Domestic abuse victims and their children will be able to receive more support thanks to extra Government funding.

Councils in the Thames Valley including Oxford will receive £4,328,950 to help fund a new duty to ensure victims and their children are able to access life-saving support in safe accommodation.

The extra money will help victims and their children access life-saving support in safe accommodation, including advocacy, counselling, and therapy in safe locations such as refuges or specialist safe accommodation, where victims and their children can go to get away from their abusers.

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This funding is part of a wider package of support for victims of rape and domestic abuse, with a £40 million funding boost for victim support services announced on February 1, 2021, in addition to the £76 million pledged in May 2020 to ensure vital services including refuges, helplines and counselling remain accessible throughout the pandemic.

In January 2021, the Conservative Government also launched the ‘Ask for ANI’ codeword scheme, which provides victims of domestic abuse access to immediate help from the police or other support services from their local pharmacy. The Government is working closely with councils, charities and other partners to ensure vulnerable people get the support they need.

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