Brighton and Hove council withdraw funding from women's domestic violence serivice

[Janie143]

Despite offering domestic abuse services to LGBTQ+ and men, in addition to prevision for women and children, and having 26 years experience RISE looses £5 million council contact to Stonewater. Reason given was that RISE wasn't inclusive enough. Judge for yourself which is more inclusive of all protected characteristics.

The reason given is that they weren't inclusive enough? It seems directed at them providing a women only refuge, in addition to helping LGBTQ?
I note that the service that they are losing is the women only refuge. They're continuing with the LGBTQ service.

I note that the service that they are losing is the women only refuge. They're continuing with the LGBTQ service.

Yes, this shows the lack of regard the local government has for the needs of women and girls who have suffered male violence.

Wrong kind of women and girls.

Two tier system has been created.

I believe the women only service will be continued but through a different provider i.e. Stonewater Housing

looking at the figures, the council was offering 5 million for a 7 year contract which RISE currently provides for 1.4 million. If that's true I'd say RISE were stuffed from the off - even a standstill figure would take them way over 5 million (7 x 1.4 million 9.8 million), to do it for 5 million would mean the charity subsidising the council's contract by a massive amount.

I also note that the procurement exercise was carried out by East Sussex Council not Brighton & Hove

I think there is going to be a lot more of this to come. Local authorities are financially screwed - they're going to put out contracts that only large profit making organisations who work at scale can afford to bid for.

HunterHearstHelmsley as I said in my OP refuge has gone to Stonewater not Stonewall They provide temporary housing for LGBTQ+
www.stonewater.org/find-a-home/supported-housing/south/lgbtqplus-safe-space/

No mention of temporary housing for women fleeing DV The rest of Stonewater's website is about normal housing stuff

So if RISE has no money to support women who aren't LGBTQ+ where are they meant to go?

My understanding of the situation is that all the services RISE were providing under that particular contract were tendered out so the services themselves haven't changed, only the provider of them (that doesn't mean btw that I think changing the provider is a good thing or that the council have gone about it in a good way)

looking at their accounts, they're already running a deficit which from a procurement point of view would definitely set off alarm bells though they do have reserves

I think there's definitely a wider issue here which is that small local women led organisations are going to find it really hard to compete for funding. Local authorities are strapped for cash and are likely to go for the cheapest service options they can as well as reducing grants available to the voluntary sector because they dont have the spare money

[quote Janie143]HunterHearstHelmsley as I said in my OP refuge has gone to Stonewater not Stonewall They provide temporary housing for LGBTQ+
www.stonewater.org/find-a-home/supported-housing/south/lgbtqplus-safe-space/[/quote]
Bloody hell it was a typo. I work for the organisation that has won part of the bid but you clearly already know it all.

There are local elections in the offing. I wonder if it isn't worth making a point. Much safer to vote for other parties in local elections and maybe Brighton & Hove are having sunlight directed at them and probably not before time.

I'm certainly going to be a lot more careful about who I vote for in the local elections and I will be looking at GC candidates and not at political parties

Absolutely *Edge

Definitely highame.

Jess Phillips seems to be taking an interest in this as well.
twitter.com/jessphillips/status/1364158886450782208

(Screenshotting on a laptop is not a life skill of mine, sorry)

Ironically RISE pioneered an LGBT service way back when and has been involved in a pilot for a national LGBT refuge provision. Won national awards for innovation and has now been shat on from a great height for not being gender neutral. New service has no specialist workers, staff cut and no building to work from. The usual that happens- cheaper and fewer staff working from 'community settings' on laptops. Seen it time and again. Less is not more fgs.

RISE doubled provision in the city through fundraising, grants and trusts. Will carry on and rebuild but service users suffer. Stonewater got a bad rep locally as have Victim Support.

There's an existing thread about this here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4171571-Womens-refuge-that-is-trans-inclusive-loses-funding-because-service-to-women-focused-and-gay-men-not-catered-for

shame to duplicate

Update from local campaign and planned protest brightonriseup.wordpress.com/2021/02/24/campaign-statement-24th-february-2021/