Collaborative working | Avon & Somerset Violence Reduction Partnership

Collaborative working to tackle knife crime

Our Violence Reduction Partnership

The Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) brings together specialist partners, at both Avon and Somerset and local authority levels. Together we work to identify and understand the underlying causes of local violent crime and provide an effective response to reduce and deter people from carrying out these crimes.

Our hub and spoke model enable each of the five local authority areas to tailor their response in accordance with their local needs. This includes (but is not limited to) preventing and tackling knife crime. Interventions have included detached youth work in known areas of incidents, high anti-social behaviour or similar, universal knife crime prevention workshops in schools and/or youth settings and street doctors delivering first aid skills to empower young people.

Interventions are not just delivered during the academic year, but support is also provided throughout the school holidays. This could be targeted support for identified individuals to the provision of a youth hub in key locations, to offer a safe space for young people to gather and access advice.

As we head into a new academic year, the spokes have a variety of interventions planned with both schools and youth settings to support young people, professionals and parents/carers.

Below are a few examples of knife crime focused prevention interventions (other interventions are planned):

B&NES VRP:

A series of parental awareness events, focusing on knife and bladed article crime, exploitation and grooming.
Training for professionals working with children and young adults at risk of serious violence. This will include understanding how and what impact social media has on youth violence.

Bristol VRP:

1-to-1 community mentoring youth workers will deliver a bespoke trauma informed package of support identified individuals. Predominantly targeting boys and young men who are disproportionately represented in the cohort and underrepresented in other emotional, social and health services.
‘Weapons and drugs prevention’ workshops delivered in schools, primarily to young people at risk of exclusion.
‘SOTICS Trauma Forensic Response’ – The process involves working with the professional network around a child to understand what has happened to them, and how they can best be supported in a trauma informed way. It offers a clinical framework and support to those working directly with the child and family.
‘HEAL’ – This is a three-tier support model to supports young people’s mental health. Tier 1 – After incidents of high harm, such as stabbings, serious injury and murder. Tier 2 – Targeted interventions to friendship groups of young people currently accessing services in Bristol. Tier 3 – mental health programmes in targeted schools.

Click here to find out more on the Bristol VRP and Safer Options Partnership.

North Somerset VRP:

‘Start to Finish’ supports referred young people aged between 16 and 24 years, offering a wraparound support including but not limited to finding employment, securing accommodation, reducing criminal involvement, addressing substance misuse and improving social skills.
St Giles Trust will deliver education and awareness sessions to schools on key themes such as county lines, gangs, drugs and violence.
‘Blunt Truth’ sessions focus on knife crime prevention and will be delivered in North Somerset secondary schools with the support of Army medics.

Somerset VRP:

‘Admit’ involves two substance misuse workers being located in the two main hospital A&E departments. Those who attend and are a victim of knife or violent crime or experience substance misuse are offered support.
‘Violence Prevention’ awareness workshops will be delivered in Somerset schools.

South Gloucestershire VRP:

‘Education Inclusion Project’ is 1-to-1 support for young people at risk of exclusion from education and involved in serious youth violence. The project aims to support the young person, parents and school to overcome the issues and barriers and keep them in education therefore reducing the risk of serious youth violence and exploitation.
‘Street Doctors’ is a practical based intervention to give young people the knowledge and basic skills to deliver first aid.

“Since becoming the new Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner, I have heard about the numerous innovative knife crime prevention interventions being delivered across the region. I was not only impressed by the universal and tailored approaches being implemented but felt reassured that together we are improving the lives of our young people and community. I am conscious, however, that there is still much work to be done.

“Avon and Somerset are fortunate to have a dedicated Violence Reduction Partnership, whereby partners come together to identify and address the root causes of serious violence, through the implementation (and evaluation) of interventions.

“I am delighted to be the newly appointed Serious Violence Reduction Partnership Executive Board chair and proud to be involved in such important work. However, serious youth violence remains an enduring focus for both me and the Violence Reduction Partnership.”

Police and Crime Commissioner, Clare Moody.