a) Councillor Calvert
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains far too high in our society.
In Rushcliffe we are determined to change this.
This Council is a signatory to the Nottinghamshire Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy which has been developed in a multi-agency approach.
This Council will:
· report progress on the implementation of the Action Plan of the Strategy back to the Corporate Overview Group within the 2024/25 municipal year; and
· seek re-accreditation (as an employer) as a White Ribbon UK organisation within the same timeframe.
b) Councillor Chewings
Rushcliffe Borough Council recognises with grave concern the challenging circumstances local authorities have faced as a direct consequence of reductions in council funding from central government since 2010. The Council further acknowledges the issuance of Section 114 notices by Northamptonshire County Council, Croydon Council, Slough Borough Council, Nottingham City Council, Thurrock Council, and Birmingham City Council, alongside warnings from numerous councils regarding their increasingly unsustainable budget shortfalls. In response to these financial pressures, Rushcliffe Borough Council has had to raise taxes and implement budget reductions.
Accordingly, Rushcliffe Borough Council resolves to:
1. Formally communicate with Government to assert the necessity for adequate funding to local councils, ensuring the provision of services to our communities.
2. Advocate for the establishment of multi-year funding settlements, enabling local authorities to effectively plan for the future with greater certainty and stability.
Minutes:
The following notice of motion was proposed by Councillor Calvert and seconded by Councillor Inglis.
“Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains far too high in our society. In Rushcliffe we are determined to change this.
This Council is a signatory to the Nottinghamshire Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy which has been developed in a multi-agency approach.
This Council will:
Councillor Calvert reminded Council that this motion had originally been brought to the meeting on 7 December 2023, and following a lengthy debate, at the suggestion of Councillor Richard Mallender, it had been agreed to take both the motion and amendment away and work cross-party to find a proposal that everyone could support. The minutes of that meeting had detailed that all Councillors were in agreement with the sentiment of the motion but were anxious to get the wording right to ensure that the most effective action could be taken.
Councillor Calvert advised that since then very positive discussions had taken place with Labour Group members, Councillor Inglis and officers, and he was now very pleased to move this new motion, which acknowledged that violence against women and girls remained far too prevalent. The recently published Nottinghamshire Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy and Action Plan, developed by a range of partner organisations set out an ambitious but achievable programme, and it was important that Councillors would have the opportunity to monitor progress of the Action Plan through the Corporate Overview Group. Councillor Calvert stated that it was important that all partner organisations regularly reviewed their internal practices, and with that in mind, the Council would seek reaccreditation as a White Ribbon UK organisation.
In seconding the motion, Councillor Inglis felt that everyone was in agreement, thanked Councillor Calvert and the Labour Group for this positive cross-party working and Councillor Richard Mallender for his pragmatic suggestion. Councillor Inglis referred to the measures Rushcliffe already had in place and its very active role in multi-agency partnerships, and he considered it timely that the VAWG Strategy and Action Plan was being republished. Council was reminded of the campaigns Rushcliffe was involved with, including “Ask for Angela”, the White Ribbon accreditation, the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) and future training for Councillors. Councillor Inglis stated that it should also be recognised that violence was not only directed against women and girls, and not always carried out by men and physical violence was not the only form of abuse.
Councillor Gowland stated that it was vitally important that work was undertaken with young people to make it clear that banter, teasing and harassment should not be normalised and was unacceptable.
Councillor Polenta referred to the problems in society that allowed this to happen and stated that on average one woman was killed by a man every three days in this country. 90% of sexual assault victims were women, with one in seven injured by a partner and in 2021, a UKGOV poll found that 97% of 18-24 year olds said that they had suffered sexual harassment in public. Councillor Polenta advised that women from disadvantaged groups were more likely to suffer abuse and there was therefore a greater need for specialist services and support.
Councillor Sue Mallender stated that it was refreshing that everyone was working together, as it was clear that all Councillors wanted the best for Rushcliffe, and Council was reminded that previous collaborative working had achieved great things before.
Councillor Way agreed with Councillor Inglis that men could also be victims and was concerned that the emphasis in schools might mean boys would not come forward, and hoped that once the motion was passed, future support for those not included in this category would be provided. She went onto recommend J9 training for those interested in learning more.
Councillor Calvert felt like this was the beginning of a very long journey, and he hoped that this time next year, after receiving updates, Councillors would be able to see improvements both in Rushcliffe and across the County.
The Mayor announced that as she had been advised that the Conservative Group would be proposing an amendment to Motion B, she did not think that there would be sufficient time to debate both the motion and the amendment before 10.30pm, so the meeting would move to the questions and bring Councillor Chewings’ motion to the next ordinary meeting.