violence Prevention at a high school in Falkirk, about the horrifically high levels of sexual and misogynistic abuse they are experiencing on a daily basis, in school, in their communities and on social media. They referred to the malign influence of one individual 'influencer' in particular on the views of their male peers.

We are aware of work being developed by the Scottish Government looking at how to tackle extreme misogyny and there is clearly an urgent need for this to happen. In addition, as we set out in Chapter 5, Prevention, we need to establish and demonstrate unambiguously that VAWG is not tolerated in Scotland.

Lesbian and bisexual women: still not feeling included

Lesbian and bisexual women experiencing violence from same-sex partners may not feel that services meet their needs, in spite of much work over recent years to explicitly include them. This can be particularly the case in rural areas, where loss of anonymity is a key factor in preventing victims/survivors from seeking support. Greater visibility of lesbian and bisexual women and consideration of their specific needs, which is largely absent from the VAWG agenda currently, would be welcome.

Trans survivors: need for development of services

It should go without saying that trans women who have experienced VAWG deserve to have high quality, accessible, appropriate services. In the current context, it perhaps does need to be stated unequivocally. We heard that some young trans women felt that existing services were not for them.

What we were told understandably reflected the wider debate on trans inclusion, and also reflected wider pressures to open up services which have traditionally been provided by women for women to both wider providers and wider users. The nature of the current debate has made it more difficult for service providers to respond practically and has contributed to silencing the needs of trans men. As a result it is more difficult to discuss, understand, evidence and respond to trans and non-binary survivors. It is important we build an evidence base and work with trans women and trans men on GBV and on what services will work for them, including who provides them and how they are provided.

Unwelcome and un-included?: 'by and for' services

All of this evidence led us to 'by and for' services and their wider applicability for the groups we engaged with.

'By and for' services are provided by members of a community or social group for other members of those communities or groups. It could include, for example, disabled women, children and young people, those with learning disabilities, LBT+ women and young people, Gypsy/Traveller women, children and young people, D/deaf women, children and young people as well as

Scotland's range of minority ethnic and faith communities.

'By and for' services are well placed to respond to women, children and young people's different characteristics and can therefore provide very tailored support which takes into account nuances in experiences and culture. As our understanding of minoritised children's experiences and needs lags well behind that of women, it is therefore important that children and young people are included in designing tailored support.

The Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales recommends the funding of 'by and for' services to ensure effective support across a range of groups in her Mapping Study A Patchwork of Provision, published in November 2022.

The development of 'by and for' services for LBT women might be an example of services which are not available in every locality, but are targeted in areas of higher population, where demand is likely to be sustainably higher, but are open to LBT women from all parts of Scotland.

Taking all of the above into account, we recommend that a range of 'by and for' services are included into the mix of specialist women's services. These organisations would need to meet all the tests for specialist women's services as set out in Chapter 4, Minimum Core Services.

It is important, however, that innovative partnership approaches, for example the D/deaf Links project mentioned above, continue to be explored and supported to thrive. We need a multiplicity of approaches and service offers to address the needs of all Scotland's victims/survivors of VAWG.

Mothers and children: support to recover and rebuild relationships

As made clear from the outset of the Review, we regard children and young people as victims in their own right. We were therefore keen to speak to children and young people and hear directly from them about their views. This proved challenging to arrange, however one of the undoubted highlights of our engagement was the session with mothers and children who had taken part in a Children Experiencing Domestic Abuse Recovery (CEDAR) programme. This event was both great fun (a bean bag-throwing warm up was involved) and extremely moving. Both groups had worked on their messages for us and the beautiful artwork produced from that is included on pages 36 - 38.

The children shared their thoughts about what was important for them about CEDAR. This included trust, shared experiences, feeling cared for (this was raised by their mothers too), it was challenging but FUN and that ending the group was tricky although they felt ready to move on. It had been very important for one girl's relationship with her mother and they were in a better place now.

The mothers told us getting access to CEDAR was complicated. One of the most striking revelations from this session was that often they had not been told about CEDAR – one in fact had to Google support for mothers and children – and this even included two women who had been supported by their local Women's Aid group/s.

Confidentiality and trust were very important as well as practical aspects like the building they met in being anonymous and therefore it was not obvious why they were going there. Other examples of feeling cared for included being brought to sessions and returned home in taxis, preserving anonymity and also at no cost to the mothers, and simple things like staff remembering how they took their tea, and even the fact that tea and nice biscuits were always offered. The impact of feeling cared for and about cannot be underestimated for survivors of VAWG.

We have heard repeatedly over years that resourcing such key facets of safety and involvement such as transport, sustenance, nurture, childcare, time to care, new opportunities/memories, enjoyment, is essential. Being heard is a key component of women and children's engagement in such services and this needs to be built into budgets, as recommended in our minimum standards.

It was heart-warming to hear about the positive difference CEDAR had made to both mothers and children, particularly in relation to reshaping the bonds between them as well as their own recovery. Mothers gave examples of the emotional intelligence their children had developed and the closeness between them was clear to see.

For the women, keeping in touch after the programme ended had been important; this was not possible in the same way for the children. One to one support was also identified as helpful, both before and after the CEDAR programme itself but this is neither an intrinsic part of the programme nor always available. Further development of CEDAR, including extending the age range on either side (an early years version, Early Years Domestic Abuse Recovery (EYDAR), is now underway in Fife), involving all siblings in the family and considering what might come after CEDAR for children would help to maximise impact.

Work with children and young people and their mothers/non-abusing parent/s which supports recovery, increases understanding of abuse and its dynamics and repairs the bonds which can be impacted by abuse is essential. Facilitated peer support/recovery groups and work with individual families are important components of therapeutic support. Programmes to support the child/woman individually and to support the family and relationships are key aspects, we heard this particularly in relation to domestic abuse and childhood sexual abuse.

We believe that CEDAR should be reliably available in all areas, to all who would benefit from it. It can reduce the burden on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), thereby reducing waiting times for all young people in need of these services. Once EYDAR has been evaluated, if successful, it should also become part of the minimum core services.

Another example we heard about in relation to recovery is the Licketyspit art-based programme which was developed during lockdown for younger children and mothers who have experienced domestic abuse and can be delivered online. Women's Aid children's workers were trained to deliver the programme and it has been evaluated and achieved positive outcomes.

Scotland has developed innovative creative participatory elements and principles in research that have been found to play a key part in recovery of children and adults as well as influencing service/policy development (Houghton 2015, 2018). In a recent example, the Justice Journeys research participants said there was a sense of justice in recording their stories though art. Victim/survivors have reported that creative/arts-based programmes are key to many of them talking about and recovering from abuse, trauma and their experiences of the system response.

Children/young people from a range of age groups recommend the use of creative arts, multi-media work, play and art therapy in recovery and counselling work as a key aspect to consider in service design and commissioning. Another important aspect is to have fun and build new, positive memories, physical and mental health, including access to social, afterschool and peer group activities, as well as sports, outdoor opportunities and nature-based activities. We have included these activities in our minimum core services.

Research with children and young people spoke of the importance of support to talk to mothers and move on but also sibling relationship support, the need for individual, confidential, needs-based support that could be linked to that of siblings who might cope quite differently, as well as mothers. It would be helpful to learn more of approaches that focus on sibling relationships and further develop these services, with the potential to include them in the minimum core services at a future point.

Issues caused by current funding arrangements

It is probably true to say that none of what you told us about the issues and unintended consequences of the current funding landscape was a complete surprise. They are well known, and are, indeed, what drove the establishment of the Review.

As detailed in Chapter 3, Funding Problems Identified by the Review we heard a great deal about current problems with funding and how this affects the availability, provision and staffing of services. This was a strong thread both in our engagements and also in the Call for Evidence. Our recommendations therefore include a number relating to the application process, length of funding period and retention/progression of staff.

Cost of living/leaving: financial support

This became a large part of what we were told as the Review developed. Increased costs have affected women, children and young people trying to leave abusers, and VAWG services which are struggling both to provide practical and financial support to victims/survivors and also continue to run their services when already small margins are being squeezed even further.

Of course, leaving abuse can also mean women, children and young people staying in their home and the abuser leaving. This can also have an adverse financial impact on victims/survivors. The inadequacies of Universal Credit are well established and result in financial struggle for many, including families with a working parent.

We heard about the Victims Support Scotland (VSS) Emergency Assistance Fund which last year provided 41% of its grants to women, children and young people fleeing domestic abuse and also supports women selling and exchanging sex. This fund pays for practical help, like changing locks, installing ring doorbells and other security measures, but will also pay for accommodation if there is an urgent need to leave or food/replacement clothing etc. Payments are made to the suppliers, so that benefits are not affected.

We also heard about AMINA's hardship fund, which relies on donations from the public and which supports women from Muslim and minority ethnic communities and there are many other examples of services fundraising to provide practical support.

Financial assistance for young people is included in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as a core aspect of support for VAWG in the Istanbul Convention.

We are aware that a commitment was made by the Scottish Government to establish a fund to support women, children and young people leaving abuse, which has not as yet been implemented.

Rape and sexual assault: need for more services

We heard a lot of evidence about pressures on rape crisis support, including lengthy waiting lists. There are clearly not enough such centres to cope with current demand. Not all local authorities have a centre and resources are uneven e.g. Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis covers 6 local authorities areas with almost 1/4 of the Scottish population. A group of survivors we spoke to were very grateful for the support they had received from rape crisis locally and nationally and specifically mentioned the difficulties that lengthy waiting lists had caused for them in their recovery.

We heard that services for child and young adult survivors of rape, sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse and exploitation need attention. There is a particular gap in specialist services for children (e.g. RCS support is for young women 13+) including advocacy, therapeutic recovery support and forensic services.

There is evidently not sufficient provision at present to either meet demand or ensure services are available for women who wish to access a different type of service. The extent of this demand, or lack of capacity to meet demand are not clear. Further expansion of services for victims/survivors of rape and sexual assault is urgently required. A 'mixed model' of provision would provide a range of options to increase the likelihood of all victims/survivors being able to access services which meet their individual needs. This might include 'by and for' services as mentioned elsewhere in this chapter.

Issues with Legal Aid: need for a new approach

It has long been suggested that victims/survivors of VAWG should receive free legal aid. The Istanbul Convention requires this to be provided. We were also told that issues with Legal Aid, including eligibility and availability of Legal Aid solicitors, was severely impacting on women, children and young people's access to justice, representation and protection. This was particularly, but not exclusively, the case in rural areas and is also commonly found in relation to immigration advice, thus impacting doubly on women with insecure immigration status.

In Everyday Heroes, children and young people asked for easy to understand, informal and confidential access to legal aid, legal advice and representation.

We were told about an interesting project whereby a solicitor has been embedded in Edinburgh Women's Aid to increase access to legal support and representation.

Need for a statutory footing: VAWPs/MARACs/MATACs

There was strong support, from the Call for Evidence and from other engagement, for the right to VAWG services to be put on a statutory footing (84% supported this for women, 82% for children and young people). There was some concern expressed that a statutory footing might be used to narrow the range of support provided. That is clearly not something that we would support, and our view is that the legislation should be drafted in such a way that this cannot happen.

We also heard that being on a statutory footing would enable VAWPs, MARACs) and MATACs to be delivered consistently across Scotland, which is not the case at present (see Chapter 6 for more detail on VAWPs).

National and local organisations: an imbalance

While direct services are generally, with the exception of the national helplines for domestic abuse and forced marriage and rape, provided by local organisations, the national tier has naturally tended to have closer ties to the Scottish Government. These relationships have developed over time and as a result of the national lobbying role carried out by Rape Crisis Scotland and Scottish Women's Aid in particular, and their involvement in policy development.

Both organisations exist to carry out functions which are challenging for their local networks to engage in, given the pressures of service provision. This is an important role, and has undoubtedly brought great benefits to national work to address VAWG.

We were told, however, that there were concerns from local services about what was perceived as an imbalance of power between them and their national organisations. There was a feeling that policy positions were being adopted which did not always reflect their views or experiences and that they felt they were being excluded from opportunities to contribute nationally to policy development. The allocation of funding to the national organisations for disbursement across their networks contributed to this imbalance.

We also heard about the importance of national leadership, coordination, standards, and training in relation to specific key elements of a local multi agency response such as MARACs, MATACs, CEDAR and advocacy. Support from the Improvement Service for VAWPs was also important and all of these should be considered as key components of national work.

Participation: at the core of services

All of the survivors we spoke to, without exception, said that they wanted to be included in service development. Young survivors have repeatedly asked for participation in service and policy development. There are now a number of survivors' panels, some of which we had the privilege of meeting and their contribution to making services better is extremely valuable. Although we heard of notable participation work locally with children, and national action research, there were fewer opportunities for children to participate in VAWCYP work and no national reference groups. This is despite clear recommendations from children for local and national involvement in GBV service and policy development, in line with Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and General Comments 9 and 13.

There are many opportunities to influence, and numerous methods to facilitate that. Participation needs to be undertaken with support and properly resourced. It should never be a tokenistic add-on to existing processes.

Mainstream services: a key role

The mainstream services such as police, health, social work, education, housing, have a key role in responding to VAWG and this has been on their collective agenda for many years. The majority of victims/survivors use these services rather than the specialist services and have had contact with them at different points in their lives and rightly expect them to be able to respond appropriately and effectively.

From survivors we heard about the shortcomings of services. A group of rape survivors had a lot to say about this and made a strong call for better training for doctors in particular. Children in the Everyday Heroes project/research identified training on GBV, recognising signs, appropriate responses, children's rights and signposting to services, as an urgent priority for education professionals and for police/justice system professionals, health and social workers.

Examples of good practice and helpful support were also provided, but we are a long way from all professionals being competent in trauma-informed practice and aware about the dynamics and effects of VAWCYP. Initial inappropriate, panicked and dangerous responses, especially to sexual abuse, were a particular concern for child and young survivors of abuse and others.

We also heard about the roll-out of the Safe & Together (S&T) approach across Scotland in relation to social work responses to domestic abuse. The three principles of S&T are keeping the child safe and together with the non-offending parent; partnering with the non-offending parent as the default; and intervening with the perpetrator to reduce risk and harm to the child.^‹ This is copyrighted by S & T.› Although a programme of training is well underway, S&T is being implemented more comprehensively in some areas than in others.

S&T should be child rights-proofed and its strengths-based approach should include children's strengths and relational strengths, with children's participation integral.

From specialist VAWG services we heard of frustrations around siloed working, lack of collaboration and underfunding locally to support innovative practice. The interdependence between third and public sector services is particularly acute in this field so difficulties in accessing resources such as housing, legal protection or mental health services inevitably adversely impact the safety and wellbeing of survivors and can dilute the effectiveness of third sector input.

From mainstream services we heard of challenges relating to funding constraints, understaffing and difficulties in recruitment, particularly in social care, and constant firefighting that thwarted efforts to adopt a more upstream approach. We heard also of weariness about being asked to 'do more with less' and the demoralising impact of this on the workforce. The lack of priority and status accorded VAWG, dovetailed with spending pressures, were cited as obstacles to progress.

Training staff in these frontline services on VAWG is essential and has rightly been identified as such by survivors. However, in and of itself, training will not bring about the breadth and depth of change required. Mainstream agencies, COSLA and the National VAWP Network underlined the necessity of a clear strategic direction and coherent policy framework underpinned by an appropriate level of funding to fulfil their commitments to survivors of VAWG.

Single-sex spaces: a pragmatic approach

We heard a great deal, particularly but not exclusively in our Call for Evidence, about the strong feeling that single-sex spaces are an important aspect of VAWG services and should be protected/continue to be available. We were told that some women were self-excluding from services because of the potential inclusion of trans women, either as staff or as service users. The trauma experienced by women, children and young people as a result of VAWG is well recognised and can endure for a considerable time after they have left the abuser, affecting their interactions with other people and the level of threat they perceive around them. This was frequently cited as a strong rationale for single-sex spaces being guaranteed.

It was impossible to gain a full picture of the extent of this, evidence so far is relatively small scale and the prevailing climate around trans inclusion may prevent more women from speaking openly. We were able to speak to a small group of women who had self-excluded and we were aware of the Scottish Women's Convention's report into this issue. It should perhaps also be said for balance that trans inclusion was not raised by participants at any of our other lived experience engagement events.

We also heard a lot about the challenges for service managers of providing inclusive services and trying to maintain a balance between the rights and needs of different groups. We carefully considered the current legal position in relation to protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. As we understand it, the law does not require identical services to be made available for those with different protected characteristics, (this has long been argued in relation to male victims of domestic abuse for example) and it is within the law to provide different services if they are 'a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim'.

This is happening in practice, and it has taken a great deal of consideration and careful thought to get to this point. The anxiety felt by managers trying to do their best in the current very difficult context was notable. It is possible, as one woman said to us, to be pro-women and not anti-anyone else.

This is, in essence, the position we have taken in this report. Trans women, and indeed trans men, who have experienced abuse require and deserve services that meet their needs. They are a highly stigmatised and discriminated against group. We are currently a long way from being a society which includes, understands and embraces trans people. Much more work needs to be done in this regard.

The main consideration needs to be what services are needed and who provides them. The above in no way reduces the need for single-sex provision for those women who want that option. We need both types of service to be available.

It is therefore our view that single-sex provision should remain, as part of a range of services. This can, as it is currently, be provided in some services alongside a different and equivalent service offer for trans women i.e. without access to shared refuge or groupwork, but with the possibility of access to stand alone refuge, that does not result in their disadvantage or further discrimination, and ensures no regression on secured rights and recognition of trans people. Alternatively, it could be provided as part of the menu of 'by and for' services.

Access to psychological therapies and mental health support: key to recovery

While mental health services fall within the remit of mainstream service roles and responsibilities in identifying and responding to VAWG, we have chosen to highlight it to reflect the emphasis it received during our evidence gathering, and to stress its centrality in promoting recovery from the harms of VAWG.

As noted in the introduction, the impact of VAWG on physical, sexual, reproductive and mental health can be profound and enduring. The well documented mental health consequences of abuse include an elevated risk of depression and anxiety, higher levels of post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation, eating disorders and substance misuse. The urgent need to address the current inadequate levels of mental health support for survivors was underscored by recent research and both the Call for Evidence responses and those given during our engagement sessions. This was the case for children and young people who have difficulty accessing CAMHS as well as for women with current or previous experience of abuse.

One of the consequences of dealing with Covid and its aftermath has been a deterioration in mental health across the country, and a corresponding drastic increase in waiting times for mental health services, particularly for adults. The lack of access to appropriate support was cited repeatedly as a significant impediment to recovery for individuals, as well as a source of frustration for services who struggled to link effectively with mental health services to provide a coordinated response.

We were told of the need for collaborative practice to develop joined-up pathways for support that address the limitations of siloed service provision. We heard of good practice in some Women's Aid groups where there is a mental health specialist on the staff who can assess, refer and support women, children and young people experiencing mental health issues and some organisations that employed art/play therapists.

The specific actions identified for women and girls in the SG Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan were welcomed and we would like to see this included in a more comprehensive approach to improving the mental health of survivors of abuse.

While NHS mental health services are important in providing individual care they are not, and should not, be solely responsible for the provision of mental health support. Rather they are a key contributor to the development of a more holistic, trauma-informed approach across services that, coupled with increased availability of specialist psychological interventions, will strengthen and enhance responses to the mental health needs of survivors. Among promising developments to build capacity and capability at local level we would highlight The Transforming Psychological Trauma: A Knowledge and Skills Framework for the Scottish Workforce produced by NHS Education for Scotland, and its accompanying National Trauma Training Programme, which provide a solid foundation to progress such a model.

Recovery from trauma experienced as a result of VAWG is a key component of our model of minimum core services in Chapter 4. We heard of a lack of trauma recovery services across Scotland, in relation to different forms of VAWG and gaps for different populations e.g. for children who had experienced both childhood sexual abuse and domestic abuse, for adults experiencing abuse as children, for students.

We were pleased to see the publication of the Trauma-informed Justice Framework, which has the potential to significantly reduce re-traumatisation of victims/survivors involved with the justice system.

We have included recovery support in our minimum core services.

Advocacy support: key to seeking justice and safety

Advocacy workers are key to reach the protection and support measures of Istanbul and child-friendly justice measures, such as: the right to be informed, information on rights and services, follow up, to ensure rights and interests are duly represented and taken into account at all stages in investigations and judicial proceedings.

We have heard from adult and child domestic abuse victims and witnesses (see Domestic Abuse Court Experience DACE) and rape/sexual assault victims (see Justice Journeys) of the importance of advocacy workers in criminal proceedings, and the need for advocacy in civil proceedings. Also of specific gaps in childhood sexual abuse cases (see The right to recover).

Advocacy workers were found by victim/survivors to be the most significant factor in increasing their sense of safety, confidence, being informed and any feelings of empowerment in a traumatising system. Specially trained workers on the justice system, rights including child rights and access to court records/information were particularly important, as were direct contact and good relationships with justice professionals.

Access and length of the service offered was an issue as was the need for services for further civil and criminal cases. The limits of the service, including immediate, short-term and longer-term support, were an issue for victims and child cited witnesses. Mental health support immediately, short and longer term was essential and a clear gap - from reporting to long after the court case closed. There were specific gaps in the children's services with fewer advocacy services across Scotland for younger age groups. It was felt that children who were not necessarily cited witnesses also needed support from the point of reporting. A national D/D/deaf advocacy worker in England was a model worth considering in Scotland.

We were told that services are not currently able to fulfil these measures and good practice – victim-survivors want earlier access, longer-term support, support through different systems, support across Scotland.

We are aware of current development of standards for adult domestic abuse advocacy services. Standards also need to be developed for children and young people's VAWCYP advocacy services. Other gaps are for all forms of VAWG, and for advocacy across the justice system - criminal, civil, children's hearings, child protection. Currently, most services focus on the criminal system only but it is particularly important to consider the role of advocacy in contact and residence where the parent is an abuser (e.g. domestic abuse and familial childhood sexual abuse). We heard consistently and across services that women and children were experiencing further abuse through contact.

More widely, advocacy support fits with efforts to reduce the trauma involved in being in the justice systems and centre the rights, interests and needs of the victim-survivor; in domestic abuse this would be the non-abusing parent and child as co-victims. This identified the need to consider more holistic, one-stop shop services for children in relation to therapeutic support, evidence giving, support through court cases and beyond. These efforts need to be considered in relation to all forms of GBV, summary as well as solemn, adult victims as well as children. Victim/survivors spoke of the need to remove them from court altogether. Everyday Heroes and Domestic Abuse Court Experiences Research (DACE) (Domestic Abuse Court Experiences Research (Houghton, Morrison, Warrington and Tisdall 2022) spoke of the need for women, children and young people to be involved in the necessary changes to advocacy and the justice system.

The status of advocacy workers in relation to VAWCYP, as key professionals acting to ensure justice for victims/survivors must be recognised.

There is evidence that this is not always the case, and clearly this needs to change if we aspire to provide meaningful, effective advocacy services for all women, children and young people who want them. We were told that one sheriff refused to listen to what they described as 'biased' Women's Aid workers who were performing an advocacy role. It can never be seen as 'biased' to represent the views and wishes of victims/survivors, and indicates a need for training.

Co-location of services: simplifying pathways of support

We believe that co-location of services can have significant benefits for victims/survivors, not least because so many women, children and young people experience a range of different forms of VAWG. The time and money cost of accessing different services and the increased stress of having to navigate and access multiple services and sites adds greatly to the difficulties experienced by victims/survivors when seeking help.

We heard about encouraging examples of where this has worked well e.g. in Hamilton with the Saoirse-Liber 8 project and in West Lothian's Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Team. In Dundee, a Women's Hub is in development which will bring together key specialist services including, importantly, those supporting women who sell or exchange sex.

We also heard about the exciting Bairns' Hoose development where services for children and young people involved with the criminal justice system will be co-located, improving support in particular for those who have experienced childhood sexual abuse and other forms of abuse including domestic abuse. In the longer term, we would like to see this approach broaden out to include children and young people experiencing all forms of VAWCYP and to support involvement with the civil justice system too, where there are co-victims, such as the non-abusing parent. In such cases careful consideration to integrating services is also required.

Co-location will not work everywhere, but should be explored in areas where there are a number of overlapping services and could lead to not only a reduction in some costs but also a more coherent service. The purpose would be to ensure a better pathway of support for women, children and young people and therefore all relevant services should be retained.

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