To receive an update and presentation from Mr James Pearson, Team Manager, Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit.
Minutes:
The Chairperson introduced Mr James Pearson, Team Manager from the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit. Mr Pearson
Mr Pearson gave a brief overview of the work that the Violence and Vulnerability Partnership (VVP) carried out across Essex, specifically highlighting those areas which had an impact in the Maldon District, including:
· How the VVP was attached to the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners’ Office and funded through the Home Office as well as locally raised funding. Its goal, through working with partners, was to reduce and prevent violence in local communities across the whole of Essex. Working with Essex Police and the Community Safety Partnership was one their key goals.
· The work of the VVP impacted across the whole of Essex and the team continued to work to reduce the risk of violence as well as the public perception of the risk of violence, to ensure that all incidents were being reported. Mr Pearson highlighted how they engaged with local communities as well as across the whole of Essex.
· Mr Pearson reported on the success of a knife crime initiative working with young people along with researchers and the youth offending service where the VVP had created an approach and marketing to help empower parents to have impactful conversations to ensure that their children didn’t get involved in violence. The VVP were continuing to work with schools and looking to develop a targeted knife crime programme.
· Working closely with the Essex County Fire and Rescue Services Joint Education and Training Team (JETT) to develop their knife crime programme, which involved the JETT team going into every school in Essex to help children understand around all forms of safety, as well as knife crime.
· There had been a high interest from the Maldon area for the community grants offered by the VVP and Mr Pearson outlined these and the involvement of the Community Safety Partnership Manager.
Work with the Council for Voluntary Youth Services across Essex continued and a recently listening report identified how the VVP worked with young people to hear their voices and bring that into the work of the Partnership. Mr Pearson highlighted the latest listening report published and too Members through the areas highlighted within it. It was agreed that Members would be sent a copy of a report produced by Mr Pearson which provided an update on the Essex position including a link to the Maldon Violence and Vulnerability Listening report.
The Chairperson thanked Mr Pearson for his presentation.
In response to questions, Members were advised that the VVP were happy to take suggestions and work with local areas who were working with young people. Mr Pearson spoke about how they were looking at local sports teams and using them as points to anchor communities. It was agreed that Mr Pearsons’ contact details would be shared to Members of the Committee. Reference was made to youth clubs and Members were advised that an Essex Youth Map had been produced which identified youth provision across the county and Mr Pearson agreed to leave some information regarding this for Members.