A NEW plan has been unveiled to provide housing for victims of domestic abuse in Herefordshire.

Herefordshire Council will be spending around £360,000 to help people who have, or are, experiencing domestic abuse, with some of the money going towards safe accommodation for those who need it.

The council’s domestic abuse strategy was developed in consultation with partner organisations and people with lived experience of domestic abuse.

It was approved by cabinet members in May this year and has now been published online, focusing on four Ps - prevention, provision, partnership, and perpetrators.

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The strategy is designed to help people recognise all forms of domestic abuse, understand where to get help, seek, be offered, and receive effective help and support as early as possible, and have the skills to establish healthy relationships.

The overall aim is to reduce the harm caused by, and the number of incidents of, domestic abuse in Herefordshire.

The council was awarded £362,913 in funding from the department for levelling up, housing and communities to help it meet new duties set out in the Domestic Abuse Act.

This includes the increase in provision of safe accommodation and support in Herefordshire and provide support for children who witness domestic abuse and specialist legal advice around housing issues.

There must also be development in a lived experience advisory group across Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

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The council must also continue the delivery of the DRIVE project, intervening with high harm, high risk perpetrators in Herefordshire.

Also, it must provide dedication support for existing safe accommodation across the county and for people with protected characteristics, e.g., disabled people, LGBTQ+ community, people from black, Asian or minority ethnic communities as well as men who may find it harder to access support.