Serious Violence Duty

The Serious Violence Duty (Appendix B) was introduced in January 2023 and placed a duty on CSPs to formally tackle serious violence and hold the governance for the response to the Duty. Part of the Duty was to produce a Serious Violence Strategic Needs Assessment (SNA) and a Serious Violence Strategy for the borough. Both the JSA and this refreshed Strategy were submitted to the Violence Reduction Unit at the end of January 2024. The SNA will be reviewed annually.

This Strategy forms the 2024 refresh, in line with the new SNA findings and following consultation with the Serious Violence Working Group. The Executive Summary from the 2024 SNA is included as in Appendix B. Wider gaps and recommendations will in turn feed into the Violence & Vulnerability Reduction Action Plan (VVRAP). Oversight and implementation of the Plan come from the BCSP Executive Group and the BCSP Serious Violence Working Group, respectively.

Crime figures

Overall crime figures rose slightly over the past twelve months in Bexley compared to the previous year, and this mirrored the pan-London picture as a whole. The increase in Offence figures was minimal, at 0.5%. The MPS changed to another computer system called CONNECT in February 2024, which altered the way some offence types were recorded and therefore this may impact on the accuracy of any data comparisons for the past two years.

Some increases have been seen around crime types which would fall under the serous violence duty, such as Sexual Offences and Public Order Offences. Overall, however, crime continues to be slightly lower across London comparatively and Bexley remains in the top 5 Safest London Boroughs in 2024.

Met Police

The MPS have established practices in relation to drug offences and violent crime, supported by Project Adder. The process sets out the MPS engagement and enforcement strategy which looks to target mid- to high-level drug dealers whilst supporting those suffering from addiction. 52 search warrants have been issued in 2024 which have identified organised groups and offenders operating in Bexley. This work is now expanding with support from Op Orochi using phone data to evidence County Line holders within Bexley.

Using the Community Risk MARAC forum, the MPS are increasing the amount of NRM referrals, however there is work still needed to ensure all cases coming to notice are being referred in through the NRM process. Internally, Bexley officers’ briefings are being shared to remind officers to refer cases. Through CR MARAC (CR MARAC), the partnership has achieved good working practices which results on local tasking for police and partners to problem solve and resolve issues. 
The MPS’s analytical work has increased, and new practices are being established, providing an overlay of key locations where violent offences take place which identifies trends in offending. Police and partners have mapped out local offenders who have come to notice, this has allowed for a targeted approach to disrupting activity whilst identifying opportunities for intervention through the Violent Intervention Panel (VIP). Police are able to enforce CPNWs, CPNs, and escalate cases to CBOs.

Initiatives such the Charlton FC holding training sessions at Cygnet Square and Thamesmead football club has seen a great uptake which has increased our schools and youth engagement sessions. This will be a continuum across our work to ensure we are working ethically and proportionately, taking a holistic approach to deal with and address concerns. The Schools Team are working with Trinity school to set up a Youth CMG around Stop & Search to work with young people about concerns they have with stop & search and crime that impacts on them. Further work is being conducted to address the representation of the ward panels.
Crime statistics focused on Violence saw a decrease on the previous year (Appendix A.) Throughout 2024, the MPS have focused on knife enabled crime which has led to a number of positive outcomes where knives have been recovered from suspects and in the local community. Robbery offences have also shown a decrease. To maintain police effectiveness, the MPS have established Operation Bablik to focus on Knife/Violent crime; Operation Alverstone to focus on Robbery; and Project Adder operations to focus on drug offences. 

Community and Victims Engagement

The involvement of the community in the response to serious violence and the disruption of Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE), particularly in Local Super Output Areas (LSOA) of violent crime, has led to more joined up work between statutory services and the third sector, as well as an increased intelligence flow allowing for earlier intervention. A local Parent/Carer Network better supports families dealing with the complexities of young people at risk of contextual harm and this has been well received.

Ongoing work with commissioned third sector providers has allowed a widening of the scope of offer for victims of CCE. A commissioned, deployable outreach bus has allowed for increased and focused youth work in areas of greater risk as well as providing flexibility to respond to community incidents. In addition, primary and secondary school workshops have been funded to deliver exploitation and peer pressure awareness sessions which help young people to make more informed life choices.

Community Engagement was the final, but one of the most important aspects of the Strategy to be realised. This had been hampered by a reduction in resources as well as complications brought about due to Covid-19. However, since 2021 improved links have been made, and conversations had, that resulted in a greater understanding of the ‘local picture’ working more collaboratively with communities and groups in Bexley to help tackle serious violence.

In 2024 there was a continued focus on community and victim engagement thanks to the funded Violence & Community Risk Co-ordinator, Hate Crime and Modern Slavery Officer, and the Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG) Co-ordinator being in post. This increased capacity within Community Safety Services and the community offer for victims of, as well as a focus upon perpetrators of, serious violence.

Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG)

Whilst not one of the four main themed areas of consideration within this Strategy, the clear and evident need to tackle Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG) has been included locally within the BCSP priority of Serious Violence. This recognition has also meant that a new theme area of VAWG has been included in the latest VVRAP template. VAWG now has its own Working Group, Strategy and Action Plan. A number of public awareness sessions and training opportunities have helped to raise its profile and rightly given it the consideration it deserves. Environmental Impact Assessments have taken place in geographical hot spot areas where VAWG offences have occurred, prompting a VAWG pilot to improve the physical landscape within a designated ward area and promotion of reporting services for offences and/or feelings of safety and support.

Exploitation and the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) Devolved Decision-Making Pilot

Exploitation is a key theme under the Duty and VVRAP. In Bexley, we have a devoted Modern Slavery Working Group which brings together key partners quarterly to monitor trends, good practice and challenges. There is also a Modern Slavery and Exploitation Strategy and Action Plan which this Group oversees, which is ultimately owned by the BCSP Board. In 2022, a specific Child Exploitation Strategy was created, reflecting the specific challenges and nature of safeguarding children from grooming, exploitation and violence.

Since April 2023, the London Borough of Bexley has been a pilot site for devolving responsibility to make local National Referral Mechanism (NRM) decisions for children. The NRM is a framework for referring and identifying potential victims of modern slavery and ensuring that they receive appropriate support. This pilot has improved the quality of referrals made, the efficiency of NRM decisions and usage, and the understanding of child exploitation by professionals locally. Independent Child Trafficking Guardians are a key partner in both the support they offer directly to trafficked children, and in the strategic guidance they provide to the Panel.

Case Management Panels

The Borough’s Multi-Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) Panel provides scrutiny and advice for high-risk cases for victims of exploitation and focuses on adolescent vulnerability and risk and includes all aspects of contextual safeguarding. This is for those aged 18 or younger.
The Violence Intervention Panel (VIP) offers interventions to victims and perpetrators of violence. This Panel is for those aged over 18. It also looks at enforcement, home visits with partner agencies can take place if required, and the panel also considers the bigger picture in regard to themes, locations and if needed, looks at a cohort rather than just individuals.

The Community Risk and Domestic Abuse MARACs provide a multi-agency setting to discuss cases and direct actions for safeguarding particularly vulnerable people in Bexley, from both domestic abuse and exploitation, as well as other risks.

The number of offences committed by those referred into the ASB Case Management Panel continued to increase this year, as has their seriousness. With more individuals being worked with by the ASB team in Community Safety, more referrals have been escalated to both the CREST and VIP panels as appropriate.
 

Violence & Vulnerability Reduction Action Plan (VVRAP)

The VVRAP includes both mandatory and voluntary actions for key partners under the Serious Violence umbrella. This is overseen by the Serious Violence Working group and ultimately owned by the BCSP Executive Group and Board, and updates may be submitted to London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) for review. The VVRAP continues to be promoted as best practice as an example of a collaborative approach with realistic and deliverable outcomes. The VVRAP now incorporates VAWG as a themed area.

Drug Strategy

The BCSP Delivery Group worked with Public Health to formulate a coordinated response to the governments recently published 10-year Drug Strategy. The drugs market is widely recognised as one of the main drivers for serious violence and organised criminality and cuts across all four themed areas of the Strategy, and therefore we have seen an increase in the collaboration between the Drugs Partnership and the Serious Violence Partnership in 2024, from tasking groups and information sharing to increased referrals and awareness.

Funding

The 2024-2025 London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) Fund and 2022-2025 London Crime Prevention Fund (VRU LCPF), remained a broad whole system approach by funding projects that spanned education, prevention, early intervention as well as enforcement and support. There were a number of funded services through MOPAC, London’s VRU and the Home Office, and their performance has made a difference to victims, their families and the wider community in 2024.

These include:

• £50,000 for the continuation of the Violence & Community Risk Co-ordinator role
• £55,000 for the VAWG & Modern Slavery Co-ordinator
• £40,000 for a Serious Youth Violence Mentor
• £40,000 for a Community Intervention Worker in two ward areas
• £100,000 for Community Capacity Building projects to support incident response in two ward areas

• £25,000 for Community Engagement and Outreach Bus
• £6,000 for an Enhanced Rehabilitation Programme
• £27,000 for an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA)
• £40,000 for Serious Violence Duty delivery – data analysis and additional school workshops
• £50,000 for an NRM Panel Co-ordinator to service the Children’s NRM Decision making pilot

Projects funded by London’s VRU for the 2025-2029 funding round of the London Crime Prevention Fund (VRU LCPF) and the 2025-2028 Violence Reduction Unit Fund (VRU) strongly reflected the risks posed to individuals and the community around serious violence. Many of the above successful projects are therefore being continued in the current funding rounds.

Further Implementation

With regards to further implementation of this Strategy, the priority for 2024 was firmly linked to the continuation of the excellent work commenced by the above funded projects and roles, with the objective of improved community engagement and delivery from commissioned services, and an increase in referrals via the most appropriate case management panels for engagement, support and where necessary enforcement. It also ensured that community engagement was continued with the intention to engage with local community groups, gathering evidence on the local issues around violent crime and promoting multi-agency working and access to support services for families, victims, and perpetrators of serious violence.