Equally Safe Strategy (ESS) and Victim Centred Approach (VCA) funding: FOI release

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.


Information requested

Information on the total and annual funding awarded since the Equally Safe strategy was established in 2014, as well as information on the total funding awarded through the Victim Centred Approach Fund since 2022, broken down by year and recipient organisation.

Response

The answer to your questions is included below.

1. How much total funding has the Equally Safe Strategy been awarded since it was established?

Most of the information you have requested is available on the Scottish Government website www.gov.scot. Where this is the case, links to information about funding to support the Equally Safe strategy have been provided.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed you can contact us to request paper copies.

In June 2014, the Scottish Government and COSLA launched Equally Safe: Scotland’s strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls.

From 2015 to 2016, funding was allocated to organisations for projects to combat violence against women and girls, and information about this funding is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/vaw-funding-15-16/.

From 2016 to 2017, funding was allocated to organisations for projects to combat violence against women and girls, and information about this funding is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/equality-funding-2016-17-violence-women-and-girls-fund/.

From 2017 to 2021, funding was allocated to organisations working towards the outcomes in our Equally Safe strategy through the Equally Safe Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) fund. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the grant funding period due to end in June 2020 was extended to September 2021 and covered 15 months. Information about the Equally Safe VAWG Fund allocations from 2017 to 2021 is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/vawg-fund-2017-2020/.

From 2017 to 2021, the Rape Crisis Specific Fund ensured that local rape crisis could continue providing direct support to women who have experienced sexual violence. Due to the COVID19 pandemic, the grant funding period due to end in June 2020 was extended to September 2021 and covered 15 months. Information about the Rape Crisis Specific Fund allocations from 2017 to 2021 is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/rape-crisis-specific-fund-2017-2020/.

​​​​​​​The Delivering Equally Safe (DES) fund was established in 2021 to support the work of the Equally Safe strategy. The DES fund is managed by Inspiring Scotland and currently supports 109 organisations delivering 120 projects that focus on early intervention, prevention as well as support services throughout every local authority in Scotland. In December 2024, a funding extension to DES was confirmed as part of the Scottish Government’s Budget for 2025-26. Information about the DES Fund allocations from 2021 to 2023 is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/delivering-equally- safe-fund-projects-funded/.

Total DES Funding

Amount

Year 1 Jul 2021 - Mar 2023 (18 months)

£28,550,387.41

Year 2 Apr 2023 - Mar 2024

£19,265,104.18

Year 3 Apr 2024 - Mar 2025

£19,184,980.01

Total 3.5 years

£67,000,471.60

2. How much annual funding has the Equally Safe Strategy been awarded since it was established (please can you break this down by year)?

Information about annual funding to support the Equally Safe strategy is provided in the answer to Question 1.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed you can contact us to request paper copies.

3. How much funding has been provided to the Victim Centred Approach Fund since 2022?

In March 2022, the Scottish Government announced that 23 organisations would benefit from £48 million in grant funding over the next three years (i.e. to March 2025) through the Victim Centred Approach Fund. In reality, and due to the demand-led and statutory nature of some of the services, the actual costs incurred have been significantly higher. By March 2024, for two years of funding, £36 million have been awarded, demonstrating that 75% of the initial allocation has been spent in the first two thirds of the funding period.

4. In terms of the total funding provided to the Victim Centred Approach Fund since 2022, could you break down by year, organisation and amount per year?

The answer to your question is included in the table below.

Organisation

3 year initial allocation

Budget per annum

Actual spend reported to end- March 2024 (for 2 years)

Glasgow City Council (TARA service)

£1,866,000

£622,000

£1,126,149

Migrant Help

£4,485,000

£2,895,000

£7,679,757

Victim Support Scotland

£18,173,085

£6,087,695

£12,215,390

Glasgow City Council - ASSIST

£9,201,792

£3,067,264

£5,986,763

Rape Crisis Scotland

£6,053,616

£2,017,872

£4,019,377

Safe Lives

£510,000

£170,000

£340,000

Western Isles Women’s Aid

£190,695

£63,565

£108,942

Angus Women’s Aid

£479,550

£159,850

£101,994

Brake

£537,000

£179,000

£357,899

Abused Men in Scotland

£225,045

£75,016

£148,059

Action Against Stalking

£495,000

£165,000

£281,378

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (The Anchor)

£817,000

£265,000

£483,744

Justice and Care

£480,000

£160,000

£293,597

JustRight Scotland

£130,887

£43,629

£87,849

Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland

£329,673

£109,891

£219,771

West of Scotland Regional Equality Council

£207,156

£69,052

£138,050

Central Advocacy Partners

£166,965

£55,688

£111,376

The Manda Centre

£412,326

£137,442

£274,882

Kibble Education and Care Centre

£504,771

£168,257

£279,985

PETAL

£750,000

£250,000

£500,000

Edinburgh Women’s Aid

£477,150

£159,050

£318,100

Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership

£1,403,718

£467,906

£900,920

Fife Women’s Aid

£130,644

£43,548

£76,914

VCAF totals

£48,027,073

£17,431,725

£36,050,896

5. Does the Scottish Government anticipate that by 2025 £48 million will have been allocated through the Victim Centred Approach Fund?

Yes, please see the answers to Questions 3 and 4. By March 2025, more than the £48 million initially announced will have been allocated through the Victim Centred Approach Fund.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

Contact

Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000

The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

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