FOI request (FOIR-402567941)

Respite Rooms Trial Programme

Requested Mon 21 February 2022
Responded Thu 07 April 2022

I am writing to make an open government request for all the information to which I am entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The information I would like concerns the total number of women who have received support across 12 local areas in England under the Respite Rooms Trial Programme, which was launched by MP Eddie Hughes in July 2021.

Specifically, please tell me:

1. The amount of funding provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government/Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to the council to provide Respite Room accommodation over the initial 12 month trial period.

2. How many bed spaces have been created, and the total number of days on which a bed has been provided to a recipient of any gender.

3. The number of women the council has helped since receiving funding for the project, broken down by month, the type of violence the victim had experienced prior to seeking support, the number of days each woman needed to use the accommodation for and the number of women referred for specialist support from charities.

4. Confirmation over whether the pilot project has been extended past 12 months.

Response

Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

1.£310,650

2. 12 across East Sussex, once full mobilised

3. Hastings Borough Council has supported 11 clients in total since the beginning of the project:

November 2021 - 1

December 2021 - 5

January 2022 - 2

February 2022 - 1

March 2022 - 2

Number of days accommodation used for:

November 2021 - 1 x 97 days

December 2021 - 1 x 19 days, 1 x 27 days, 1 x 69 days, 1 x 101 days, 1 x 112 days

January 2022 - 1 x 40 days, 1 x 73 days

February 2022 - 1 x 14 days

March 2022 - 1 x 21 days

Type of violence includes physical, verbal, mental, and so on.

Information not held for referrals to charities.

4. We are not aware that funding by DLUHC will be continued beyond the pilot.