Tackling violence and improving lives through the Serious Violence Duty

Overview

Serious violence affects many communities. The impact can be life changing, whether you are a victim or a witness. Have you been affected by serious violence in the last year? If so, we would like to know about the experience you and your family may have had, as well as the issues affecting your community. 

Background

Legislation called the Serious Violence Duty was introduced in January 2023.  

The Serious Violence Duty requires organisations across the public sector to work together locally to plan and prevent incidents of violence, therefore making local communities safer. 

Under the Serious Violence Duty, organisations work together to tackle the causes of violence, by understanding and sharing information, plan to prevent and reduce serious violence within their local communities. These specified authorities include local government, criminal justice, health and social care, Police, and Fire and rescue authorities and are known as the Northamptonshire Serious Violence Alliance. 

What is serious violence? 

For the purposes of this survey serious violence includes: 

• Personal Robbery 
• Possession of a weapon 
• Domestic Abuse 
• Sexual Violence and (but not limited to) violence against women and girls 
• Youth Violence – Under 25 specifically – (could include but is not limited to) Child exploitation and drug dealing where organised criminal groups use phone lines to move and supply drugs, usually from cities into smaller towns and rural areas, this is called County lines.  
• Night-time Economy Violence 

If you'd like more information, there are a number of useful links to documents and websites at the bottom of this page.  

On behalf of the specified authorities under the Serious Violence Duty in Northamptonshire, we would like to hear from anyone that has been affected by serious violence in the last 12 months. 

How will the feedback be used?

The detail provided from this survey will help the Northamptonshire Serious Violence Alliance deepen its understanding of the views and experiences of residents across the county by providing evidence that identifies the kinds of serious violence that happens in Northamptonshire and try to find out what causes it. This will help the specified authorities to put effective schemes in place that focus on preventing crime and intervening early to reduce the chances of someone committing or becoming a victim of crime.  

The survey will only take a short time to complete but the results have the potential to help improve the safety and wellbeing of people in the County.  

All results are recorded anonymously and there is no obligation to provide any information that would identify you. 

Events to find out more

The Northamptonshire Serious Violence Alliance are actively going out to communities and involving various stakeholders to collect information in addition to this survey.

Dates and times of these public events for people to attend to find out more will be released at a later date.

How to provide your views

You can submit your comments by completing the online survey by following the link below.

If you have any questions about the consultation, need assistance to complete the online questionnaire or would like a copy of it in another format (including paper, easy read or large print) or language you can contact us by email: seriousviolenceduty@northantsopfcc.gov.uk 

This survey closes at midnight, Friday 27 October 2023.

What happens next

Your feedback will be part of a report with other people’s feedback, you will not be personally identified.

Information will be shared with our specified authority partners and dealt with in accordance with data protection legislation.

For further detail of how data is dealt with please see the following Privacy Notices:

• Community Safety and Engagement Privacy Notice
• Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Privacy Notice