Serious Violence Duty
Serious Violence Duty
The Serious Violence Duty (2022) sets out a requirement for specified authorities to work together to prevent and reduce serious violence.
Local areas need choose the right Partnership structure to fulfil this duty. The responsible committee or group should involve all specified authorities and will be required to:
- Take a public health approach to reducing serious violence
- Share data
- Develop a Strategic Needs Assessment
- Prepare and implement a serious violence strategy
- Annual strategy review (evaluation of interventions) including a refreshed needs assessment
Local Governance
The Avon & Somerset Office for the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) are convening a regional West of England response through the regional Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) to fulfil the serious violence duty for the specified authorities. More information can be found at the Avon & Somerset Violence Reduction Partnership website.
Each of the five local authority areas within the Avon & Somerset Police area have a local VRP to identify local needs and to consider the most appropriate local response to reduce and address serious violence. The Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) VRP oversee the implementation of the B&NES plan to prevent and reduce serious violence.
The B&NES VRP is made of up police, justice, fire, health and the local authority as the specified authorities, with additional support from other agencies including education and the third sector as required.
The B&NES VRP is accountable to the B&NES Community Safety Partnership.
Local Definition of Serious Violence
The Avon & Somerset (A&S) Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP), of which B&NES is a member, use the following definition for serious violence:
"The A&S VRP embraces a priority focus on the prevention and reduction of public space violence for under 25's (children and young people); including homicide, attempted homicide, robbery, wounding, grievous bodily harm, knife and gun crime, alcohol and drug related violence and areas of criminality where serious violence or its threat is inherent, such as county lines and modern slavery.
We also recognise and commit to supporting a joined-up response to existing partnership work to tackle serious violence across the whole pathway and in the broadest sense, including domestic abuse, rape and serious sexual offences and violence against women and girls more generally."
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