Domestic abuse charity to lose refuge centre contract

A charity which runs Swindon's women's refuge has lost its contract after 12 years, when the council awarded the job to a national charity.

Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service (SDASS), known as Swindon Women's Aid (SWA) has managed the refuge on behalf of Swindon Borough Council since 2012, but the authority has decided to award the contract to national charity, You Trust, through a tendering process.

Nicky Alberry, chair of SWA, said the organisation is "extremely disappointed" with the council's decision, and believes the tendering process to be "flawed".

Swindon Borough Council leader Jim Robbins said: "We've gone through a process, it was a really fair legal process and someone else has won and we're looking forward to working with them."

Mr Robbins added: "This new organisation has really impressed with the work they've put in, it was a really close decision."

SDASS said the decision will result in the loss of its current integrated support service in the town from October.

Mrs Alberry said: "Our commitment remains, as it has been for the past 50 years, to the victims of domestic abuse across Swindon."

The charity was set up in Old Town in 1974 to offer free and confidential support to those impacted by domestic violence.

It currently operates a secure refuge in Swindon, with 22 individual flats which can accommodate lone females or mothers with children.

The refuge has a dedicated team of trained staff, while elsewhere in the community, a network of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVA) work with victims to provide support.

Focus on the future

Mrs Alberry said: “We wholeheartedly recognise the need for a competitive tendering process to ensure the people of Swindon receive the best service.

"However, we have raised concerns over the transparency and robustness of the process we have taken part in, that have not been allayed.

“Our focus is now on looking towards the future, and supporting our fantastic staff and families in the refuge and the community to transition to the new provider."

Mrs Alberry added that thanks to funding secured outside of the council contract, the charity is in a "good position for the future" and would not need to close.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wiltshire, councillor Nick Gardiner, shadow cabinet member for corporate and environment services said: "Local charities that have been delivering solid service and support to communities are just not getting the same level of consideration potentially, that is our concern.

"We'll be putting it to Swindon Borough Council to ensure that where possible organisations like SDAS can continue to be able to provide the service they have."