To ask the Minister of Health whether his Department will take forward the action arising from the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy 2023-2030 in relation to the appointment of a Non-Executive Director on each Health and Social Care Trust Board for tackling and preventing domestic and sexual abuse and violence against women and girls.

My Department, along with the Department of Justice, published the new Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy 2024 – 2031, Performance Framework and multi-year Action Plan on 25 September 2024.

The Strategy is built around 5 pillars: Partnership; Prevention; Children and Young People; Support and Provision and Justice. A key priority area under the Prevention pillar is “Building capacity among people working in frontline and public-facing roles to identify and respond effectively to domestic and/or sexual abuse, including in relation to children and young people, at the earliest opportunity.”

My Department will work with the Health and Social Care Trusts to identify opportunities to ensure that staff are adequately trained to recognise and respond to domestic and sexual abuse. As part of that work, we intend exploring the possible appointment of a Non-Executive Director to each Health and Social Care Board for tackling and preventing domestic and sexual abuse and violence against women and girls.