The number of women and children accessing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) specialist services for domestic abuse has increased, according to fresh reports.
A document being presented to members of the West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) on Tuesday, January 27 highlights that the total number of women and children who asked for help rose by 7.59% to 1729 during 2024/25.
Domestic abuse is one of the main causes for women presenting as homeless and on average 47.8% of children on the child risk register were registered under the Domestic Abuse heading in 2024/25.
VAWG continues to be a prevalent issue in West Dunbartonshire with the latest data also showing West Dunbartonshire as the second local authority in Scotland with the most incidents of domestic abuse per 10,000 population – 153.
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A multiagency, made up of the HSCP NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and Specialist VAWG Third Sector Organisations, continues to work to raise awareness on the issue.
One example was the development of two prevention videos whose target audience are taxi and private hire drivers, with the aim of raising awareness of domestic abuse and spiking and their signs, giving practical steps to follow in case they have concerns for a passenger.
This initiative was developed after women with lived experience reached out to the L Division in Police Scotland in relation to a series of cases of VAWG that occurred a few years back in the local area.
A report being presented to members of the HSCP further states: “The lack of sustainable funding for VAWG impacts the time and capacity that partners can dedicate to this area of work, as well as impacts the services received by women and children that are experiencing or have experienced any form of VAWG, as these are over stretched, trying to cope with the high demand for support.
“Because this is not a statutory area of Public Protection, there is an impact on the level of resourcing that is dedicated to preventing and eradicating VAWG. It is important to highlight that as a cross-cutting issue, adequate funding and resourcing for VAWG can have a positive and significant impact in all areas of Public Protection.”
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