Ministers for Health, Justice, Communities, Education and Finance have also published the Year 6 Action Plan for the seven year Stopping Domestic & Sexual Violence and Abuse in Northern Ireland strategy as well as a progress report for Year 5 (2020/21).
Key actions for the Year 6 Action Plan include:
- Domestic abuse and civil proceedings bill to become operational by end of 2021.
- Continuing to develop the Identification and Referral to Improve Safety (‘IRIS’) training and support programme with general practice;
- Introducing a new Advocacy Support Service for victims of domestic and sexual abuse;
- Bringing forward regulations to enable the introduction of Operation Encompass;
- Establishing an Early Intervention cross departmental working group;
- Commissioning research to consider the extension of the Sanctuary Scheme;
- Preparatory work on developing legislation on Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Orders;
- Introducing Sexual Offences Legal Advisors to provide general legal advice to victims of serious sexual offences;
- Delivering early intervention Domestic Abuse Behavioural Change Programmes regionally;