A women’s charity in East London declared victory today after the prospect of redundancies was withdrawn.
Tower Hamlets Council confirmed there will be no job losses for the Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) team at Solace Women’s Aid in Tower Hamlets (SASS).
The Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, Cllr Abu Talha Chowdhury, said: “Although this is Solace’s funding shortfall, we have stepped in to secure the necessary funding, primarily from external grants, to ensure Solace did not proceed with its redundancy proposals.
“Tackling the scourge of domestic abuse is a priority for the Mayor and the Cabinet.”
The council increased Solace’s core funding by over £200,000 as part of its 2024-2026 contract and further invested in domestic abuse support, education, and awareness initiatives in the borough.
SASS workers were first informed of the 33% redundancy threat by Solace’s management in January. United Voices of the World (UVW) members in the SASS team voted to go on indefinite strike action, which would have been the first in the history of Solace or any domestic abuse charity.
Strike action and the redundancy process were paused on 12 February, and the UVW members built a high-profile campaign that led to talks with Solace, the union and Tower Hamlets council.
UVW Assistant General Secretary, Isabel Cortès, said: “Our amazing members stood firm and proved once again that when organised workers and communities come together, we can stop cuts and protect the services we all rely on, services which must be properly and publicly funded.”
An IDVA from the SASS team, Tamara, said: “We were shocked to hear that they would cut one-third of the team because we are the main domestic abuse provider in Tower Hamlets.”
Tower Hamlets borough has the second-highest level of domestic abuse cases in London, with 70% of cases being women, according to UVW.
IDVAs empower survivors to rebuild their lives by providing emotional support, safety planning, risk assessments and advocacy with police, social services and housing.
When Tamara and her team were first informed of the redundancy threats, they contacted United Voices of the World and became union members.
She said their reason for unionisation was for the victims they risked having to turn away and the life-saving service quality that would fall if redundancy went ahead.
Tamara said: “You’re already fighting for people, and now on top of that, you have to fight for yourself. It’s just impossible.”
It is recommended that an IDVA holds a caseload of no more than 100–120 cases per year, around 25 active cases at any one time, depending on the complexity and intensity of support required, according to SafeLives Insights data.
The SASS workers already receive a high number of referrals, so cutting the team by a third would have created an unhealthy work environment for the remaining members.
An estimated two million women in England and Wales are victims of violence against women and girls every year, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Labour’s 2024 manifesto pledged that they would “halve violence against women and girls in a decade” by using “every government tool available to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence.”
A Tower Hamlets Council spokesperson said: “Our priority is to ensure the most effective service for our residents to make sure that anyone affected by domestic abuse receives the support they need, without disruption.”
Tamara added: “The goal is that, at some point, our jobs will not be needed.”
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