MAKING NOTTINGHAMSHIRE SAFE FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS

Our Proposed Approach

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​Our proposed approach has five parts: 

• Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls

• Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls

• Supporting victims and survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls

• Including people who have experience with Violence Against Women and Girls in designing services

• Strengthening the Violence Against Women and Girls sector

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​Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls

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We believe that no one should ever face abuse or harassment because of their gender. We need to change the way people see women and girls and work with communities to make sure that people who commit violence against women and girls are held to account.

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What we will do:

• Healthy relationship programmes in schools.

• Individual and group support for children affected by or at risk of harm.

• Work with families to support school initiatives.

• ‘Bystander training’ to make sure that people who witness violence against women and girls, have the confidence to speak out and intervene, for example in pubs and clubs.

• Co-ordinating information and campaigns across different agencies such as the police and the local council.

• Put in place initiatives that address the behaviours and attitudes of those that commit abuse.

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What we plan to achieve:

• More children and young people have a better understanding of consent and healthy relationships.

• Increased safe spaces for children and young people in education.

• Children and young people are more able to cope.

• Men understand what women have to do to reduce their risk of harm.

• People can challenge harmful beliefs and behaviours and have a better understanding of consent.

• Women and girls have help and support in the community.

• People who commit violence take responsibility for the consequences of their offending behaviour.

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Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls

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We need to make sure that women and girls trust our Criminal Justice System, especially the police. To respond to Violence Against Women and Girls we need to increase the number of people who are referred into support services.

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What we will do:

• Increase the awareness of the services and support available among both professionals and communities.

• Make sure professionals and communities know how to respond to violence against women and girls - and that they take action when it’s needed.

• Work with partners to ensure women and girls are believed and feel believed and understood when they access services.

• Introduce a range of activities to listen to women and girls’ opinions.

• Improve monitoring of violence against women and girls and the actions taken in response.

• Work with partner agencies to make sure we know about and respond to emerging trends, issues, risks, and threats.

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What we plan to achieve:

• More women and girls affected by violence access the support available.

• Reduce the level of harm experienced by women and girls.

• Improved trust and confidence in the police and criminal justice system among women and girls.

• Improved support and better justice for those affected by violence against women and girls.

• A faster response by partner agencies working together to understand emerging issues, risks, and threats.

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Supporting victims and survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls

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We need to make sure that all women and girls can access and receive high quality support services in order to live and lead fulfilling lives.  We need to have the right support in place for survivors at the right time, which is accessible across Nottinghamshire.

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What we will do:

• Make sure that there are a range of support services in place for all survivors.

• Make sure that long-term active support, therapy, and peer support is available where needed.

• Make sure services are accessible and work together.

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What we plan to achieve:

• Increased safety for survivors of violence against women and girls.

• A better understanding among survivors of where they can go to for help.

• Increased mental and physical wellbeing among survivors of violence against women and girls.

• A strong network of local services.

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Including people who have experience with Violence Against Women and Girls in designing services

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We must make sure that our services are based on information from people with lived experience of Violence Against Women and Girls in order to make sure that they understand and truly reflect their needs.

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What we will do:

• Help communities to prevent violence against women and girls and develop more accessible services.

• Make sure people with lived experience are included when support services are commissioned and delivered.

• Build and develop partnerships with other types of services.

• Consult people with experiences of Violence Against Women and Girls using different methods.

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What we plan to achieve:

• Better awareness of the needs of marginalised groups and the challenges they face.

• An environment where the voices of survivors are heard and used to help shape local services.

• A network of support services that are inclusive and have the ability to change and improve.

• Increased trust in service providers among victims and survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls.

• Increased access to services, particularly among under-represented groups.

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Strengthening the Violence Against Women and Girls sector 

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We need to ensure that the network of services working to support survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls remains strong and capable and equipped to manage future demand.

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What we will do:

• Understand the needs and risks by using good quality data and information.

• Develop a shared research and evidence base for all delivery partners to make use of.

• Improve the capacity of the agencies that we work in partnership with.

• Include Violence Against Women and Girls into all relevant strategies and policies.

• Develop Violence Against Women and Girls policies for employers to ensure safer and more supportive workplaces. 

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What we plan to achieve:

• Improve the understanding of gender-specific needs and risks that inform how our services are developed and delivered.

• A wide shared understanding of evidence base in respect of Violence Against Women and Girls

• Services that are fit for purpose, safe, effective, and resilient.

• Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls is part of all public sector policies and strategies.

• Employers know about Violence Against Women and Girls and what to do.

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