The Council is looking for a competent contractor to deliver independent domestic abuse advocacy to male and female victims of domestic abuse aged 16 or above, who live or work in the borough, regardless of ethnicity, faith, gender, sexuality or disability.

The service includes:

? specialist support to victims of domestic abuse living or working within Tower Hamlets (Service Users). Support will be from experienced, domestic abuse caseworkers, which will include accredited Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs);

? the Council expect domestic abuse caseworkers to work within the SafeLives recommendation limit of 60-80 cases per annum. The exception to this are the Housing IDVA/FS worker, who between them will support only 100 victims per annum;

? the Council do not expect every domestic abuse victim to receive casework support from this Service alone. Alternative support options available locally and/or nationally will be offered to the victim where this Service is at capacity;

? Court support to Tower Hamlets residents who are victims of domestic abuse. Currently the Specialist Domestic Abuse Court (SDAC) runs on Mondays, Tuesday and Thursdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at Stratford Magistrates Court and Thames Magistrates Courts respectively.