Women's aid groups concerned about future funding

Support services for women and children affected by domestic abuse in the Highlands could be under threat if funding changes are made, charities have said.

Highland Council is reviewing contracts for four women's aid organisations - Inverness, Lochaber, Ross-shire and Skye and Caithness and Sutherland.

The council is considering changing to funding just one provider for the whole region and to also make the service available to men.

Inverness Women's Aid said the groups did not have the resources to meet the demands of the new possible arrangement and warned services could shut down.

Chairwoman Eilidh Ross said the majority of victims supported by the four charities were female and most of the abusers were men.

She told BBC Scotland News: "Although we would welcome the provision of domestic abuse services for men it cannot be at the cost of existing services for women, children and young people.

"The council's proposals are to ask for tenders from organisations for a single provider across the whole Highland Council area, and also provide domestic abuse services for men as well as women, children and young people.

"Those two elements are problematic in the sense that the four existing women's aid organisations will not be in a position to tender for those contracts simply because we don't have the reach."

Ms Ross said the organisations could close if the council's plan was implemented.

Highland Council said it was seeking to deliver improved services and a final decision had not been taken.

It said it was seeking to test the market to find out whether a lead provider model was viable, and acknowledged concerns raised by the women's aid groups.