Domestic Abuse Act 2021

57 Support provided by local authorities to victims of domestic abuse

(1) Each relevant local authority in England must—

(a) assess, or make arrangements for the assessment of, the need for accommodation-based support in its area,

(b) prepare and publish a strategy for the provision of such support in its area, and

(c) monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)—

• “accommodation-based support” means support, in relation to domestic abuse, provided to victims of domestic abuse, or their children, who reside in relevant accommodation;

• “relevant accommodation” means accommodation of a description specified by the Secretary of State in regulations.

(3) A relevant local authority that publishes a strategy under this section must, in carrying out its functions, give effect to the strategy.

(4) Before publishing a strategy under this section, a relevant local authority must consult—

(a) the domestic abuse local partnership board appointed by the relevant local authority under section 58,

(b) any local authority for an area within the relevant local authority’s area, and

(c) such other persons as the relevant local authority considers appropriate.

(5) A relevant local authority that publishes a strategy under this section—

(a) must keep the strategy under review,

(b) must keep under review any effect of the strategy on the provision of other local authority support in its area,

(c) may alter or replace the strategy, and

(d) must publish any altered or replacement strategy.

(6) In this section “other local authority support”, in relation to a local authority, means support, in relation to domestic abuse, that—

(a) is provided to victims of domestic abuse or their children, and

(b) is provided or funded by the local authority,

other than accommodation-based support (within the meaning of subsection (2)).

(7) A relevant local authority may request any local authority for an area within the relevant local authority’s area to co-operate with it in any way that the relevant local authority considers necessary for the purposes of its functions under this section.

(8) A local authority must, so far as reasonably practicable, comply with a request made to it under subsection (7).

(9) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision about the preparation and publication of strategies under this section.

(10) The power to make regulations under subsection (9) may, in particular, be exercised to make provision about—

(a) the procedure to be followed by a relevant local authority in preparing a strategy;

(b) matters to which a relevant local authority must have regard in preparing a strategy;

(c) how a relevant local authority must publish a strategy;

(d) the date by which a relevant local authority must first publish a strategy;

(e) the frequency with which a relevant local authority must review its strategy or any effect of the strategy on the provision of other local authority support in its area.

(11) Before making regulations under this section, the Secretary of State must consult—

(a) the Domestic Abuse Commissioner,

(b) relevant local authorities, and

(c) such other persons as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.