This Best Practice Briefing is based on Women’s Resource Centre’s experience of collaborative working with women’s voluntary and community organisations (WCVOs) and commissioners during the implementation of the Tier 1 Duty in London. This Duty, designated by Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act, requires Tier 1 authorities such as the GLA in London, to provide safe accommodation to women and their children fleeing domestic abuse. The Tier 1 Duty includes the production of a needs assessment and a domestic abuse strategy. It also includes a pot of funds for the provision of safe accommodation, for which organisations are invited to tender. WRC received funding from Lloyds Bank Foundation to influence the distribution of funds under the Tier 1 Duty, to ensure that Black and minoritised women’s organisations were successfully receiving the funding they needed.

The purpose of the briefing is for commissioners to use our experience of what worked well in London to produce a good outcome for women and girls.

The briefing includes steps for commissioners to ensure funding reaches across communities and in particular smaller and Black and minoritised women’s organisations.

Read the Briefing