This is a report about the status of funding for the women’s sector. It sets out the case for specialist women’s organisations, identifies their current sources
of funding and explores the challenges that they face in terms of financial sustainability. The report explores recent changes in the funding landscape for voluntary organisations, including the shi to commissioning of services, the impact of austerity on the demand for support services and on funding available, and the likely impact that Brexit is going to have on the women’s sector. 

The Criminal Justice Board has commissioned an independent review of the arrangements to deliver justice in serious sexual offence cases.

The Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse has published a report looking at messages from research on institutional child sexual abuse. The report looks at the extent, dynamics and impact of institutional abuse and discusses ways of preventing institutional abuse including: a rigorous recruitment and selection processes; an open organisational culture where safeguarding is seen as everyone’s business; and organisational processes in place, such as co-working, supervision and whistleblowing procedures, to minimise the opportunities for abuse to occur.

In 2017, Agenda and AVA published Mapping the Maze, which provided a broad picture of the support that homelessness, substance misuse, mental health and criminal justice services are providing to women. This report explores the experiences of local areas across the country that are seeking to bring such services together to develop a more coordinated response for individuals facing multiple disadvantage, either using the MEAM Approach or as part of the Big Lottery’s Fulflling Lives programme.