Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Health and Social Care, what plans he has to improve cooperation between mental health services and the voluntary sector to support victims of domestic abuse with psychiatric health needs.

The National Health Service Mental Health Implementation Plan highlights the essential role the voluntary sector will play in the design and delivery of services, including services which will benefit victims of domestic abuse with psychiatric health needs. It recommends commissioners and providers vary procurement routes to give more opportunity for the voluntary sector to provide services, and encourages commissioners to support and develop local voluntary sector capacity. NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned guidance and tools to support this.

The Department is overseeing £2 million of Government funding to expand a pathfinder programme developing a model health system response to domestic abuse including in mental health settings, to bridge the gap between the voluntary sector and NHS services, and to harness the strengths of each.