Improvements are being made to the way vulnerable women dealing with drug and alcohol dependency, homelessness, mental health issues and domestic violence access support services, following an independent review into the help available to a 41-year-old woman with complex needs who died from a drug overdose in December 2017.
East Sussex Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) commissioned a Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) to understand what lessons could be learnt by organisations who supported the woman, known as Ms C, and what could be put in place to help people in similar circumstances in the future.
Ms C was also involved in a volatile and violent relationship from 2015. She suffered significant levels of domestic violence and coercive control, which were particularly severe during the last 12 months of her life, the period which this review focused on. She experienced periods of homelessness, struggled with mental health issues and alcohol and drug dependency which, at times, resulted in her becoming involved in criminal behaviour.
The review found a lack of accommodation readily accessible for women with the combination of needs related to chronic trauma, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness and domestic violence and abuse, and it also found that services were not joined up or tailored to the needs of women like Ms C.
Evidence was not collated
The review, which examined agencies involved in Ms C’s case, also identified barriers to collating third party information of patterns of domestic violence and abuse which meant police only responded reactively to individual incidents.
Although recognising that short term prison sentences can be unavoidable in some cases, the report highlighted the disruption these cause to the progress individuals may be making with the support of community teams, leaving women more vulnerable on their release.
Accepting the findings, the SAB has produced a formal response to the review and will develop an action plan to address the learning and support improvements to services. The board response notes the work which has already started to develop a new joint strategy for specialist domestic violence services, and the opportunity this presents in ensuring the learning from Ms C’s tragic death can shape service developments.
Graham Bartlett, the chair of East Sussex SAB, said: “We welcome this report, which like most SARs was born out of tragic circumstances. Our sympathies go to Ms C’s family along with our thanks for their contribution to the review which will help us identify what we can learn from her sad death.
More options to provide support
“Since 2017, there have been changes and improvements in services and legislation which go some way to assuring the board that there are now more options to support women with complex needs fleeing domestic abuse and violence who need to access accommodation and support.
“We remain committed to working with the agencies involved in the case to take the learning forward to effect real improvements for women like Ms C.
“The board continues to seek assurance from organisations in East Sussex about changes they have made since the death of Ms C, including multi-agency working, the relationship and coordination between services in safeguarding women with multiple complex needs and tackling those areas where joint working could be improved.”
The full report and SAB response can be viewed at: https://www.eastsussexsab.org.uk/documents/adult-c-sar-published-december-2020-2/
Source: Press release from East Sussex County Council sent on behalf of the East Sussex Safeguarding Adults Board
Image Credits: Nick Forman .
Rye Police station, a huge building, sadly undermanned, underused, and not even open office hours, a huge burden to tax payers,when a porta cabin would be suffice, for the amount of time,it is in use