Adva (against domestic violence and abuse) partnership in Devon
What is adva and what has it achieved in Devon?
Adva is Devon's ‘against domestic violence and abuse’ partnership comprising different agencies across Devon: local authority, district councils, police, probation, education, social care, crown prosecution service, courts service, health services, women's aid services, victim support etc.
Adva has increased the amount of money invested in the provision of specialist domestic violence and abuse support services across the county, from £60,000 in 2002 to £1.8m in 2009. Adva co-ordinates agency policy and planning to ensure comprehensive service provision to victims and their families. Adva also commissions services within the third sector to provide support to: victims (women and men); male perpetrators and children. It manages and delivers a range of multi-agency training programmes within and outside Devon. In addition it campaigns, nationally, regionally and locally, to improve service provision within and between agencies.
Adva is hosted by Devon County Council which permanently funds the adva team. The Local Authority in 2001 recognised the significance of domestic abuse as a crime and demonstrated leadership in the field in its decision to focus on this area of crime reduction. As services have expanded over the years so too has adva's team.
