The Bath & North East Somerset Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) is a multi-agency group that aims to prevent and reduce violence in the area.
We work to understand and address the root causes of violence, so we can prevent further violent crimes from occurring in the future.
We also provide resources and support the work of professionals and community groups who help children who have been affected by serious violence.
Select a topic below to find out more about the work we do, our purpose and our aims for the future.
We work with organisations such as Avon and Somerset Police and the Avon & Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner to prevent violent crimes.
We carry out needs assessments with our partners to identify gaps in provision and practice.
These assessments help to establish the most effective methods to reduce violent crimes in Bath and North East Somerset.
We also advise partners on good practice to help prevent violent crimes, using a public health and trauma-informed approach.
A public health approach
We take a public health approach that treats violence as an illness. We diagnose and analyse the root causes of violence, then intervene through education and policy change before violent crime has a chance to take hold.
We do this by looking at research and evidence that explains why people behave in certain ways and what contributes to this behaviour.
By treating violence in the same way we treat other population-level health issues, we can focus on solutions that make a difference to whole communities across Bath and North East Somerset.
The VRP was set up in 2019 to deliver a local response to serious violence. The main aims of this response are to:
- reduce suffering
- improve societal wellbeing and prosperity for current and future generations
- provide substantial financial savings
You can read more about why the VRP was established and our approach in the 2019 Avon and Somerset Serious Violence Strategy policy
The cost of violent crime in the area
In Avon and Somerset, over 1,000 serious violence offences are reported to the police every month, at significant social and economic cost.
Between November 2015 and March 2019, homicide and violence with injury cost Avon and Somerset nearly £765 million.
The costs to society are likely to be far greater, as victims of serious violence can suffer long-term physical and mental illness.
Tackling serious violence and breaking this destructive cycle is our main priority.
We believe that intervening and preventing issues early is the best way to ensure children, families and communities lead lives free from violence and trauma.
We aim to divert children at risk of violence (either as a victim or offender) away from that risk, and to manage the risk of serious violence in the community.
People who have experienced trauma can have trouble identifying, expressing, and managing emotions. This can lead to anxiety and potentially violent behaviour.
We aim to educate local communities about the impact of trauma on individuals. We can then create an environment and culture that effectively supports victims of trauma and rehabilitates individuals to prevent future violence.
A trauma-informed community can then work together to help current victims of trauma, and also help to prevent trauma for future generations.
