North Devon visit highlights pressure on abuse support services

North Devon MP Ian Roome today welcomed Jess Phillips MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, to North Devon for a series of visits with local organisations supporting children, women and survivors of abuse, as well as a meeting with Devon and Cornwall Police.

The visit followed a meeting Ian Roome MP had with the Minister last year to discuss support services for survivors across North Devon, and provided an opportunity to highlight local community work and the challenges facing safeguarding and support services in the area.

Minister Jess Phillips and Ian Roome MP visited The Women’s Safety Hub, a joint project between North Devon Against Domestic Abuse (NDADA) and Encompass, and met with organisation leads to discuss work around women’s refuge provision, domestic abuse support and homelessness services for women in North Devon.

They also heard from Surviving Abuse North Devon (SAND) about the charity’s counselling support for survivors of abuse and the pressures around resourcing and funding. This year marks SAND’s 10th anniversary, and the organisation remains the first specialist private support service of its kind in the area.

North Devon’s MP also organised a sit-down meeting with a Detective Inspector and the Domestic Abuse Investigation Manager in Devon and Cornwall Police to discuss the challenges facing the police response to safeguarding cases involving women and girls. Ian Roome reported that discussions included the pressures within the criminal justice system and the impact of long waits on victims, with officers highlighting that individuals are less likely to remain engaged in the justice process the longer they are forced to wait.

The day also included a visit to Blue Elephant Childcare, where they met staff and children in a residential setting and saw first-hand how a positive care home environment can support children and young people.

North Devon’s Liberal Democrat MP, Ian Roome, said: “I was very thankful for Jess Phillips making the time in her busy schedule to come down to North Devon so I could introduce her to some of the organisations and professionals doing vital work to support children, women and survivors across our communities.

“In North Devon, we are fortunate to have fantastic local services making a real difference. But it’s clear that these organisations are working under significant pressure, so it was important to bring the Minister down to hear directly from those on the frontline.

“We had lots of discussions about the challenges around funding, delays in the wider justice system, and the need for better education around these issues in schools. I will keep pressing Ministers to put real funding behind these services, as they make a real difference in our community.”