DV FLAG East Why, What, How & Development work A new project funded by 2020 Pip Salvador-Jones • Chief officer at Citizens Advice Barking & Dagenham • Vice Chair of FLAG Steering Group
Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 - LASPO • Massive reductions in legal aid eligibility from 1 April 2013 Family law was the hardest hit under LASPO • £160M - Largest area of savings targeted at Family Law Legal Aid services • 99% of private family law areas – all divorce, financial and children arrangements were taken out of legal aid scope • Domestic abuse remains in scope but…..
Domestic Abuse & impact of f Legal Aid reductions since April 2013 • ….40 % of victims of domestic abuse unable to access legal aid solicitor support ring-fenced for them to secure representation (Rights of Women February 2016) • Rise in litigants in person, Court system in chaos, Advice and front line agencies & statutory agencies struggling to cope (Law Society Review ACCESS DENIED? LASPO four years on June 2017)
Domestic Abuse • Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) – 2 Million adults aged 16 – 50 years experienced domestic abuse in 2017/18 (1.3M women, 695,000 men) • High prevalence of domestic abuse within Barking & Dagenham – over 2500 offences recorded in 2015/16 • High linkage between Domestic Abuse & LA Statutory Care duties – 690 children in UK per day affected by Domestic Abuse (Action on Children Nov 2019) • Forthcoming Domestic Abuse Bill has now fallen Nov 2019 due to General Election
Family Law Accessib ibili lity Steering Group formed in in March 2019 – responsib ible to the Community Sa Safety Partnership ➢ Chaired by Borough Solicitor - LBBD legal services provided project funding ➢ Steering group members - a cross section of professionals with different skills and perspectives including:- • District Judge Anne Sawetz from East London Family Court • Refuge – commissioned Domestic Abuse service • LBBD Deputy Head of Legal services & Domestic Abuse commissioners • LBBD Community Solutions Triage manager • Citizens Advice Barking & Dagenham • 2 local family law solicitors: Shazia Khan - Alexander Rose solicitors Matthew Miklaucich – Milner Elledge solicitors
FLAG Steering Group - responsible to the Community Safety Part rtnership Steering Group aims include: • Deliver a more joined up approach to legal advice for domestic abuse clients, working local services meeting local demand. • The creation of a best practice pro bono service • People caught up in domestic abuse can access timely, good quality family law legal aid and pro bono support and are more empowered to make informed choices and have improved confidence in the legal system
Th The St Steerin ing Group lau launched DV FLA LAG Eas ast se servi vice on 31 May 2019 4 x solicitor firms & CAB family solicitor LBBD Legal Department Social Responsibility Pilot volunteer to provide family law advice funding to Citizens Advice Barking & Dagenham for via a rota coordinated by the CAB delivery & development All Solicitor firm volunteers are local • Know our residents • Know our local areas Displaces the National Centre for Domestic Violence • Know our local court systems (NCDV) which many agencies inc. Police are still referring to but:- • Solicitor firms are not local All solicitors are Law Society Family • Many concerns across the sector locally and Panel members, family legal aid nationally that this is the main often only choice for victims practitioners & follow the Attorney • Met Police senior officers aware of the difficulties General’s Pro Bono Protocol
Jo Join ined up approach to legal advice for domestic abuse clients, working towards lo local l se servic ices meeti ting lo local l demand • CAB responds to referrals within 24 hours DV FLAG East Free legal advice o Coordinates the FLAG solicitor rota service o Triages & refers client to a solicitor on the rota • for anyone caught up in Domestic abuse - victims and alleged • FLAG Solicitor contacts the client within 24 perpetrators - who live in Barking & hours Dagenham or surrounding areas Provides free legal advice on legal options o if legal aid offers to take the client’s case o If not legal aid gives one off pro bono advice • Single point of access - Direct o Reports back to CAB for any additional access & By Referral services needed • CAB will then: o t: 020 8507 5992 o e: Dvflageast@bdcab.org.uk o offer housing, debt or welfare benefits advice o 09.30am to 5.00pm every weekday o liaises with other support agencies for client eg. Refuge, witness service o www.dvflageast.org.uk o Is working with LBBD Legal to develop a best practice pro bono advice offer
DV Flag East Referral Data - 1 June to 31 Oct
DV Fla lag East Client Profi file Data - 1 Ju June to 31 Oct
DV Fla lag East Client Profi file Data - 1 Ju June to 31 Oct
Case Study • Mrs F a victim of domestic abuse, married to her husband in 2014, entering the UK in 2016 on a spousal visa granted for 3 years. There is one child of the marriage who is 2 years old. Mrs F reports a history of emotional and psychological abuse and financial deprivation. Mrs F has reported incidents to the police a number of times but feels that little action has been taken. • A DV Flag East Solicitor applied ex-parte for a non molestation order on 2nd August 2019. This was served on her respondent husband on 5 th August. That same evening Mr F attended Mrs F’s property and harassed her. • The return hearing took place on 13th August 2019. Mr F attended the hearing and contested the application denying all the allegations. An interim non molestation order was made. • Social services have assessed Mrs F and provided her and her son with temporary accommodation. Mr F has ascertained Mrs F’s whereabouts and has taken to parking his car outside the temporary home ‘blowing’ his car horn continuously and playing loud music. Mr F has made various threats to remove her from the country, he uses different vehicles to park outside as well as standing outside her main door entrance to intimidate her. • Mrs F reports these matters to the police who are still investigating the incidents but meanwhile Mrs F has been so fearful she has been unable to sleep and she cannot take her son out for fear that Mr F is outside. • Mr F has filed witness statements with fabricated allegations against Mrs F. She believes he has coerced the witnesses to support him against her. Disclosure has occurred, the response statement, witnesses’ statements and Scott schedule were served on the Respondent on 3 rd September 2019 and to the court and to the Respondent’s solicitor on 9 th September 2019. Outcome: - Judge ordered a renewal of the existing non molestation order. All parties have agreed to this. - Private law matters are ongoing - Mrs F remains fearful and the harassment continues.
Current Priorities & Next xt steps ▪ Work to raise awareness & increase Public Sector referrals to www.dvflageast.org.uk service continues Direct access & By Agency Referral o Health eg. GPs, Hospitals, LBBD eg. Community Solutions - 020 8507 5992 lifecycles o Police eg. Romford Police Station - Dvflageast@bdcab.org.uk ▪ Neighbouring Local Authority awareness & buy in • free independent confidential advice ▪ Showcase work at LBBD’s DV Relaunch 22 January 2020 – Care on legal options City 10-1pm • to anyone experiencing domestic ▪ Pro Bono best practice development abuse in Barking & Dagenham and o LBBD Legal Services lawyers and para-legals committed to becoming Citizens surrounding areas Advice Barking & Dagenham volunteers • informing choices, creating options & o The first such project in the UK (LawWorks 2019) building confidence ▪ Holistic Advice & Support eg: specialist housing & debt advice, witness service ▪ Streamlined Pathways & referrals with Refuge ▪ Evidence to LBBD’s Domestic Abuse Commission
www.dvflageast.org.uk Direct access & By Referral - t: 020 8507 5992 - e: Dvflageast@bdcab.org.uk Open - 09.30am to 5.00pm every weekday More information? • free independent confidential advice on legal options to anyone experiencing Contact domestic abuse in Barking & Dagenham Pip Salvador-Jones and surrounding areas • informing choices, creating options & Citizens Advice Barking & Dagenham Chief Officer building confidence Vice Chair of FLAG Steering Group Cab.director@bdcab.org.uk
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