SERIOUS VIOLENCE IN MERSEYSIDE Response Strategy March 2020 Authored by Jill Summers and Mark Wiggins Contents 1. Forward - Police and Crime Commissioner Jane Kennedy and Chief Constable Andy Cooke .......................................... 3 2. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................... 4 3. Violence in Merseyside ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 3. Violence in Merseyside ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 4. Mission and Values ............................................................................................................................................................. 7 5. Definitions and the Public Health Approach ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 8 6. Community and stakeholder involvement in our strategic approach ................................................................................. 9 6. Community and stakeholder involvement in our strategic approach ............................................................................... 10 7. Strategic framework ........................................................................................................................................................... 11 7.1 Action plan for workstreams ............................................................................................................................................ 12 7.1 Action plan for workstreams ............................................................................................................................................ 13 7.1 Action plan for workstreams ............................................................................................................................................ 14 7.1 Action plan for workstreams ............................................................................................................................................ 15 7.1 Action plan for workstreams ............................................................................................................................................ 16 8. A sustainable and longer term approach; resources and funding ................................................................................... 17 9. Reflections on 2019-20 .................................................................................................................................................... 18 10. Governance and Partnerships ......................................................................................................................................... 19 11. Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................................................................20 12. Appendices » 12.1 Funding framework- local implementation ....................................................................................... 21 12. Appendices » 12.2 Funding framework- Merseyside wide ............................................................................................22 12.3 Case Studies ..................................................................................................................................................................23 12.4 Logic Model ...................................................................................................................................................................24 2 1. Forward - Police and Crime Commissioner Jane Kennedy and Chief Constable Andy Cooke On a daily basis we see and hear about the and the associated problem profile, including maximise resources, provide support and guidance devastating impact that senseless acts of violence comprehensive data collection from agencies such and use evidence to inform interventions whilst have on our communities; grieving mothers, life- as the Police, Ambulance Service, Local Authorities also testing out new projects. Communities are at changing injuries, friendship groups shattered. and Hospitals, the analysis of which has helped the heart of this approach as we need everyone to Merseyside is not alone in experiencing the produce a better understanding of the drivers of unite against those who cause violence through consequences of serious violence over the last serious violence across Merseyside. the likes of criminal exploitation and drug dealing. few years and we recognise that people are rightly Much of this work focuses on interventions aimed concerned and want to know what agencies are at supporting young people and preventing them doing to address the issues. We are committed to As the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and from getting caught up in serious violence, to give working with young people and communities, the Chief Constable for Merseyside, we are pleased them better opportunities for education, training and statutory and voluntary sector and with central that we have been successful in achieving further employment and to provide a brighter future. government to bring about a culture change which funding for the coming year 2020-2021, which will We would like to take this opportunity to thank demonstrates that violence is not inevitable, it is enable our work to continue. During this period we everyone who has been involved in and supportive preventable. will also have the opportunity to recruit and train a of the work of the VRP to date and to all the groups total of 500 new police officers to help support this and organisations across Merseyside who are This document outlines the Strategy and Delivery and wider police work. However we recognise that delivering such inspiring interventions and activities Plan for the Merseyside Violence Reduction enforcement and this planned increase in officer particularly in support of young people. We, along Partnership (VRP) for the next 3 years. The numbers, on their own, are not enough to tackle with our partners, are fully committed to the work partnership brings together health, education, the problem of violence within Merseyside. We also of the VRP going forward and to this public health police, the fire service, local authorities, probation understand the impact that violence has on our approach, which we know has been successful and housing to adopt a public health approach communities, on the physical and mental wellbeing elsewhere in tackling violent crime. We hope we can to reducing serious violence. A great deal of of its members and on the life chances and count on your support to help us make a difference. consultation and thought has gone into this strategy opportunities for our young people. As the World Health Organisation reported in 2002, Violence is a Public Health Problem and should be treated as such. By working together, treating it as a disease and by tackling those root causes, it will help prevent violence in the future. The work of the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership is crucial to help embed this approach and to tackling and preventing serious violence. Partners, from the public, private and voluntary sectors across the region, are working together to 3 2. Introduction In April 2018 the Government published its Serious This strategy sets out the vision of the Merseyside particularly the implementation of the Serious Violence Strategy in response to increases nationally VRP that: Violence Duty, and proposed changes to the Crime in knife crime, gun crime and homicide. The and Disorder Act 1998 ensuring that Serious following year, as part of that strategy, it allocated ‘We believe that all communities across Violence is an explicit requirement. funding to establish 18 Violence Reduction Units Merseyside have the right to be free from (VRUs) across the country. Their remit is to bring violence in order to provide the best life Governance arrangements will ensure that additional together police, local government, health and chances for all’. dedicated resources allocated to Merseyside for education professionals, community leaders Police ‘Surge’ activity, VRP and county lines and and other key partners to ensure a multi-agency It outlines the scale of the challenge, sets it Criminal Exploitation workstreams can be aligned public health approach is embedded to reduce within the national and local context and gives a to ensure greater capacity for multi-agency working these harms, following the identification of the clear framework for addressing our priorities. It from both an operational and strategic perspective. local drivers of serious violence. This includes is cogniscent of the relevant legislative context, agreement and commitment to support VRUs to be responsible for driving and coordinating local strategy and embedding cultural change alongside a commissioning role, whilst developing plans to make the work sustainable. Here in Merseyside a co-located team was established in September 2019. Following research and advice from public health experts and by identifying best practice from Scotland the team worked alongside a number of partners to deliver suitable interventions as part of its delivery plan in the short term. This has set the foundations for embedding