Issue - meetings

The Panel considered the report of the Director, Legal and Governance, which requested that the Panel discuss, amend and agree a final version of the draft inquiry report.

Southampton City Council officers, Dr Jason Horsley, Director of Public Health; Grace Grove, Public Health Registrar; Charlotte Matthews, Public Health Consultant; Sandy Jerrim, Senior Commissioner - Integrated Commissioning Unit; and Karen Marsh, Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) Service Manager; were in attendance and with the consent of the Chair addressed the Panel.

Following discussions with invited representatives the Panel recommended the approval of the report with modified recommendations.  The Panel noted that the following should also be included in the final report:

·  Reference to the issues of gender inequality, adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s) and funding opportunities to be included in the Chair’s introduction.

·  Reference to engagement with local media outlets and the adoption of new reporting guidelines, developed by Level Up and adopted by the press regulators, on the way that domestic abuse was reported in the media.

·  Reference to LINX as an example of a perpetrator service.

·  Reference to the evaluation of the outcomes of the Hampton Trust initiative.

·  Reference to the formation of early and positive links with the proposed Domestic Abuse Commissioner, if and when they are appointed.

·  An amendment to recommendation 13 of the draft report to include “new funding arrangement and mandate”.

RESOLVED

  (i)  That the Director, Legal and Governance amend the final report, following consultation with the Chair of the Panel, so that the comments made by Panel members at the meeting could be incorporated into the final report;

  (ii)  That the Chair of the Scrutiny Inquiry Panel present the final report to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee on 13 June 2019.