A tender process has been launched to appoint a service to support victims in Cleveland affected by illegal cultural practices.
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and Middlesbrough Council have joined up to commission a service to provide specialist support for victims of domestic abuse, honour-based violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM).
They’re seeking tenders from organisations who feel confident in delivering services tailored for women from Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds – who sadly are most commonly affected by these offences.
The specification for the service was developed following consultation with people from BAME backgrounds and the practitioners who support them.
It’s expected that the service will ensure:
• Victims have access to specialist advice, information, casework, advocacy support and community-based recovery
• A reduced risk of harm to those experiencing abuse
• Victims are empowered to take positive action to reduce repeat victimisation
In the period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020, there were 48 incidents marked as having an honour-based element by Cleveland Police – 16 of these were marked as domestic abuse.
Over the same period, Cleveland Police recorded two incidents of FGM.
Acting Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Oldroyd, said: “BAME victims and their children have very specific and complex needs, including language translation and communication difficulties, barriers created by lack of cultural awareness, multiple perpetrators, immigration issues and no recourse to public funds.
“It’s so important that we appoint the right people to deliver this bespoke service, so victims can feel comfortable and confident in seeking advice and support – when they may not have their own families to support them.
“We would welcome tenders from any organisation that has the expertise and knowledge to give the victims of these horrific crimes a chance to move forward.”
Middlesbrough Council’s Violence and Sexual Abuse lead Claire Moore, said: “Middlesbrough Council recognises the importance of provision offering dedicated advice and assistance from an independent source.
“We welcome this opportunity to work alongside the OPCC to commission this Cleveland-wide service and are inviting organisations to tender for this.”
Applications are open until 12-noon on Friday 11th December 2020.
View the opportunity on the Blue Light portal