As someone who has campaigned for years to make sure we deal more effectively with domestic abuse and its consequences, Claire's Law, which allows people the right to information about their domestic partner, was a major step forward. Whilst I am pleased that Wiltshire Police are being open, forthright, and honest about the failures relating to Clare’s Law locally, the latest revelations that there were three further complaints, two of which were related to people who might be at risk, are deeply concerning.
I am in direct contact with Wiltshire Police and note that the force now has thirty-six people working on the files, which were generated over eight years, to reach as swift a conclusion as possible and to alert people who might be at risk as soon as possible. I will continue to liaise with the Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner to make sure that this important work is done as quickly and as safely as possible, and that those responsible are held accountable for a most serious failure that puts people at risk.
I am glad that thanks to a government grant of £100,000 from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Changing Places toilets fund, two new accessible toilets have now opened at Coate Water and Lydiard Park. These larger accessible toilets with equipment such as hoists, privacy screens, large changing benches, peninsula toilets, and space for carers, will mean that everyone will be able to enjoy both of these parks here in Swindon. Government funding has also been used here in Swindon to provide similar facilities at Swindon Designer Outlet, which is in the process of being delivered.
You may have read in my previous columns that as part of my ongoing work to close the employment gap for autistic people and those with other neurodivergent needs, I was pleased to announce back in April, to mark World Autism Day, that I had been appointed by the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to lead a new Autism Employment Review.
Autistic people have particularly low employment rates – with fewer than three in ten in work. The Buckland Review of Autism Employment, supported by the charity Autistica, and the Department for Work and Pensions, is aiming to change that. I have been busy gathering evidence for the review to consider issues including how employers better support autistic staff already in their workforce, what more could be done to prepare autistic people for beginning or returning to a career and working practices of initiatives to reduce stigma. This week, as part of my review, I have a meeting in Westminster to further discuss current research into the impact of sensory related accessibility and what local, national, and global companies can do to improve workspaces for employees with autism.
Finally, my Charity of the week is Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse, an excellent national charity based here in Swindon that supports families and friends who have lost a loved one through fatal domestic abuse. Founded in 2008, AAFDA also offers training, information, guidance, and advice to professionals involved in cases of fatal domestic abuse.
Since becoming MP back in 2010, I have worked closely with AAFDA, who have provided emotional, practical, expert and specialist peer support to many families and professionals following fatal domestic abuse, both locally and nationally. You can find out more about AAFDA on their website here https://aafda.org.uk/
