A Dundee based outreach service for black and ethnic women has been given vital funds from the Health and Social Care Partnership to help survive the year.
Shakti Women’s Aid is a national organisation specialising in supporting black and minority ethnic women and children experiencing domestic abuse.
The charity has provided an outreach service in Dundee for years but has taken a hit, with funding drying up in March.
Reaching out to the Dundee City Health & Social Care Integration Joint Board (IJB), the charity sought £15k to help keep the service afloat.
But during a IJB committee meeting on Wednesday board members were divided, with some questioning if it was within the power of the IJB to allocate public funds to the charity.
Speaking at the meeting Councillor Dorothy McHugh, also an elected board member, raised concerns that it could be a misuse of the health services money.
She said: “If we didn’t have reserves would be be considering this?
“And the answer I think is no.
“The reserves provide a level of comfort for future eventualities and any money from our budget should be allocated according to our strategic plan.”
However, IJB’s chief legal advisor Roger Mennie stressed allocation of funds “would not be a charitable donation” but a contractual relationship between the charity and the health service.
A monitoring process would also be in place to ensure standards are met by the charity in return for the funding.
Funds from the IJB would help Shakti Women’s Aid sustain the outreach service for at least a year while the charity looks for more long-term financial support.
‘We cannot divorce the morality of this’
Other members highlighted the loss of the charity in the city could have a domino effect, leading to social services for minority communities in Dundee becoming strained.
Diane McCulloch, chief social work officer during the meeting, said: “I think if we don’t support this organisation to get through the next period we’re looking at an issue in the city.
“It will put additional pressures onto our services in terms of our public protection processes and resources.
“I think we need to look at it not just as a worthy organisation but an organisation that is supporting some of our key processes.”
Other members made impassioned pleas on the moral obligation of allocating the funding.
Councillor Siobhan Tolland and elected member of the IJB added: “We cannot divorce the morality of this from the procedure.
“What we are actually talking about here is trying to prevent an absolutely essential service for marginalised abused woman from fragmenting.”
The application for the funds was approved with all 6 voting board members in favour of the proposal at a Dundee city health and social care integration joint board meeting on Wednesday.
