Claremont Communications, an expert agency in behavioural change communications and research techniques was commissioned by the Violence Reduction Unit to undertake the project during 2022.
Berkshire
There are six individual local authorities covering the districts of Berkshire. We are working with the following partnerships, visit their websites for further information:
- Bracknell Community Safety Partnership: Through its steering group, it oversees the delivery of the Bracknell Community Safety Plan.
- Reading Community Safety Partnership
- Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Community Safety Partnership
- Slough Violence Taskforce: The Slough Violence Taskforce coordinates partners within the borough to provide a focused, evidence-based response to serious violence and to proactively work to reduce violent crime before it happens, enabling a long-term, sustainable solution.
- West Berkshire Council
- Wokingham Community Safety Partnership: It oversees the delivery of the Wokingham Community Safety Strategy. This is underpinned by the Wokingham Community Safety Plan.
Each of the local partnerships are represented at both the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit Strategy Board and Operational Board and are a core member of the wider violence reduction partnership. Through this, the VRU can support and coordinate violence reduction activity being delivered by partners in Berkshire and across the Thames Valley.
The Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit and Thames Valley Police have begun an innovative new process to identify children of a parent who is sent to prison, allowing a prompt offer of support for the whole family by the charity Children Heard & Seen.
A new partnership project in Reading will be converting knives and other offensive weapons taken off the streets into a modern art sculpture. The project will work with local young people to design the sculpture while also helping to educate on the dangers and consequences of knife crime.
The VRU has funded additional posts within the nine local violence reduction partnerships, bringing additional capacity and capability and to help coordinate efforts to tackle violence.
Thames Valley VRU have established Violence Reductions Networks, led by education partners to embed trauma informed practice in schools to make them more inclusive.
Thames Valley VRU are working with the PSHE Association and NPCC to produce quality assured PSHE resources for schools on key topics such as Substance Use and Violence.
MVP is a peer-led programme enabling schools to work with young people to challenge accepted narratives around violence.
The VRU working with Criminal Justice, Oxfordshire Children Social Care and the Youth Justice Service are piloting a new process to ensure effective information sharing when a young person has been arrested
DIVERT is a custody Intervention programme which is designed to reduce reoffending and has been funded by the TVP Violence Reduction Unit.
Intensive Engagement or I.E, are currently working alongside the Violence Reduction Unit…
The effects of knife images on young people are set to be examined as part of a new partnership project involving Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit.
Working with Thames Valley Police’s Service Improvement Team, the Violence Reduction Unit have designed a new tool to help officers and staff tackle serious violence across the Thames Valley.
Operation Prelude is a focused deterrence programme, using the principles of problem solving, it is designed to focus activity on those individuals presenting the greatest risk to local communities and divert them away from offending.
A key priority of the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit’s strategy to reduce violence is to ensure those who commit violence are effectively brought to justice. In order to support this priority, the Violence Reduction Unit have initiated Op Rebus
Op Rasure is TVP’s response to violent and knife enabled crime.
In conjunction with Thames Valley Police’s Foundation Training Team, Police Officers in training will now receive a trauma informed drugs awareness input.
New Leaf, offer face-to-face mentoring programme which aims to support to young people that are at risk of exclusion and/or are currently within the criminal justice system.
The VRU have identified five hotspot hospitals across the Thames Valley Area and are working with those hospitals to set up hospital navigators utilising local providers who understand the needs of the local people
Redeeming our communities (ROC) has been commissioned to deliver ROC Conversations/ROC tele mentoring and ROC Mentoring across Reading, Milton Keynes and Oxford.