Serious violence

Understanding serious violence

Our definition of serious violence is guided by the London Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) definition of violence. The legislation provides that, for the purposes of the Serious Violence Duty, serious violence includes domestic abuse, sexual offences, violence against property and threats of violence but does not include terrorism. 
 
Our agreed definition of serious violence is: 

Any violence including domestic abuse, sexual violence, knife enabled crime and gun enabled crime. Within the context of these types of violence, it encompasses homicide, grievous bodily harm, actual bodily harm, rape, assault by penetration, sexual assault, personal robbery, threats to kill and violence against property caused during the commission of one of these offences. With a specific focus on violence and exploitation affecting young people under the age of 25. 

(Domestic Abuse Act 2021)

The reason that we decided to include all ages within the borough definition is because our data supports that serious harm and violence affects all ages within the borough.

Serious Violence Duty

On 31 January 2023 the Serious Violence Duty commenced under the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (PCSCA 2022). This includes statutory requirements in relation to the response to and prevention of serious violence.

The Duty emphasises the importance of understanding the drivers and impacts of serious violence, and a focus on prevention and early intervention.

It was introduced in the context of an increase in violence over the last decade and the impacts this has on victims and their families.

Duty holders include:

• Local authorities
• Metropolitan Police
• Youth Offending Teams
• Integrated Care System
• Probation
• London Fire Brigade

Due to the national focus, the London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) is leading on the coordination and delivery of the duty across the 32 London boroughs. The VRU have outlined the statutory actions needed to meet the requirements of the Duty. These statutory actions include the creation of the Violence Strategic Needs Assessment and the Violence Strategic Delivery Plan. 
 
Statutory actions must be reported on and submitted to the VRU by 31 January 2024. 

Serious Violence Needs Assessment 

The Violence Strategic Needs Assessment includes analysis of data from various sources.

Most of the results from the data and analysis do not tell us anything new which is positive as we already have work in place targeted in the areas or times of day. 

Partners who have engaged with the needs assessment:

• Metropolitan Police
• Childrens Services 
• Adult Social Care 
• Public Health England - Substance Misuse
• Probation Services
• London Ambulance Service 
• Accident & Emergency
• British Transport Police 

The full Violence Strategic Needs Assessment will not be published on our website due to the amount of sensitive data it contains. However, the needs assessment has contributed to the Violence Reduction Action Plan and will be used to direct future funding and resources over the next year.  

Violence Reduction Action Plan

The London VRU have provided a Strategic Delivery Plan template which we have worked with partners to complete.
 
The mandatory actions provided by the VRU are split into 8 main themes. 

1.  Governance
2. Analysis and enforcement
3. Reducing access to weapons
4. Safeguarding and educating children and young people
5. Working with communities and neighbourhoods to reduce violence
6. Supporting victims of violence and vulnerability
7. Positive diversion from violven
8. Tackling violence against women and girls

Section 8 is a new theme, bringing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) into the definition. We have met this action by completing our own VAWG needs assessment and VAWG Strategy which will be overseen by the Strategic VAWG delivery board.

We did not complete a Serious Violence Strategy as we agreed with MOPAC that this will be part of the Community Safety Partnership Strategy 2024-27 which will be published later in the year.

We have published the required actions tab of the Violence Reduction Action Plan.

What we are doing

Service provisions for serious violence.

Project X

Project X targets a small cohort of young offenders who perpetrate a disproportionate amount of crime in Richmond. The cohort has been identified through the Youth Offending Service and relevant risk management meetings such as Youth IOM.  

Project X’s focus is on prevention and early intervention as well as offering supplementary support alongside specialist services for young people most vulnerable to exploitation or harm. This includes those at risk of criminal exploitation who have been victims of serious youth violence and robberies. 

The team works with statutory partners, youth services and schools to divert children from the criminal justice system. 

Vulnerable Adolescents Supported into Adulthood Panel (VASA)

The VASA Panel was created to address the gap in support, oversight and transition planning for young people who experience sexual or criminal exploitation or harm and do not have access to adult services through current transition pathways into Social Care, Health, and Education. 

The VASA Panel is a partnership approach between organisations in the Kingston and Richmond boroughs to consider cases of young adults who remain at high risk of contextual harm despite previous intervention efforts, at the point of transition into adulthood or up to 25 years of age. 

For a case to be heard at VASA it must be for an individual aged between 18 and 25 years of age. 

The purpose of the panel is to provide advice, guidance, and signposting for eligible young people. Agencies involved in the panel include the Community Safety Service, Rescue and Response, AFC, Housing services, Mental Health services, Sexual Health Support services, and Richmond Community Drug and Alcohol Service (RCDAS). 

Vulnerability and Violence Prevention Coordinator 

The VASA Coordinator is a part funded role with London Borough of Kingston. The role is responsible for coordinating and administrating the VASA Panel as well as managing the application of VASA Award bids. 

VASA Award 

The VASA Award provides bespoke support to those aged 18-25. This funding provides support to fund positive diversionary activities and person-specific intervention for those who are vulnerable, at risk of, or experiencing exploitation and/or violence. 

Crying Sons 

Crying Sons offers targeted, dynamic support around the addiction of gang activity and local or county line drug dealing, peer-on-peer grooming, and sexual exploitation. The service can also provide targeted work to young people leaving closely and works closely with the leaving care team. The team can work with individuals up to 25 years of age. 

Community funded projects 

A small pot of funding has been ringfenced from the VRU Community Capacity Building Grant to fund hyper-local projects developed by and for the community around violence. 

Fearless campaign 

Fearless is an independent UK registered charity which operates a 100% anonymous reporting service via freephone telephone number and secure online form – for anyone under the age of 25 with information about serious violence or crime. 

Community Safety service provisions – neighbourhoods 

There are two Community Safety Officers in Richmond who lead on partnership working around violence hotspots through the coordination of multi-agency action plans. The officers also coordinate and provide expertise to complex individual case management, in addition to leading on key project areas. 

Richmond Community Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (CMARAC) 

CMARAC is a monthly multi-agency meeting where information is shared on complex/ high risk cases involving vulnerable victims/perpetrators of anti-social behaviour.  
 
All relevant information is shared about victims, witnesses and perpetrators in order to inform a collective assessment of risks. The panel will develop and action plan to address problematic behaviour and agree on an effective safety planning strategy to manage the overall risk to the victim, perpetrator or community. 
 
Some of these cases, may have a history or a violence indicator and this is managed through the lead agency who presents to the case panel.

Area based problem solving plans  

Problem solving plans are developed as part of a multi-agency response to emerging, or current hotspots. Community Safety Officers coordinate problem solving plans through task and finish groups in which the relevant agencies share information, identify issues and set/monitor actions. 

Domestic abuse provision

Visit our Violence Against Women and Girls pages to find out about our current provision to prevent and reduce domestic abuse.

Funding opportunities

Communities and Voluntary Sector Project Funding

We invite you to submit an expression of interest for the Richmond Communities Against Violence Forum Project, funded through the VRU MyEnds Partnership, for the financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26. 

This funding aims to support grassroots and community-led organizations in delivering innovative, community-led responses to violence reduction in identified hotspots within the borough.

Funding information

This funding is open to all community organisations delivering primary, secondary, or tertiary interventions aimed at reducing and preventing violence.

Bids of up to £10,000 per project are available, with a total funding pool of £50,164 over two years.

Funding is available for the financial years 2024-25 (until March 2025) and 2025-26 (April 2025 until March 2026).

Submission

View further information apply using the expression of interest form, which should be completed and sent to nur.asif@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk by:

• 5pm on 25 October 2024 - deadline for 2024/25
• 5pm on 8 November 2024 - deadline for 2025/26

All applications will be reviewed internally and shortlisted applicants will be notified to proceed with further checks. Contracts will be finalised shortly after.

Reporting a crime

Always call 999 if there is a crime in action or immediate threat to life. If you're deaf or hard of hearing, use the textphone service 18000 or text 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergency SMS service.

Met Police

You can also report crimes to the Metropolitan Police online or phone 101 at any time to report an incident. If you're deaf or hard of hearing, use the textphone service on 18001 101.

Crimestoppers

Should you wish to remain anonymous you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Useful resources

Victim Support

Victim Support can help immediately after an incident or any time after the crime has taken place. They will listen to you in confidence and offer information, practical help, and emotional support; they are also able to help you to navigate the criminal justice system and make a compensation claim, if you choose to report the crime.

Victim Support have specially trained staff and volunteers. They can help you to cope with the emotional effects of hate crime, support you and other members of your family for as long as you need and give you advice on safety and home security. They also provide help on getting in touch with other organisations and help you to deal with other agencies.

For more information about what services the Victim Support team in South London can offer you contact them:

• Telephone: 020 7801 1777
• Email: vs.wandsworth@vslondon.org
• Website: Victim Support website

Abianda

Abianda is a social enterprise that works with young women and girls affected by criminal exploitation and violence and provides training for the professionals who work with them.

Email: hello@abianda.com   
Telephone: 020 7686 0520