Domestic abuse in west Cheshire
The six missions within the borough plan 2024-28 are underpinned by principles of prevention, partnership, community engagement, and data-driven decision-making. Shown below, they align closely with the aims of this Domestic Abuse Strategy and reflect the shared goals particularly in areas such as safeguarding, housing, health, and inclusion.
Mission |
Focus |
|
The Best Possible Start for Our Children and Young People |
Focus on early years, education, safeguarding, and youth support. |
|
Tackling Hardship and Poverty |
Addresses financial insecurity, housing instability, and access to essential services. |
|
Resilient People Living Their Best Lives |
Promotes physical and mental health, wellbeing, and independence. Includes trauma-informed services and community-based support. |
|
Opportunity in a Fair Local Economy |
Supports inclusive growth, employment, and skills development. |
|
Neighbourhood Pride |
Focuses on safe, clean, and connected communities. Encourages civic engagement and local identity. |
|
Greener Communities |
Tackles climate change, promotes sustainability, and improves environmental quality. Includes energy-efficient housing and green infrastructure. |
This Strategy is firmly embedded within the wider strategic landscape of Cheshire West and Chester. It directly supports the Community Safety Partnership Priorities, including reducing repeat experiences of domestic abuse, preventing exploitation, and tackling serious violence through coordinated, multi-agency action. It also aligns with the Police and Crime Plan 2024–2028, which sets out a vision for a safer Cheshire by prioritising prevention, protecting vulnerable people, and holding perpetrators to account.
Furthermore, our approach reflects the trauma-informed principles and safeguarding priorities of both the Cheshire West Safeguarding Children Partnership and the Local Safeguarding Adults Board, ensuring that our work protects those most at risk and promotes safety, dignity, and recovery across all age groups. By working in close partnership across these frameworks, we are building a borough where domestic abuse is never tolerated and where every individual can live free from fear and harm.
Strategic Needs Assessment
In line with the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, Cheshire West and Chester Council is required to undertake a comprehensive Safe Accommodation Needs Assessment every three years. The initial assessment, completed in June 2021, informed the development of the borough’s Safe Accommodation Model and shaped the previous Domestic Abuse Strategy 2021–2025. The 2024 Needs Assessment marked the next phase in this statutory cycle and has underpinned this strategy, ensuring it remains responsive to emerging needs and lived experiences. The needs assessment not only evaluated the availability and suitability of safe accommodation but also sought to identify and address the barriers that prevent individuals, particularly those with complex needs from accessing support. It is a key mechanism for strengthening our trauma-informed response and ensuring that services are inclusive, accessible, and survivor-centred.
By embedding the findings of the Needs Assessment into strategic planning, we ensure that our local response is evidence-based, collaborative, and focused on preventing harm, empowering survivors, and holding perpetrators to account.
The 2024 Domestic Abuse Needs Assessment (DANA) provides a comprehensive, evidence-based understanding of domestic abuse across Cheshire West and Chester. It highlights rising demand, service gaps, and opportunities for trauma-informed, equitable, and coordinated responses.
- Domestic abuse calls to police increased by 8% across the borough (2024 vs. previous year)
- Ellesmere Port saw the highest increase (22%), while Northwich & Winsford remained stable
- Chester: down 5%
- Ellesmere Port: up 6%
- Northwich and Winsford: down 3%
- Recorded domestic abuse crimes decreased by 3%, suggesting improved triage and scrutiny
- Ellesmere Port has the highest rates of domestic abuse crime and deprivation
- 27 recorded domestic abuse crimes per 1,000 population
- Chester has the lowest rates (12 per 1,000), but underreporting may mask hidden abuse
- Northwich & Winsford show moderate rates but strong engagement from primary care
Cheshire West and Chester requires at least 37 safe accommodation spaces (based on 1 per capita of the population). Current provision is:
- 8 communal flats
- 20 dispersed properties
- 11+ Sanctuary Scheme homes
- Refuge bedspaces remained stable (25–26), but dispersed units increased from 23 to 73
- Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) referrals increased by 7% overall, with 38% growth in Ellesmere Port
- IRIS referrals more than doubled (from 85 to 169 in two years)
- Domestic Abuse referrals rose by 51% since 2020, higher than the rate of Domestic Abuse incidents and crimes
- Sanctuary Scheme activity increased from 51 properties
- Cheshire West and Chester population is projected to grow by 8% by 2033, with a 22% increase in the 65+ age group
- 9% of the population is from ethnic minority groups, with underrepresentation in service access, especially in Ellesmere Port
- Older adults and ethnic minority communities face significant barriers to disclosure and support
- 46% of police records lacked ethnicity data
- Domestic abuse is underreported among older women (up to 90% underreporting rate)
- Cheshire West and Chester has high rates of homelessness due to domestic abuse, with 87% of cases falling under relief duty rather than prevention
- Challenges persist in converting joint tenancies to sole tenancies for survivors
- 18.9% of Children’s Front Door (iART) contacts relate to domestic abuse
- Children in Need episodes involving domestic abuse rose by 16%
- Young people require tailored, age-appropriate support
Recommendations
15 recommendations have been identified through the Domestic Abuse Needs Assessment. They are designed to strengthen Cheshire West and Chester’s response to domestic abuse and ensure services are inclusive, equitable, and responsive to emerging needs. The recommendations have been incorporated into the five priorities set out in this strategy and can be seen in a draft action plan in appendix 1. The action plan will be further developed by the Domestic Abuse Board and will underpin the delivery of our vision and priorities set out in this strategy.
Cheshire West and Chester should assess whether current services can manage the increased caseload without impacting service quality. Strengthen partnerships with third-sector organisations to alleviate pressure on statutory services and ensure coordinated, seamless support. Expand early intervention through education and outreach.
Improve data collection and ethnicity recording across all relevant datasets. Collaborate with third-sector groups to address barriers faced by minoritised communities in accessing domestic abuse support.
Prioritise older people in domestic abuse responses. Enhance training for health and adult social care professionals. Explore best practices such as the DASH Risk Indicator Checklist for older people.
Investigate whether earlier support could reduce the number of domestic abuse-related homelessness cases requiring main duty decisions. Strengthen prevention pathways.
Develop standardised tenancy management guidelines with housing providers. Improve data recording on joint tenancies involving perpetrators. Ensure consistent and survivor-focused housing responses.
Tailor services to reflect locality-specific needs and deprivation levels. Recognise that domestic abuse may be hidden in more affluent areas and ensure awareness and access across all communities.
Review Cheshire East’s Whole Housing Approach evaluation to inform CW&C’s housing response for survivors of domestic abuse.
Encourage appropriate MARAC referrals from housing providers. Promote training and ensure reporting of target hardening interventions to the Partnership Board.
Address gaps in service access, particularly in Ellesmere Port. Engage GPs to improve IRIS referrals and healthcare-led domestic abuse support.
Use SafeLives benchmarks to identify underserved groups. Develop communication and engagement plans for communities with unmet needs, including those with neuro-disabilities.
Strengthen collaboration between social prescribers, IDVAs, and primary care. Share best practices from Winsford to improve consistency across the borough.
Embed voluntary sector organisations in domestic abuse governance and service delivery. Formalise partnerships, provide joint training, and secure joint funding.
Enhance trauma-informed support for children and young people. Consider a Young Person IDVA role and improve referral pathways between Gateway and Jigsaw programmes.
Establish an ongoing framework to ensure lived experience informs strategy, service design, and evaluation. Embed survivor voices in all aspects of domestic abuse response.
Improve inter-agency data sharing and coding practices in health settings to better capture domestic abuse indicators and inform strategic planning.