Issue - meetings

Serious Violence Prevention Strategy

Meeting: 07/09/2022 - Health and Wellbeing Board (Item 7)

7 Serious Violence Prevention Strategy pdf icon PDF 124 KB

A discussion item which seeks the Board’s endorsement of a number of recommendations on the Serious Violence Prevention Strategy.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Jonathon Toy introduced this item which set out the duties for a number of partner agencies under the Police Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 to address the root causes of serious violence. These included requirements for collaboration and for consultation with education authorities and youth offending services in the preparation of a local Serious Violence Strategy.

 

The draft government guidance stated that the specified authorities come together to decide on the appropriate lead and structure of collaboration for their area. The government narrative had been referred to as a “Public Health Approach” to serious violence prevention.  Public Health England, in its publication, “A whole system multi agency approach to violence prevention”, set out three levels of violence prevention. Investment had been aligned to areas with high levels of serious violence. This was not applicable to Warwickshire, even though it was surrounded by areas which did meet the criteria and the County was a net importer of serious violence.

 

It was recognised that prevention was a key aspect. This required a long-term commitment by a range of agencies, individuals and communities. This approach would also support action towards health and wellbeing priorities.

 

Interventions to address serious violence were defined as universal (aimed at a general population); selected (targeted at those more at risk); and indicated (targeted at those who use violence). The Warwickshire Serious Violence Prevention Model was provided as an appendix to the report. It combined these universal and selected interventions, supporting those most impacted by serious violence, whilst creating a climate where serious violence was not tolerated.

 

The strategic priorities were reported, together with the requirements for consultation on the Strategy and the wide engagement undertaken with partner agencies. It had been adopted by the Safer Warwickshire Partnership Board (SWPB), the Education Authority, Youth Justice Service and National Probation Service. The next step was the development of a multi-agency delivery plan.

 

The SWPB would work with key stakeholders to maximise the resources available and influence partner organisations to deliver the Strategy. Detail was provided on the lead group to agree the priorities within the delivery plan and the training requirements for frontline practitioners.

 

In addition to the statutory duty, the Act had introduced serious weapon homicide reviews. For defined qualifying homicides review partners were required to conduct a review into the person’s death. Meeting this requirement was currently being worked through with the West Midlands Violence Reduction Unit.

 

The financial implications were reported. There were revenue implications of a partnership commissioning fund in the region of £100-150,000 per annum for a three-year period. It was expected this would be part-funded by the Home Office and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner had indicated a willingness to provide matched funding. The WCC Community Safety Team would take a lead role and there would be resource implications for all partners in regard to training and establishing the commissioning fund.

 

Questions and comments were submitted, with responses provided as indicated: