July VRP Director’s Blog
As we approach the end of another academic year, I would like to use this blog to celebrate the successful interventions our Violence Reduction Partnership spokes and partners have delivered in collaboration with education providers.
Education providers play a strong and positive role in supporting and educating children and young people, while also helping to protect them from harm both inside and outside of their educational setting. In a world where there are multitude of influences on children and young people, the job of a teacher has become even more demanding. ASVRP are helping schools face this challenge, together.
Building a young person’s confidence, resilience, ability of overcome adversity and develop their life skills is a vital part of their learning journey both in and out of their education setting. This last financial year we collectively delivered 56 interventions, worked with 1,689 professionals and reached 18,698 young people. Many of these took place in schools or educational settings.
Below are just a few of the interventions delivered in partnership with educational providers, during the school day to groups and individual young people.
Prevention Workshops: Violence Against Women and Girls
As part of the Safer Streets campaign, Somerset VRP and North Somerset VRP joined with Collaborate Digital to start a conversation with young people in high schools and colleges about behaviour change on the issue of violence against women and girls. Using a public health approach, the young people engaged in learning the facts and figures, many participated in the interactive assemblies? and others created podcasts to support their raising awareness on the issue. Girls and young women were able to voice their concerns and boys and young men learnt how they can be a support for women and girls.
Collaborate Digital have created a short film showcasing their reach and delivery across the two VRP spoke areas. Click here to watch it.
Five Pound Bike Project
This brand-new pilot intervention was implemented in two secondary schools for students who would have otherwise been excluded from school. Students gained self-gratification from this constructive diversionary activity as they improved their communication and practical bike maintenance skills. When they finished their bike, they could buy it for just £5.00!
Supporting those at risk of permanent exclusion
‘Education Inclusion Projects’ worked with young people who had been identified as being at risk of permanent exclusion. Coaches provided support to the young person, their parents/carers and their school. They developed and delivered specialist educational resources with the young person, facilitated training for teaching staff, and offered support and advice to all.
Below are just a few of their coaching outcomes from two of the VRP areas:
- One young person established their own boundaries to build a positive home environment.
- One young person had a significant improvement in their ability to make good decisions and recognise the wider impact of violent and anti-social behaviour.
- Others decided to return to the family home, re-establish family connection, and put violent incidents behind them.
- Two young people and their families had previously refused all assessments and specialist services. After working with this project, they agreed to assessments and support from local services.
- One young person was a school refuser, with an attendance record of zero. After working with this project, they now attend school every day.
Not in education
Another great example of supporting high-risk young people is the Wheels Project, which takes a young person who is not in education and provides them with a hands-on learning experience. South Gloucester VRP worked with Wheels to provide support to several young people in their area. They attend a kart building, vehicle maintenance, and driving course, which is also attended by an Early intervention Police Officer to support the development of positive working relationships while the young person learns.
- Three young people who attended the kart driving course went on to compete to take part in the British karting championships.
Knife Crime awareness
During the national knife crime awareness week in May of this year, the VRP Hub and many of the spokes supported the Ben Kinsella Trust campaign and provided their secondary schools with parent advice booklets, Fearless knife crime and bystander guides and/or delivered prevention workshops focused on knife crime.
Moving forward
Our new Police and Crime Commissioner, Clare Moody, has really hit the ground running. Attending and expecting to attend multiple events and activities in her first 100 days of office. We are delighted to be supporting her travels around Avon and Somerset, introducing her to the ASVRP spoke coordinators and partners.
We are also thrilled that Clare has accepted the position as our new board Chair, as serious violence is one of her priorities. Clare will be consulting widely on her draft Police and Crime Plan from the middle of August to the end of October.
The board is keen to continue learning about the root causes of serious youth violence and adjusting our approach to meet the needs of Avon and Somerset young people accordingly. We aim to ensure we hear the voice of educators to understand their knowledge and thoughts.
Thank you to everyone who has supported our prevention and intervention work this last academic year. I hope you are able to take a well-deserved break and look forward to seeing the interventions planned for 2024-25 taking shape.
Natalie Lavis
ASVRP Director
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