The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Violence Reduction Alliance (VRA) has today launched its new local Violence Reduction Strategy which sets out how partners will work together to help prevent and reduce violence across the City and County.
The Strategy aims to strengthen the visibility, early identification and partnership response to prevent violence and its associated harms; and outlines how the Alliance will approach violence as a public health issue. This means they will work with partners to understand the causes and consequences of violence, with the ultimate aim of stopping violence before it begins.
Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime and Chair of the VRA, Ben Adams said:
“Overall crime rates within Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are well below national and regional averages; however, it is important that we maintain this position through strong partnership work.
“The VRA is now a well-established partnership with success in working together to prevent and reduce violence in the local area. The new strategy reflects the Alliance’s achievements to date and how they are going to build on this to prevent and reduce violence and improve the health and quality of life of people in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.”
The Strategy sets out what the VRA will deliver across their five priorities and how the partnership will meet the requirements of the government’s Serious Violence Duty. The Duty requires some partners, and encourages all, to work together to plan, share data, knowledge and intelligence to produce an evidence-based strategy to prevent and reduce serious violence in the area. In 2023, the VRA Board became the accountable body for the delivery of the Duty across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
To inform the development of the Strategy, the VRA has consulted with children and young people, parents and carers, frontline staff and held workshops with partners to review what we have achieved so far and what the Alliance’s priorities should be over the next five years.
CEO of Staffordshire Council of Voluntary Youth Services who led the consultation with children and young people, Phil Pusey said:
“With over 1,640 responses from the consultation, violence is clearly an important topic for young people. They have asked for more support to help them to feel safe and that they are a valued part of their communities.
“It’s critical that we provide enough of the right kind of safe places to go, positive and adventurous things to do and trusted adults such as youth workers to talk to.”
The VRA has made great progress to date including:
- Commissioning a support service for child victims of criminal exploitation;
- Establishing a police-led Violence Reduction Team;
- Developing and delivering numerous local campaigns;
- Undertaking target hardening and environmental improvements in key locations;
- Operating a pilot peer mentoring scheme
- Developing quality assured education resources.
To read the Strategy and to find out more about the VRA visit: Our Aim – Violence Reduction Alliance
