This strategy document has been produced as part of the requirements of the Serious Violence Duty, introduced by the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.
The duty places several requirements upon local areas, including:
- Agreeing a local partnership arrangement to lead on the duty
- Deciding on an agreed definition of serious violence
- Have consistent data sharing between organisations
- Produce a Strategic Needs Assessment
- Develop a Strategy to set out how the duty will be implemented locally
The Duty requires specified authorities to work together to prevent and reduce serious violence, including identifying the kinds of serious violence that occur in the area, the causes of that violence, and to prepare and implement a strategy for preventing and reducing serious violence.
The responsible authorities (also known as ‘duty holders’) in the Serious Violence Duty are:
- the police
- fire and rescue authorities
- justice organisations (youth offending teams and probation services)
- health bodies (Integrated Care Boards)
- local authorities
Educational institutions, prisons and youth custodial institutions will be under a separate duty to co-operate with duty holders, but they are not duty holders.
This strategy takes account of guidance issued by the government, as well as London guidance, developed by the London Violence Reduction Unit, in collaboration with London Councils, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, the Metropolitan Police, NHS London and Probation Service.
The strategy sets out the agreed definition of Serious Violence for the borough, summarises the key aspects of the Serious Violence Strategic Needs Assessment, the partnership arrangements that have been agreed locally to lead on delivery of the duty, the areas of activity to prevent and reduce serious violence, and activity to engage with voluntary sector organisations, communities - including young people, as well as businesses.
Publishing of the strategy
This strategy was first published on the council’s website on 31 January 2024.
Date for review/annual review mechanism
This strategy document will be reviewed annually, with the next review due by January 2025.
Progress of this strategy, the objectives set out within it and the local action plan, will be reviewed at least quarterly through the Community Safety Partnership or equivalent local partnership meeting.