Support services for women and children affected by domestic abuse across the Inverness and South Highland area will be strengthened through a new, long-term partnership arrangement.
Following a competitive tender exercise, The Highland Council has confirmed the contract for female domestic abuse outreach services in the area has been awarded to Inverness, Badenoch and Strathspey Citizens Advise Bureau (CAB), who will join partners as part of a Highland-wide Domestic Abuse Service (HDAS) from 1 July.
HDAS brings together specialist organisations and expertise to provide outreach support for all victim-survivors, irrespective of sex or gender. Partners include:
- Caithness and Sutherland Women’s Aid
- Ross-shire Women’s Aid
- Lochaber Women’s Aid
- Inverness, Badenoch and Strathspey Citizens Advise Bureau
- Victim Support Scotland
The new grant funding model associated with HDAS provides greater long-term stability for services, with partners providing services to female victim-survivors receiving funding certainty for up to five years. The model also supports the organisations to apply for match funding from other sources. The funding for non-female victim-survivors is provided through separate partnership funding
Cllr David Fraser, Chair of the Council’s Health and Social Work Committee, said: “Our Highland-wide Domestic Abuse Service will strengthen support for all victim-survivors across Highland through a more joined-up and collaborative approach. By working together, and alongside other agencies supporting those affected by domestic abuse, HDAS partners will be able to share expertise and connect people to the right support more quickly. I hope this gives victim-survivors confidence about the future of domestic abuse services across the Highlands.”
Agreements remain in place for the provision of refuge accommodation by Inverness Women’s Aid (Inverness) and Ross-shire Women’s Aid (Dingwall and Skye).
A review of refuge services is underway, and existing arrangements will remain in place for the duration of the review. Funding will remain in place throughout this period.
Cllr Fraser added: “Refuge accommodation is a vital emergency lifeline and the Council remains fully committed to providing funding for dedicated refuge accommodation for women and children in Highland.”
Notes to Editors:
Domestic abuse outreach services
- Caithness and Sutherland Women’s Aid, Ross-shire Women’s Aid, and Lochaber Women’s Aid joined HDAS on 1 April 2026 to deliver domestic abuse support to women and children for North Highland, Mid Highland and West Highland, respectively.
- Victim Support Scotland joined HDAS on 1 April 2026 to deliver domestic abuse support to all men, trans women and men, and non-binary people for Highland.
- A procurement exercise to confirm a service provider for women and children in Inverness South has been ongoing since the beginning of April 2026, after an initial exercise failed to secure a provider. The current exercise concluded on Thursday 11 June with the appointment of Inverness, Badenoch and Strathspey CAB.
- Inverness Women’s Aid did not submit a tender application for the Inverness South contract.
- All council contracts are issued using a standard model contract, ensuring consistency and compliance across services.
- The Council has benchmarked how much it spends on domestic abuse outreach services against other local authorities, while considering the service needs across all of Highland and the unique challenges of delivering a service in rural communities.
Refuge accommodation
- Contracts for refuge accommodation remain in place with Inverness Women’s Aid (Inverness) and Ross-shire Women’s Aid (Dingwall and Skye)until 30 September 2026, while a review of refuge services is carried out. The review is focussed on improving services and there is no savings target attached to this. Current contracts for refuge services will remain in place, with associated funding, until the conclusion of the review. This has been communicated to providers. A report will be presented for elected members’ consideration in September 2026, which will include a full impact assessment of any options being proposed. Should there be a decision to change provision in any way, a full notice period will be provided before any change takes place.
Non-contracted discretionary funding
- Discretionary funding for Women’s Aid organisations to access Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) services is currently under review. The Council remains firmly committed to multi-agency risk assessment and safeguarding and is working in partnership with the Violence Against Women Partnership to carry out this review. Current funding continues while the wider review of delivery models is completed.