Southwark Council has awarded the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Support Services contract to the Bede House Association, aiming to bolster support for victims of domestic abuse, public space violence, and sexual assault. The service will address public space VAWG, including offenses such as spiking, stalking, and sexual harassment. Victims/Survivors of VAWG crimes can access support through multiple routes including having clear referral processes in place to generate positive initial responses and referrals to appropriate specialist support aligned to identified need/risk.

The contract, approved by the Cabinet on 7 July 2025, will run for an initial four years, commencing on 7 February 2026, with the option to extend for two further terms, potentially reaching a total of 10 years. The first year of the contract is valued at £738,400, with a total cost of £3,209,578 for the initial four-year period, index-linked.

Councillor Natasha Ennin, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Neighbourhoods, highlighted the importance of the service in supporting the Women's Safety Centre and providing comprehensive assistance to victims of various VAWG crimes. The service aims to be accessible to all victims, regardless of the form of violence they have experienced. The service will ensure accessibility and inclusivity for victims from diverse backgrounds by providing accessible services taking into consideration intersectionality disproportionality, communication requirements, multiple or complex needs or any other barriers which may affect a Victim/Survivor of VAWG crimes from accessing appropriate services. Full consideration should be given to accessibility to physical buildings for people with specific Protected Characteristic needs, and or multiple and complex needs. The service will also establish several access modes for equitable service delivery e.g. digital, in person, group, 1:1, including consideration for intersectional needs and protected characteristics.

The Bede House Association will collaborate with the Southwark VAWG Alliance, which includes organisations such as Southwark Law Centre and Citizens Advice Centre, to provide specialist advice and support in areas such as housing, benefits, immigration, and parenting. The service will be delivered by the Bede House Association as the lead partner in conjunction with the Southwark VAWG Alliance. The Southwark VAWG Alliance is a consortium of organizations including Bede House Association, Southwark Law Centre, Citizens Advice Centre, 1 st Place Children and Family Hub, and Knives Not Lives. As the lead partner of the consortium the council contract arrangements will be with Bede House Association only, the other partners will be listed on the contract. The Southwark VAWG Alliance partners will provide specialist advice and support in key areas where we know there to be high demand or where people are going through life stages at higher risk. The Southwark VAWG Alliance partnership will enable better mutual work to support clients experiencing wider VAWG.

The VAWG Support Service aims to provide:

  • Crisis support
  • On-going support
  • Prevention services
  • A perpetrator programme
  • Operation of the Women's Safety Centre

The goal of the perpetrator programme is to stop VAWG crimes, effectively challenge toxic behaviours and mind-sets to reduce the risk of reoffending by engaging Perpetrators to address their behaviours and criminality along with Perpetrator individual needs. The effectiveness will be evaluated through the following Key Result:

  • KR 1: In-house perpetrator programme plan for Years 2-4 is developed. (Target: Creation of plan, End of Year 1)

The council aims to reduce violence against women, children, and young people, strengthening responses and intervening earlier against all forms of VAWG and domestic abuse, as outlined in the Southwark 2030 strategy.

The new service will extend advocacy and support to include victims of public space VAWG, while continuing to provide services for domestic abuse victims. The service provider will deliver services from the Women's Safety Centre, alongside the council's community safety VAWG officers, who will coordinate preventative and community engagement services, as well as perpetrator interventions.

To measure the success of the VAWG Support Services contract, the council will track several Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Key Results (KRs), detailed in the service specification within the Public Reports Pack.

These include:

Prevention and Repeat Victimisation

  • KPI 1: Adult VAWG Prevention and Repeat Victimisation awareness sessions delivered within the borough. (Target: 1 Quarterly)

Safety and Security

  • KPI 2: Non-VAWG referrals/self-referrals are redirected/signposted for alternative support. (Target: 75% Quarterly)
  • KPI 3: Initial triage assessments and required safety/safeguarding actions are completed within 24 hours of initial contact. (Target: 90% Quarterly)

Needs-Led Response

  • KPI 4: Service users report an improved quality of life on exiting the Service. (Target: 90% Quarterly)

Stability, Resilience and Autonomy

  • KPI 5: Service users feel more able to identify the early signs of violence/abuse. (Target: 90% Quarterly)
  • KPI 6: Service users access advocacy and support following initial contact with Service. (Target: 80% Quarterly)
  • KPI 7: Service users report improved understanding of their rights and entitlements and feel in charge of VAWG support related decision making. (Target: 90% Quarterly)

Awareness and Communication

  • KPI 8: VAWG Crime Awareness community outreach events are hosted. (Target: 1 Quarterly)

Coordinated Multiagency Responses

  • KPI 9: VAWG Service update report created and shared with the Authority. (Target: 1 Quarterly)

Development and Innovation

  • KPI 10: Provider staff attend a minimum of 1 industry best practice training session (in new emerging areas when available). (Target: 100% Annual)

Children and Young People

  • KPI 11: CYP accessing internal therapeutic support report increased sense of safety and knowledge of how to keep safe. (Target 70% Quarterly)
  • KPI 12: VAWG Crime Awareness shared events are delivered to educational/youth work professionals in the borough. (Target: 1 Quarterly)

Key Results:

  • KR 1: In-house perpetrator programme plan for Years 2-4 is developed. (Target: Creation of plan, End of Year 1)
  • KR 2: Coproduction (Authority and Provider) of needs-led, multiagency responses to reducing VAWG and DA. (Target: Creation of plan, End of Year 1)
  • KR 3: Codesign public space VAWG critical incident response protocol with the Authority. (Target: Creation of plan, End of Year 1)
  • KR 4: Establishment of several access modes for equitable Service delivery e.g. digital, in person, group, 1:1, including consideration for intersectional needs and protected characteristics (Target: Creation of plan, End of Year 1)
  • KR 5: Coproduction (Authority and Provider) and ongoing delivery of comprehensive VAWG Crime Reduction communication plan. (Target: Creation of plan, Quarter 2)
  • KR 6: Coproduction (Authority/Provider) of new, specialist VAWG crime victim risk assessment tool created and implemented. (Target: 1, Quarter 2 of Year 1)
  • KR 7: Coproduction (Authority/Provider) of new, specialist VAWG crime perpetrator risk assessment tool created and implemented. (Target: 1, Quarter 2 of Year 1)
  • KR 8: VAWG Crime High Risk Panel (structure, membership, Terms of Reference) is established. (Target: Creation of panel, Quarter 3 of Year 1)
  • KR 9: Survivor Voice inclusion strategy and non-exploitative Survivor Engagement Plan is established. (Target: Creation of plan, Quarter 3 of Year 1)