A collaborative unit is currently being developed with the ambition of preventing all forms of violence across Wales. The VPU will provide a multi-disciplinary centre of expertise, seeking to tackle all forms of violence and abuse through adopting a public health approach to violence prevention.

The unit is in its early stages of development; establishing a multi-agency team which will include partners from the Police, Police & Crime Commissioner, Public Health, Voluntary Sector, HMPPS, Immigration, Youth Justice, and Local Authorities. 

The initial focus of the All-Wales Violence Prevention Unit will be tackling serious violence relating to knife crime and gun crime, particularly among young people in South Wales. Following this, the VPU will upscale the approach to focus on all forms of violence across Wales. This approach will enable the unit to upscale programmes, systems and processes that are showing promising results, such as violence surveillance, across the whole country. 

The VPU will be seeking to engage with stakeholders – including co-production with communities affected by violence - over the coming months through a series of workshops, events and networking activities to develop a strategy and work programme. This will be followed by a formal launch and consultation event in Spring 2020.

If you have any questions please email [email protected] for public health-related queries, and Dan Jones [email protected] for queries relating to the South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office.