A FIVE year plan to tackle domestic abuse and sexual violence throughout Gloucestershire has been agreed this week.

The strategy sets out how, by working together, local organisations can better help people to protect themselves from harm and have healthy relationships. This includes identifying and offering help earlier to victims and families affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence, supporting professionals from all organisations to support victims in coming forward and working together to make best use of resources.

It is a collaboration between Gloucestershire County Council, The Office of Police and Crime Commissioner, Gloucestershire Constabulary, all six district and borough councils and NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group and was approved by Gloucestershire Health and Well Being Board on Tuesday.

Locally more than 22,000 domestic abuse incidents were recorded by the police between April 2010 and September 2013, of which 50 per cent were repeat victims. One third of these incidents had at least one child witnessing the domestic abuse.

Work is already underway on developing education resources and web based services for schools and colleges to promote healthy relationships, establishing a survivors network, bringing more perpetrators to account and providing programmes to change abusive behaviours and improved training on domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Councillor Dorcas Binns, chair of the Health and Well Being Board said: “Protecting victims and supporting them in building brighter futures is an absolute priority for us and we believe strongly that keeping people safe is everyone’s responsibility. This strategy demonstrates how seriously all partners take this issue and how we will work more closely together to make things better for victims and their families.”