Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Analysis and Research
Policing understands that now is the time to radically improve its response to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), and to build trust and confidence. The VKPP recognises the vital role that data and analysis plays in understanding policing’s response to vulnerability, alongside capturing learning, commissioning and delivering research to develop evidence bases that inform front line practice.
The VKPP is supporting and informing the national policing response to VAWG, directed by National Police Chiefs’ Council lead, DCC Maggie Blythe. A national VAWG delivery framework has been developed to deliver collaborative, positive change in policing.
To drive the performance and insight work needed, the VKPP have received funding to support a VAWG Analysis and Research Team. The team’s analysis of the scale, nature and review of policing performance related to VAWG will be crucial in improving our collective understanding of what works, both strategically and operationally, across policing to help make all women and girls safer.
Strategic Threat and Risk Assessment (STRA) of Violence Against Women and Girls
VAWG Outcomes and performance framework - NPCC and College of Policing April 2022
NPCC - VAWG outcomes and performance framework
VAWG Analytical Team
The VAWG Analytical Team consists of a group of experienced intelligence and performance analysts led by a Head of Analysis. The team work closely with other VKPP analysts as well as the VAWG Research Team.
Aims
The Analytical team has two key priorities
- To deliver the first VAWG performance report, which was published in April 2023. In April 2022, the NPCC and College of Policing published the first national VAWG performance framework which outlined a commitment to report on policing’s performance on VAWG every six months. The performance framework outlines a series of key performance indicators which the analytical team will answer using a range of data from across policing and government.
VAWG Outcomes and performance framework
- To develop the first national VAWG Strategic Threat and Risk Assessment (STRA), designed to further our understanding of the scale, threat and policing response to VAWG. The ambition is to have a partner informed product which will help to ensure that policing’s response is effectively focused. This public-facing assessment will inform the government, as well as other sectors and organisations that have a role to play in tackling VAWG.
Both the performance report and the STRA will be used to shape policing’s VAWG strategy for 2023/2024. The analytical team also provide bespoke support to the NPCC lead according to national need and local advice and guidance for analytical units within police forces across England and Wales.
VAWG Research Workstream
The VAWG Research Team is comprised of two Senior Research Fellows, two Research Fellows and a Research Assistant who will deliver the aims of the work stream. The team works closely with the VAWG Analytical team, the wider VKPP Research team and the College of Policing to develop and improve the evidence base and analytical products produced enabling evidence-based practice and policy making.
Aims
The key priorities for the VAWG Research team are to support the VAWG Analytical team to deliver the Strategic Threat and Risk Assessment and provide bespoke analytic/ research requests, manage the delivery of a series of commissioned evidence reviews/ primary research to inform Pillars 2 and 3 (Relentless Perpetrator Pursuit and Safer Spaces) of the VAWG framework, and support the development of the VAWG Performance Report and framework.
Dr Charlotte Barlow, Senior Research Fellow at VKPP, talks about the work of the VAWG Research Team