News

LA7 ESF Community Grants Funding Available for third sector organisations

Grants of up to £15k are now available to support inactive/ unemployed people to help their progression towards further learning and employment.

Gateshead Council learningSkills, on behalf of the 7 Local Authorities (LA7) from the North East LEP area, is seeking bids from Third Sector Organisations for the provision of community projects. This is the fourth round of procurement and we are offering grants of up to £15,000 to support a range of activities aimed at assisting inactive/ unemployed people to move closer to the labour market.

LimeCulture ISVA services survey

As part of the development of the new ISVA Service Quality Standards, LimeCulture CIC is working with a number of organisations providing and commissioning ISVA services, as well as policy leads from the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and NHS England. They are seeking responses to a survey from people who have been supported by an ISVA:
- What was positive about your experience of ISVA services?
- What difficulties, if any, did you experience in finding out about ISVA services, accessing or receiving ISVA services?

Commons Committee hears evidence on upskirting

On Tuesday 10th July, witnesses including Chair of the Women & Equalities Select Committee Maria Miller MP, Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt of the Metropolitan Police, and Gina Martin, an upskirting survivor who started a petition last year to have the practice recognised as a specific criminal offence in England and Wales, gave evidence to the Voyeurism (Offences) (No. 2) Bill Committee at the House of Commons.

‘Revenge Porn' And Upskirting Remind Us Sexual Offending Is Not About Sexual Arousal

Is ‘revenge porn’ a sexual offence? Yes is the clear answer given by many victims. But the Government continues to claim that ‘revenge porn’ – the non-consensual sharing of sexual images – is not a sexual offence, meaning that victims are not entitled to automatic anonymity when reporting to the police. Read the latest blog post, ‘Revenge Porn' And Upskirting Remind Us Sexual Offending Is Not About Sexual Arousal by Professor Clare McGlynn.

Smart home gadgets in domestic abuse warning

A list offering guidance to those affected by smart home devices being used to control or harass them within abusive relationships has been published online. The UK team behind the "tech abuse" list, including researchers from Privacy International and University College London, says it was created to "better inform and guide victims of technology-facilitated abuse as well as those working with them". Read the full BBC news article here.

'World Cup spike in domestic violence leaves refuges full'

As Darlington Borough Council launched an investigation into why recent weeks had seen a “significant increase” in children being referred to social services, charity Harbour said the combination of a heatwave and major sporting tournament had created a perfect storm, leading to all its Tees Valley refuges becoming full. Read the full article in the Northern Echo here.

Social Policy article collection

The Social Policy article collection from Bristol University has made several texts, including a number of VAWG-related articles, freely accessible during July to mark the Social Policy Association Annual Conference.

APPG on Sexual Violence

The next All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual Violence session will take place on Wednesday 17th July and will consider the funding landscape faced by specialist sexual violence services and explore the impacts of government strategy, commissioning frameworks and practice, and devolution of funding. This session will provide an essential overview of the particular challenges faced by specialist sexual violence organisations in light of the unprecedented demand for their services.

Restraint Bill advances to House of Lords

The Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Bill, which aims to reduce the use of restraint in mental health settings, has passed its Third Reading in the House of Commons. The Private Member’s Bill, brought forward by Steve Reed MP, was passed by MPs last Friday and will now be scrutinised in the House of Lords.

The Bill, also known as ‘Seni’s Law’, is named after Steve Reed’s constituent Olaseni Lewis, who died after 11 police officers restrained him in 2010. It contains measures to:

Rights of Women online forum

Rights of Women is setting up a new online discussion forum on family law for professionals working with survivors of domestic abuse, to launch in July 2018. The forum is part of the Finding Legal Options for Women Survivors (FLOWS) project, which is a partnership project between Rights of Women and the RCJ Advice. If you are a professional supporting survivors, complete this survey to contribute your views on how the forum should work and what you want from it.

North East Women's Network