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<p>We recognise that some sectors of society can experience multiple forms of discrimination
and disadvantage or additional barriers to accessing support, including women and
girls from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities. The Government’s Ending Violence
Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy includes the commitment to promote understanding
of the needs of BME women who are victims of VAWG and support commissioners to provide
appropriate support.</p><p>VAWG services are mainly commissioned at a local level
as we recognise that Police Crime Commissioners, local authorities and health commissioners
are best placed to identify and meet local needs, including those of BME women and
girls. However, we also recognise the importance of national standards and in December
2016 we published a VAWG National Statement of Expectations (NSE). The NSE sets out
a clear blueprint for local action and is supported by the Commissioning Toolkit to
support good local practice. The NSE states that local areas must put the victim at
the centre, and have sufficient local specialist support provision, including provision
designed specifically to support BME victims, as well as that commissioners should
work with local specialist partners, and map out local women’s support groups, including
those led by and for BME women. This is in keeping with the Public Sector Equality
Duty.</p><p>Over this spending review period, we are providing £100m of dedicated
VAWG funding, inclusive of £17m through the VAWG Service Transformation Fund. The
fund, which runs from April 2017 to March 2020, will support, promote and embed the
best local practice and drive major change across all services so that early intervention
and prevention, not crisis response, is the norm. The Service Transformation Fund
is funding 41 projects, of which over £6m is being provided across 14 projects that
include specific BME provision. In addition, the Home Office has provided £100k to
IMKAAN to help the capability and capacity of BME service providers, and over £2m
has been provided through the Tampon Tax to projects that specifically fund specific
BME focussed provision.</p>
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