Prime Minister’s economy speech 

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson set out the first steps in the strategy to rebuild Britain and fuel economic recovery across the UK. The Chancellor will unveil more of this plan next week.

You can find a transcript of the Prime Minister’s speech here and a press release with further details here.

Domestic Abuse Bill 

On Monday, the Government tabled the first tranche of amendments for the Commons Report stage of the Bill which is expected to take place soon.

The new clauses:

• Provide that a child who sees or hears, or experiences the effects of, domestic abuse and is related to the person being abused or the perpetrator is also to be regarded as a victim of domestic abuse. The new clause will operate for the purposes of the Bill, but as with the definition of domestic abuse in Part 1 of the Bill, we expect the new clause to be applied more generally, for example by public authorities and frontline practitioners, so that children are appropriately supported and that the devastating impact of domestic abuse is recognised.
• Prohibit cross-examination in person in civil proceedings.
• Provide for automatic eligibility for special measures in civil and family proceedings.

A second tranche of amendments will be tabled shortly, and we will update in due course with further details. If you have any queries, please contact the team.

New contract to deliver improved support for modern slavery victims 

The new Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract, awarded to The Salvation Army on Monday (29 June), will provide a service that better meets the needs of each victim, including those with specialist and complex needs. The full press release can be found here.

The new contract will go live later this year, following a period of transition from the current service.

Stakeholder news and campaigns

National Day of Memory Conference 2020 – Karma Nirvana 

Every year Karma Nirvana marks the 14th July as the annual day of remembrance to commemorate those lost to honour killings. The day also marks the birthday of Shafilea Ahmed who was murdered by her parents in 2003 when she was 17 after suffering years of abuse.

Karma Nirvana will be launching a national communication toolkit to help #ShineTheSpotlight on honour-based abuse.

They are also holding a virtual conference, Day of Memory 2020, on the 14th July. You can register your place at: events.streamgo.co.uk/KN-DOM/register

Speakers include:

• Dr Jasvinder Sanghera CBE – Founder of Karma Nirvana
• Natasha Rattu – Executive Director of Karma Nirvana
• Nazir Afzal OBE
• Payzee Mahmod – Sister of Banaz Mahmod
• Caroline Goode – Investigating officer in the Banaz Investigation
• Melissa Harrigan – Friend of Shafilea Ahmed
• Geraint Jones – Investigating officer in the Shafilea Investigation
• Dame Vera Baird QC – Victims Commissioner

Respect #TalkitOver campaign 

Respect’s Men’s Advice Line are launching the first wave of their COVID-19 campaign, centred on raising awareness that domestic abuse also affects men and encouraging men to #TalkItOver.

The COVID-19 lockdown restrictions have had a significant impact on all victims of domestic abuse. From March to May this year, the Men’s Advice Line experienced a 100% increase in calls and webchat and emails have also increased significantly in demand. As lockdown eases, Respect are anticipating increased demand for support services. To meet this demand and make it easier for men to #TalkItOver

Respect have:

• Extended opening hours
• Recruited additional advisors
• Started creating a range of resources for men

They invite you to share the campaign across social media. To receive the comms pack directly, please contact [email protected].

NSPCC partnership with Deliveroo

NSPCC have partnered with Deliveroo to help keep children safe by offering riders free child abuse awareness training. Riders will be trained to look out signs of child abuse and to know what to do if they’re worried about a child.

The partnership was developed earlier this year when a rider contacted NSPCC after becoming worried for a child’s welfare.

CrimeStoppers modern slavery campaign  

CrimeStoppers have launched an awareness campaign on modern slavery. They have produced a leaflet which includes a section on signs to spot and information on who to contact if you suspect modern slavery.

You can find a series of assets on their website and follow the hashtag #SlaveryonYourDoorstep on social media.

Women’s Aid partnership with Twitter 

Women’s Aid has partnered with Twitter to launch a new tool to help victims of domestic abuse. The feature is an expansion of Twitter’s #ThereIsHelp initiative, which provides resources to vulnerable people and encourages them to reach out and get support when they need it. When people in the UK search for domestic abuse and associated information on Twitter, a prompt will show to direct people to digital support services provided by Women’s Aid.

Digital support services include: the Women’s Aid Live Chat where survivors can speak with a Women’s Aid expert support worker; email service; the Survivor’s Handbook which includes practical advice; and the Survivors’ Forum where survivors can support each other in a safe, online space.