This proactive scrutiny report explores and makes recommendations upon the topic of ‘domestic abuse’, where Members reviewed the actions of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire in his intention to tackle domestic abuse and enhance protection for its victims. Additionally, this report considers how the Commissioner is engaging partners across the two counties in delivering this agenda, as well as increasing awareness and engagement from the wider community.

This report finds that the Commissioner and his office, through the use of their commissioning strategy and through active engagement in stakeholder meetings, have played an integral role in bringing partners together to form new alliances and deliver innovative and nationally recognised approaches to tackling domestic abuse. Key to delivery of both well established and innovate new approaches has been the availability of both grant funding and commissioning streams and this report makes recommendation to the Commissioner that he continues with this approach, with a view to ensuring that local needs and priorities are considered when funding decisions are made.

The Panel have identified, through this report, that increasing engagement with victims and survivors of domestic abuse and partners within Portsmouth and the IOW, should better inform and enhance the pan-Hampshire and the IOW approach to tackling, and supporting victims, of domestic abuse. The Panel have also suggested that consideration is given to the development of a Hampshire and IOW wide media strategy which, with the input of partner agencies, could seek to raise further awareness of all forms of domestic abuse.

• Police and Crime Panel Proactive Scrutiny Domestic Abuse Report
• Police and Crime Commissioner Response to the Domestic Abuse Proactive Scrutiny Recommendations