Purpose

Proposed
decision:
 
1. APPROVE
extension of the framework arrangements set out in the report for
ongoing management of the DA Act Funding 2025-27.
 
2. AGREE
extension of the KIDAS contract and additional services up until
March 2027 (12 months), permissible by PCR 2015 72(1)(b) and to
continue to utilise this contract to support delivery of the
requirements of the Act until the end of the contractual
term.
 
3. CONFIRM the
arrangements put in place via Officer Decision OD-23-0002, taken
under delegated authority by the Chief Executive, arising from Key
Decision 22/00040, to delegate acceptance of any future monies to
the Corporate Director of Finance, providing funding is given on
similar terms and to enter into relevant agreements with Government
as required to accept the funding (2025-2026)
 
4. DELEGATE
acceptance of any future monies (2026 onwards) to the Corporate
Director of Finance, providing funding is given on similar terms
and to enter into relevant agreements with Government as required
to accept the funding. 
 
5. DELEGATE
authority to the Corporate Director Adult Social Care and Health
to, in consultation with the Leader, Corporate Director for Finance
and Corporate Director for Children, Young People and Education,
revise and amend the arrangement set out in the framework details,
subject to the scope of the terms and conditions of the grant
funding. 
 
6. DELEGATE
authority to the Corporate Director Adult Social Care and Health,
in consultation with the Corporate Director for Children, Young
People and Education where applicable depending on affected
portfolios, to administer any further DA Act grant monies under the
funding / governance framework put in place by this decision,
including the determination of Officer Decisions to progress
activity via the framework. 
 
7. DELEGATE authority to
the Corporate Director Adult Social Care and Health, in
consultation with the Chief Executive to take other necessary
actions, including but not limited to entering into contracts or
other legal agreements, as required to implement this
decision.
 
Reason for the decision
Kent County Council
will receive £4,031,222.00 for 2025-26 in Domestic Abuse Duty
Safe Accommodation grant funding via the core settlement. The
‘Domestic Abuse Framework’ approved under Key decision
23/00060 is required to be extended from 2025-27, as detailed in
this paper, to support in determining activity and
spend.
 
The Kent Integrated
Domestic Abuse Service (KIDAS) is due to end in March 2026. This
contract underpins the Councils response to the Domestic Abuse Act
and includes delivery of statutory safe accommodation support
services for adult survivors, funded by the Domestic Abuse Duty
Safe Accommodation grant, in line with the Framework.
 
Financial
uncertainties are impeding recommissioning activity for a new
contract post March 2026. Legal advice has confirmed there is the
opportunity to extend the existing contractual arrangements and
postpone recommissioning activities. This will ensure the council
continues to meet its statutory duties under the Act and support
delivery under the framework.

 
Background – Provide brief additional context
Kent County Council
(KCC) has a statutory responsibility under Part 4 of the Domestic
Abuse (DA) Act 2021 to;

·  
assess, or make arrangements for the assessment of,
the need for “accommodation-based support” in its
area,

·  
prepare and publish a strategy for the provision of
such support in its area,

·  
monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the
strategy.
(“Accommodation-based support” means support, in
relation to domestic abuse, provided to victims of domestic abuse,
or their children, who reside in relevant accommodation as defined
by the Secretary of State which includes refuges, Sanctuary
Schemes, move-on and dispersed accommodation.)
 
Since 2021, new Grant
Funding has been awarded to support implementation of these duties.
Key decision 23/00060 sets out previous parameters for the
management of the DA Act funding 2023-2025 (‘Domestic Abuse
Framework’)
 
Further funding of
£4,031,222.00 for 2025/26 has been confirmed by the Ministry
of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MGCLG).  This decision seeks to extend these arrangements
to determine spend of Domestic Abuse Duty Safe Accommodation grant
funding, and support decision making across 2025-27. 

Domestic Abuse
Framework

Under this Framework all expenditure
of DA Act funding must be in line with budget forecasting and
adhere to the MHCLG Guidance and Memorandum of Understanding terms.
Additionally, proposals for spend must meet oneof the following
criteria:
 

A.  
Will support the council in conducting its statutory
functions under the DA Act which include assessing need,
preparation, publication, monitoring and delivery of strategies,
commissioning activity and mandatory reporting back to central
Government.

B.  
Will improve, develop, or maintain specialist
support to people who have experienced domestic abuse (adults and
children) residing in ‘safe accommodation’, as defined
by the DA Act, (this includes Refuge accommodation, Specialist Safe
accommodation, Dispersed accommodation, Sanctuary Schemes and
Second stage accommodation) to meet gaps identified through the
needs assessment.

 
Examples of projects that would meet the criteria
include.

·        
Engagement project to develop and maintain
engagement with people who have experienced domestic
abuse.

·        
Development of new services to reduce barriers
within existing support offers to underserved
groups.
Activity for 2025-27 has been planned in line with this
Framework criteria
 
Kent
Integrated Domestic Abuse Service (KIDAS)
KIDAS delivers support
to adults (16+) both in accommodation such as refuge and within the
community. This contract is partnership funded and includes
additional services to increase the service offer and meet new
statutory duties under the Act. It is due to end in March 2026.
This decision seeks to extend the length of this contract until 31
March 2027 to enable it to continue to be used to support the
Domestic Abuse Framework and support the Council in continuing to
meet its statutory duties.
 
Options (other options considered but discarded)
Domestic Abuse Framework
The option for
handling all DA Act funding activity on an individual basis, with
certain projects managed at operational level and others
progressing via the Key Decision process as and when required was
considered.  That option would not
enable the council to respond quickly and flexibly to changing
demand and need or provide a clear strategic plan for delivering
against the DA Grant requirements.
 
Extension of KIDAS contract

·  
The option to allow the KIDAS contract to come to an
end from 31 March 2026 was considered and rejected as this would
result in the Council not meeting its statutory duties under the DA
Act 2021.

·  
The option to recommission a new domestic abuse
service, to commence 1 April 2026 was considered and rejected as to
run a procurement, mobilise and then de-mobilise a new contractor
would be very cost and resource heavy especially as the new
contractor will only deliver the services for a short period of
time (one year) due to the lack of longer term Domestic Abuse Duty
Safe Accommodation grant allocation.
 
How the proposed decision supports the

Framing Kent's Future - Our Council
Strategy 2022-2026
The KIDAS contract is
an integrated service and aims to improve health and care outcomes.
The DA Act funding furthers collaboration with our partners and
delivery against shared priorities within the Kent and Medway DA
Strategy 2024-29. This decision therefore supports the
Council’s strategic priorities in Framing Kent’s Future
– Our Council Strategy. 
 
How the
proposed decision supports Securing Kent’s Future 2022
-2026: Securing Kents Future
- Budget Recovery Strategy
The Domestic Abuse
Framework supports the council to utilise separate Grant funding to
deliver its statutory duties. This activity has a focus on
delivering preventative interventions to reduce further needs
developing and people presenting with multiple complex needs and
requiring further interventions from ASCH. The extension of the
KIDAS contract supports Securing Kents Future and prioritises best
value as to run a procurement, mobilise and then de-mobilise would
be very cost and resource heavy and would achieve the same results
as contract extension.
 

Financial Implications

Domestic Abuse Framework
The
cost of implementing the Domestic Abuse Framework across 2025-27
will be met in full by DA Act Grant funding, including unspent
grant funding from previous years (held in reserves). A draft
budget forecast for 2025-26 indicates that expenditure will be
£4,451,727.48. Regular financial monitoring reports will be
produced and shared with the Corporate Director of Finance and
Corporate Director of Adult Social Care.
 
MHCLG
have advised that future allocations post 2026 will be consolidated
within the core financial settlement and that a Memorandum of
Understanding will accompany this.   It is proposed that acceptance of future
monies, providing it is given on similar terms, is delegated to the
Corporate Director of Finance. Future activity planned in line with
the Framework will be reviewed once the allocation post April 2026
is announced.

Extension of KIDAS contract
The
cost to KCC to extend the KIDAS contract from 1 April 2026, is
£2,899,332.46 per year, and will be met in full by the KIDAS
funding partners and the Councils Domestic Abuse Duty Safe
Accommodation grant, broken down as follows;
           

Funding Partner

2026-27 contribution

KCC

£2,504,327.41

External funding partners (including the Office of the Police and crime Commissioner, Kent
Fire and Rescue and Districts)

£395,005.05

Total

£2,899,332.46

 
Additional services, may be levied into this contract throughout
the extension period, to increase the service offer and support the
delivery of the Domestic Abuse Framework. These will be funded in
full by external grants and in accordance with PCR
regulations.
 
Legal
Implications  
The Local Authority
has a statutory obligation to meet the duties set out in the
Domestic Abuse Act 2021, including to provide support for people
who have experienced domestic abuse residing in what is defined as
‘safe accommodation’. Continuing to implement the
Framework and extending the KIDAS contractual term, will support
the delivery of activity across 2025-27 and the council in meeting
its statutory duties.
 
Specific legal
implications for operational or funding allocation activity will be
considered through the delegated decision-making as
normal.
 
In line with legal
advice, the modification of the KIDAS contract length is
permissible through the application of Regulation 72(1)(b) of the
Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR15)
           
 

Decision

As Leader, I agree to:

APPROVE extension of the
framework arrangements set out in the report for ongoing management
of the DA Act Funding 2025-27.
AGREE extension of the KIDAS
contract and additional services up until March 2027 (12 months),
permissible by PCR 2015 72(1)(b) and to continue to utilise this
contract to support delivery of the requirements of the Act until
the end of the contractual term.
CONFIRM the arrangements put
in place via Officer Decision OD-23-0002, taken under delegated
authority by the Chief Executive, arising from Key Decision
22/00040, to delegate acceptance of any future monies to the
Corporate Director of Finance, providing funding is given on
similar terms and to enter into relevant agreements with Government
as required to accept the funding (2025-2026)
DELEGATE acceptance of any
future monies (2026 onwards) to the Corporate Director of Finance,
providing funding is given on similar terms and to enter into
relevant agreements with Government as required to accept the
funding. 
DELEGATE authority to the
Corporate Director Adult Social Care and Health to, in consultation
with the Leader, Corporate Director for Finance and Corporate
Director for Children, Young People and Education, revise and amend
the arrangement set out in the framework details, subject to the
scope of the terms and conditions of the grant funding. 
DELEGATE authority to the
Corporate Director Adult Social Care and Health, in consultation
with the Corporate Director for Children, Young People and
Education where applicable depending on affected portfolios, to
administer any further DA Act grant monies under the funding /
governance framework put in place by this decision, including the
determination of Officer Decisions to progress activity via the
framework. 

DELEGATE authority to the Corporate
Director Adult Social Care and Health, in consultation with the
Chief Executive to take other necessary actions, including but not
limited to entering into contracts or other legal agreements, as
required to implement this decision.