New four-year plan agreed to strengthen domestic abuse support across Devon

• Community, Public Health

A new four-year strategy to improve support for victims and survivors of domestic abuse living in safe accommodation has been approved by Devon County Council's Cabinet.

The Domestic Abuse Support in Safe Accommodation Strategic Plan 2026-2030 sets out how the council will meet its statutory duties under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, while responding to rising demand and increasingly complex needs across the county.

The plan builds on learning from the current strategy and focuses on ensuring victims and their children can access high-quality, trauma-informed support in safe and suitable accommodation to help them rebuild their lives.

Key priorities include the phased growth of supported safe accommodation, such as refuge, dispersed and specialist units, alongside a strengthened "Staying Safe at Home" sanctuary offer for those who choose to remain in their own homes.

The strategy also commits to improved therapeutic support for both adults and children, better pathways for people facing additional barriers - including those with no recourse to public funds - and closer partnership working with district councils and housing providers.

The safe accommodation plan sits alongside, and as an integral part of, Devon's wider partnership Interpersonal and Gender-Based Violence and Abuse Strategy - Safe Lives, Strong Communities 2026-29, which brings public services, voluntary organisations and community partners together to deliver a coordinated, whole-system response to abuse across the county.

Delivery of the plan will be supported through the commissioned Devon Domestic Abuse Alliance service, which has been in place since April 2025. The strategy will be funded through existing Domestic Abuse Act resources and aligned budgets.

The strategy will now be published and implemented, with progress monitored through partnership governance and regular reviews.

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