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VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN FUND 2006-7 AND 2007-8

1. The Violence Against Women Fund will run from April 2006 to March 2008. It replaces the two previous funds run by the Scottish Executive, that is the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund and the Violence Against Women Service Development Fund. £3 million per annum is available for 2006/7 and 2007/8.

2. This guidance is intended to help those applying for financial support for proposals under the Violence Against Women Fund which will assist in the development of local measures to tackle violence against women. These measures may either be projects delivering frontline services or to build capacity in local partnerships in order to strengthen local responses to violence against women. Eligibility will be confined to proposals which directly relate to the overall goals described in paragraphs 14-16.

What do we mean by "Violence Against Women"?

3. The National Group to Address Violence Against Women is considering its strategic approach to violence against women issues. The following explanation of "violence against women" reflects the principles currently underpinning its approach and the context within which it is working.

4. Gender based violence is a function of gender inequality, and an abuse of male power and privilege. It takes the form of actions that result in physical, sexual and psychological harm or suffering to women and children, or affront to their human dignity, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life. It is men who predominantly or exclusively carry out such violence, and women and girls who are predominantly the victims of such violence. By referring to violence as "gender-based", this definition highlights the need to understand violence within the context of women's and girl's subordinate status in society. Such violence cannot be understood, therefore, in isolation from the norms and social structure and gender roles within the community, which greatly influence women's vulnerability to violence.

5. Violence against women encompasses but is not limited to the following:

• Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, within the general community, or in institutions, including: domestic abuse; rape; sexual harassment and intimidation at work and in the public sphere; commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution and trafficking; adult survivors of child sexual abuse; dowry related violence; female genital mutilation; forced and child marriages; honour crimes.

6. It therefore encompasses domestic abuse but also includes a range of other crimes and experiences. The National Group to Address Violence Against Women is considering the development of a strategic approach to the wider agenda and has established an Expert Committee to assist in this work.

7. The National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland contains the following definition of domestic abuse:-

"Domestic abuse (as gender-based abuse) can be perpetrated by partners or ex-partners and can include physical abuse (assault and physical attack involving a range of behaviour), sexual abuse (acts which degrade and humiliate women and are perpetrated against their will, including rape) and mental and emotional abuse (such as threats, verbal abuse, racial abuse, withholding money and other types of controlling behaviour such as isolation from family or friends)."

8. In accepting this definition it must be recognised that children are witness to and subjected to much of this abuse and that there is some correlation between domestic abuse and the mental, physical and sexual abuse of children.

9. Domestic abuse occurs in all social groups, is not caused by stress, unemployment, poverty, alcohol or mental illness, nor by the women who experience the abuse.

Strategic Development of Multi Agency Partnerships ( MAPs)

10. Scottish Executive Ministers believe that partnership working is essential to providing a comprehensive response to a wide range of needs of those experiencing violence against women. Multi-Agency Partnerships ( MAPs) to tackle domestic abuse and violence against women have now been established in all local authority areas in Scotland. The Fund therefore sets out to encourage and support effective partnership working. While the fund is primarily aimed at increasing services in an area which has been historically under resourced, we also acknowledge the importance of ensuring the ongoing strategic development of MAPs. Applications from individual people, individual businesses or organisations acting alone will not be considered.

11. The Scottish Executive does not intend to be prescriptive about the range of partners involved but applications should be clear as to the input from partners required to deliver the project's outcomes and should clearly indicate the willingness of those partners to engage with the project.

12. Access to the Fund will also require a clear demonstration that partnerships have developed or are developing a local multi-agency strategy that:

• Complements the National Strategy on Domestic Abuse and other relevant Executive strategies and guidance including the Guidance Note to Planners on Children and Young People Experiencing Domestic Abuse; and
• Takes account of moves at a national level to broaden the strategic approach from domestic abuse to wider violence against women;

13. The Fund can be used to strengthen, improve or expand those arrangements where a need to do so can be demonstrated.

Overall Goals

14. The Scottish Executive aims and objectives are for a Scotland where everyone can enjoy a decent quality of life and to assist organisations to improve quality of life for local communities. In addition, our vision is that all Scotland's children should be safe, nurtured, healthy, achieving, active, included, respected and responsible.

15. The Violence Against Women Fund will provide funding for projects for one or two years from April 2006 to march 2008 in order to meet these aims. The focus of this fund will be to support violence against women projects working under the three Ps of protection prevention or provision, and can include projects established to support the development of local multi-agency partnerships to widening out their agenda to violence against women work.

16. Applications therefore must meet one or more of the following goals:-

Prevention - to prevent, remove or diminish the risk of domestic abuse or wider violence against women by various means, ranging from promoting social attitudinal change to creating physical and other barriers to the commission of violent acts;

Protection - to protect victims from victimisation, repeat victimisation or harassment by perpetrators;

Provision - to provide adequate services to deal with the consequences of violence against women and children to help them both to rebuild their lives.

Strategic development - to support development of multi-agency partnerships including development of strategic approaches towards violence against women at a local level; development of effective partnership working; development of ability of MAPs to engage with and influence other local planners and partners with a view to ensuring that account is taken of violence against women issues in planning and funding decisions.

Criteria

17. Further to meeting the overarching goals, all of the following criteria should be met. Projects that do not meet all of the criteria are still eligible to apply and full consideration will be given. However, it is likely that this fund will be over-subscribed and in those circumstances applications that meet all criteria are likely to be prioritised.

• Applications dealing with domestic abuse must agree to the principal standards and definition set out in the National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse;
• Applications dealing with the wider forms of violence against women must agree to the principles set out in this paper under paragraphs 3-7;
• All applications must accept the gender-based nature of this work. Organisations that also work with men will not be excluded from applying but the funding under the VAW fund is for projects that provide services to women and children. Priority will be given to projects working with wome ^n.
• Applications should demonstrate added value to work that already being undertaken.
• Applications must demonstrate partnership working. Included in this can be financial support, in-kind support, involvement in other related partnerships e.g. community safety, children's services planning etc.; applications from individuals, businesses or organisations acting alone will not be considered;
• Applications must not duplicate existing work either being carried out at a national level or a local level;
• Applications from projects already carrying out work must demonstrate that good practice has been developed;
• Applications should make clear how the proposed activity will address the needs of specific groups of women and children for example those with disabilities; older women; women and children of other fait ^hs; and those from minority ethnic communities.

18. In addition to the broad aims and criteria stated above, the following parameters will apply:-

• No grant will exceed £50,000 in any one year.
• Applications can be made for proposals which apply for either 1 year or until 31 March 2008. Applications should be clear about the end date of projects and proposals for longer term projects must include plans for sustainability.
• There will be a requirement to submit mid-year progress reports on a pro forma to be provided by the Executive. This will be assessed against the project plan which must be completed as part of the application.
• Plans for sustaining the project beyond the funding period should be submitted where appropriate.
• The level of funding for the second year will depend on performance in the first year and a satisfactory plan for year two.
• Proposals will require to be built on good practice and represent value for money.
• Monitoring and evaluation will be integral to funding.
• Effective and accountable management arrangements for the funding will be a strict requirement.
• Joint applications may be co-ordinated by more than one MAP and the maximum amount of grant would multiply accordingly.
• Projects relating to children and young people should be submitted in partnership with integrated children's services planning partners.

19. The Fund is intended to improve current circumstances, not replace, or compete with, existing alternative funding arrangements. For that reason funding will only be available in exceptional circumstances for projects which are eligible under other sources of Scottish Executive funding. For example funding for training projects will not be considered as these should be taken forward via local training consortia established to implement the National Training Strategy and supported by £700k a year to 2008.

20. In relation to rape crisis centres funding will continue under the Rape Crisis Specific Fund ( RCSF). Any rape crisis centre that has a specific project that meets with the aims and criteria of the VAWF, may submit an application but funding for capacity building of rape crisis centres and core funding, salary costs etc. will come under the RCSF. This work will be taken forward separately.

Match funding

21. The Executive has considered carefully the views expressed by MAPs and others over match funding. It is recognised that it can be difficult to secure 50% match funding but the Executive also believes it is essential for the long term sustainability of local projects and community planning that local partners support the development of service provision.

22. Evidence of match funding will be viewed as recognition that a project fits with local priorities and is supported by local partners; such projects are likely to be prioritised. However, projects which are unsuccessful in securing match funding will also be considered. Applications from projects should detail match funding both in terms of direct funding or "in kind" support. Where a project has sought funding from others and been unsuccessful details of approaches made and reasons for refusal should be clearly set out.

23. Projects currently funded under DASDF already have a requirement for 50% match funding. Such projects were also given a clear end-date for Scottish Executive funding of 31 March 2006. We would therefore expect that any DASDF projects applying for further funding should:

• set out clearly steps taken to ensure long term sustainability from other funding sources; and
• demonstrate a level of match funding at or above the level previously secured under DASDF.

24. Similarly, while projects funded under VAWSDF were not required to secure 50% match funding we would expect currently funded projects to set out steps taken to secure alternative local funding.

The Application

25. Applications should be submitted on the Scottish Executive Direct Funding for the Voluntary Sector form. Also attached is the associated guidance and equality monitoring form. Electronic copies can be requested at equality.unit@scotland.gsi.gov.uk and should be marked for the attention of the Violence Against Women Team.

26. Applications should also include a short covering statement (endorsed by senior officers of all the relevant partners) setting out details of which organisations/agencies are directly involved in the application and the role each plays in the delivery of the project, including any financial contribution. Furthermore, any applications for continued funding from the DASDF or VAWSDF should include details of steps taken to ensure sustainability, including copies of letters of explanation from other funding sources detailing why funding has not been sustained.

27. 2 copies of the completed application forms should be sent to Jillian Gilchrist by 25 November 2005. 2 copies should also be sent to the Multi Agency Partnership which covers the area within which the project will be working (Contact details are attached to this guidance). MAPs will be invited to complete an assessment of each application and how it fits with and contributes to local priorities.

28. Applications will be processed by the Executive taking account of the views of MAPs and recommendations for funding submitted to Scottish Ministers thereafter. Decisions will be announced in January 2005.

Evaluation

29. Proposals for evaluating the effectiveness of the proposals will be required as part of the application process. Unnecessarily bureaucratic or expensive exercises are not required. Qualitative information about the main effects of the proposal, its impact on the target group, a report on how successfully the outcomes of the project have been realised and how capacity has been built is required.

30. As set earlier, in tackling domestic abuse and wider violence against women the Scottish Executive works to a gender based analysis of such violence. This is not to minimise the experiences of those affected by any other forms of violence including where men may suffer violence or abuse. However the focus of this fund is on the experiences of women and children. Applications must indicate an acceptance of the National Strategy definition and of the gender-based nature of domestic abuse and wider violence against women.

Applications should be returned, not later than 25 November, to:

Jillian Gilchrist

MULTI-AGENCY PARTNERSHIP CONTACT DETAILS

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