Serious Violence Prevention Programme

Breaking the cycle of violence for young people under the age of 25 in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Serious Violence Prevention Programme (SVPP) is a two-year programme to develop new approaches to violence prevention in Cornwall and assist in the implementation of the Serious Violence Duty. The programme is the local delivery mechanism for the Peninsula Serious Violence Prevention Strategy ‘Breaking the cycle’.

We lead on the coordination of this programme and support Cornwall’s SVPP to ensure focus and quality of delivery across a series of commissioned projects. Our dedicated support is designed to enhance partnership working through building and strengthening relationships, reducing duplication of effort and support a continuous learning journey throughout the lifetime of the programme.

Progress to date

  • We completed a review of support for young adults aged 16-24 to prevent violent behaviours in December 2022, and received positive engagement from all sectors working with children and young adults.
  • A map of local services was created, accompanied by a summary of conversations that explored strengths, weaknesses and existing gaps in provision for young adults and their families. These underpin a set of recommendations.
  • Stronger support is emerging for one of the recommendations – which is to focus on a pilot project to support ‘medium risk’ young adults who are involved in or at risk of serious violence, need more help, but are not meeting statutory thresholds.
  • During the research stage of the scoping project, best practice delivery models were identified from elsewhere in the UK. This learning was combined with local insights to offer tailored recommendations to support the commissioning of a pilot project by the Steering Group in 2023-24.

Children affected by parental imprisonment

Within the programme of work to break the cycle of violence, focusing on people under the age of 25, one of the identified priorities is the Children Affected by Parental Imprisonment (CAPI) project.

We are working on a flexible and accessible referral pathway that will make the most of any opportunity for early intervention. Key contact points are being mapped out from the criminal justice system (courts, prisons and probation) education and voluntary sectors. Best practice language and questions will also be developed for the referral process.

We are also working collaboratively with Argyle Community Trust (ACT), who have a strong record of working with disadvantaged young people in the community and well as parents in prison. ACT provide a team of experienced youth mentors, including people with lived experience, working alongside specialist community services to deliver personalised packages of support for young people and their non-custodial parent/carer.

For more information or to find out how to refer a child or young person: