: This month I completed
my Rhondda-specific domestic abuse and violence report and held a
conference last Thursday with partners, statutory and
non-statutory support providers and community members, to discuss
the extent of the problem and how we can achieve fear free
Valleys. In Rhondda, between May 2022 and May 2023, South
Wales Police recorded 2,605 domestic abuse and
violence incidents. This is 674 more incidents than the next
greatest area in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr. In two of our
towns, DAV incidents are reported in 1 in 10 households.
As part of the report, I met with victims who received support
from dedicated professionals at the Safer Rhondda Centre in
Tonypandy, and others who had called the Live Fear Free helpline.
One recommendation that all victims who'd called the fear free
helpline raised with me was the need to signpost to local support
services. Will the First Minister consider this recommendation
and explore the possibility of creating a database of local DAV
support providers for Live Fear Free helpline advisers to
signpost?
: Well, Llywydd, I thank
Buffy Williams very much for that further question and
congratulate her, of course, on the work that she's been doing on
this issue in her community. I know that my colleague spoke at the conference that
Buffy Williams organised last weekend, Llywydd, and the figures
that the Member has set out for us this afternoon are very
sobering indeed.
Now, the Live Fear Free helpline is one of the ways in which we
can help people whose lives are affected by the sort of violence
that Buffy Williams has outlined. I had the opportunity, myself,
some time ago, to visit our call-line centre in Wrexham, in
's constituency, and to see
how calls were responded to, as they came in to the helpline. I
was very struck there by the fact that call handlers were able to
call up on the screen very local sources of help for people. So,
I'll take away the idea that the Member has put to us this
afternoon and make sure that there is a database of local support
services available through the Live Fear Free helpline, so that
it can include an updated version of services available in the
Rhondda Cynon Taf area.
