Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of whether "by and for" domestic abuse services achieve better outcomes for victims than other domestic abuse services.

Since 2021, Tier 1 local authorities in England have had a statutory duty to ensure that all victims of domestic abuse and their children can access support in relevant safe accommodation when needed. To support delivery of this duty, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has committed £499 million over the period 2026-27 to 2028-29.

An independent three-year evaluation commissioned by MHCLG examined the implementation of this duty and found that specialist ‘by and for’ services can be particularly effective in meeting the support needs of some groups of survivors, particularly those from minoritised communities. The evaluation also found that areas which commissioned by and for services were better able to meet the needs of diverse groups of victims. Survivors who accessed these services reported valuing support from staff who understood their background, culture and experiences. A copy of the evaluation is available on gov.uk here.