Arun Has Highest Rate Of domestic Violence In West Sussex

Councillors heard that their district has the highest incidence of domestic abuse in the county and video doorbells are being handed out to those at risk.

Arun has the ‘highest incidence of Domestic Abuse in West Sussex’ which accounts for ‘a third of serious violence in the district’, members of Arun District Council’s Housing and Wellbeing Committee heard on Wednesday (8 June).

Two domestic homicides also occurred in Arun between 2019 and 2022, one of which happened during the Covid lockdown.

Officers and members were shocked at the figures and discussion quickly moved to what the council could do to help tackle the abuse.

Pauline Gregory (Lib Dem, Rustington West) said:

"We’ve just heard how we’re not a particularly bad area for crime, although there’s lots of pockets of crime.

“I just find this quite surprising that have the largest [domestic abuse] figures in West Sussex.”

Chief Inspector Nick Bowman, District Commander for Arun and Chichester, told the committee that domestic abuse is often ‘hidden behind four walls’.

He also spoke about child exploitation and the work of the police in tackling county lines child exploitation and ‘cuckooing’.

“We need the teachers, we need the dinner ladies, we need the lollipop person, we need that support of the social worker, we need everyone to feed in the information,” he said.

“There is a much more co-ordinated response now. 

“It’s something I hope we more often than not get right, but you’ve only got to look on the news to see tragic cases all over the country.

“What I think is important is that we’ve got the right procedures and systems and checks in place to address the concerns when they’re raised.”

In March this year, West Sussex County Council decided to create a forum specifically for Arun which is dedicated to dealing with the increased number of domestic abuse cases.

This is known as a MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) and sees key organisations come together, such as police and a member of the council’s housing team, to tackle high-risk cases.

Cathryn French, ADC’s safeguarding officer, said:

“We’re now the only district in West Sussex to have a single meeting just for for us – normally it’s shared.

“The objective is to make a safety plan and to seek to reduce that risk. 

“Domestic abuse would come under serious violence so that is obviously why we’ve got it as one of our priorities for the Safer Arun Partnership.

“Despite the concerns, there is an awful lot of work to try and reduce and address that harm.”

What is being done?

The Domestic Abuse Act (2021) places legal duties on councils to provide support and accommodation to domestic abuse victims and their children.

ADC received a £32,000 share of Government ‘burdens funding’ to help cover the costs this year, but Ms French says that funding can often be ‘piecemeal and last minute’.

Committee chair Jacky Pendleton (Con, Middleton-on-Sea) asked: “Is there something proactive that we ought to be doing?”

In response, Ms French said:

“We’ve undertaken a women’s safety event to try and engage with our community and to understand, but I think absolutely we could always seek to improve on what good work we are doing.”

Although ADC doesn’t provide adult or children’s services, which is the role of the county council, its officers usually come into contact with vulnerable people.

The council says it provided training to staff to spot the signs of domestic abuse and it has also created a web page with a safe exit button for those experiencing abuse.

A pilot project will also see victims and survivors given Ring doorbells, which have video cameras, to help improve their safety at home.

Arun residents are also being encouraged to fill in a community safety survey by 17 July to help the council understand the issues that most affect them: https://www.arun.gov.uk/news-archive/safer-arun-partnership-community-safety-survey-5707

Visit this site for help and advice about domestic abuse: https://www.arun.gov.uk/getting-help/?feedbacksuccess=1&rating=1

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, always call 999 and ask for the police.