Our Approach to Violence and Intimidation Against Women and Girls

Contents

1. Foreword
2. Introduction
3. Drivers
4. Terminology used
5. Crime data
6. The NPCC's 'Policing violence against women and girls National framework for delivery: Year 1'
7. Pillar 1: Build trust and confidence
8. Pillar 2: Relentless perpetrator pursuit
9. Pillar 3: Safer Spaces
10. Gloucestershire Constabulary's delivery plan
11. Download this information as a PDF

1. Foreword

In Gloucestershire Constabulary, we are wholly committed to protecting the vulnerable and targeting perpetrators. This is central to our mission of keeping people safe from harm.

The tragic murder of Sarah Everard has brought into sharp focus the significant issue of violence, abuse and intimidation against women and girls (VIAWG) which is still all too prevalent in our society. These crimes are deeply harmful, not only because of the profound effect they can have on victims, survivors and their loved ones, but also because of the impact they can have on wider society, impacting on the freedom and equality that we all should value and enjoy.

Tackling VIAWG is a priority for Gloucestershire Constabulary and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, protecting women and girls in our county from crimes which disproportionately affect them such as rape, sexual violence, domestic abuse and stalking. We also recognise the impact that incidents which fall below the criminal threshold can have on women’s freedom and quality of life such as catcalling, inappropriate staring or wolf-whistling and we are committed to working with partners and our communities to eliminate these acts of intimidation.

The recent media coverage of the abhorrent acts by a small minority of police officers against women, have understandably undermined public confidence in our ability to protect all members of our society. The public deserve and expect the highest standards of behaviour from the police service. How we behave, as individuals and collectively, impacts on the trust and confidence of communities. We are unrelenting in our commitment to tackling all forms of discrimination within our service.

This document reflects the NPCC Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls strategy and outlines our approach to it in Gloucestershire.

Chief Constable Rod Hansen and Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson.

2. Introduction

Violence against women and girls is an unacceptable, preventable issue which blights the lives of millions. Crimes of violence against women and girls are many and varied. They include rape and other sexual offences, stalking, domestic abuse, ‘honour-based’ abuse (including female genital mutilation and forced marriage and ‘honour’ killings), ‘revenge porn’ and ‘up skirting’, as well as many others. While different types of violence against women and girls have their own distinct causes and impacts on victims and survivors, what these crimes share is that they disproportionately affect women and girls.

Crimes and acts of violence against women and girls all too often remain hidden. Because of this, many perpetrators remain unknown and our knowledge of their characteristics is often limited. However, available data on stalking, sexual offences and domestic abuse indicates that perpetrators tend to be male, and most victims female. Over 90% of people prosecuted in the UK in 2020 for stalking, domestic abuse and sexual offences were male. (ONS2020C)

3. Drivers

Recently, the extent to which violence against women and girls exists has been brought to the forefront of the nation’s attention. We have seen reports to domestic abuse helplines increase in the context of COVID-19; we have read about tragic cases such as the deaths of Sarah Everard, Balvinder Gahir, Bibaa Henry, Julia James, Khloemae Loy, Nicole Smallman, Libby Squire; and girls and women everywhere have shared their personal experiences of sexual abuse via the ‘Everyone’s Invited’ website, leading to an urgent Ofsted review in schools and colleges.

In July 2021, the Government launched their Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy which set out the approach to tackling crimes which disproportionately affect women and girls.

In mid-September 2021, an inspection from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) concluded that, while great improvements have been made in the policing response to Policing violence against women and girls over the last decade, these were not enough.

By December 2021, the National Police Chiefs Council introduced the ‘Policing violence against women and girls National framework for delivery: Year 1’to focus on the areas policing can improve immediately. Years 2 and 3 will focus on the wider community and the partnership approaches needed to deliver sustainable change.

The actions required from every force in this framework are wide ranging; from prevention to relentless perpetrator pursuit, to offender management. There is also an overarching focus on building trust and confidence between women and girls and the police, which has been severely damaged by Sarah Everard’s murder by a serving police officer, the abhorrent and inappropriate behaviour of officers photographing and sharing images of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallmans dead bodies, and other examples of police officers abusing their position for sexual gain.

This approach document, outlines the actions Gloucestershire Constabulary commits to undertaking in support of the NPCC framework and in tackling VIAWG.

4. Terminology used

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is an umbrella term used to cover a wide range of abuses against women and girls such as domestic homicide, domestic abuse, sexual assault, abuse experienced as a child, female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriage and harassment in work and public life. While men and boys also suffer from many of these forms of abuse, they disproportionately affect women.

VAWG is a term adopted from the United Nations 1993 declaration that includes “Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life”.

In Gloucestershire, we recognise the prevalence of intimidation towards women and girls. Acts that fall below the criminal threshold can have a profound effect on those who experience them, their ability to move freely in our communities and their perceptions of safety. Recognising this, we seek to tackle violence and intimidation against women and girls (VIAWG) through our approach and our titling reflects this. In including ‘intimidation’ in our approach, we also acknowledge our partnership approach, working alongside statutory, third and voluntary sectors to tackle all unsolicited behaviours which negatively impact women and girls.

5. Crime data

In the year ending March 2020, the Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated 1.6 million women aged 16 to 74 years in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse, around 7% of the female population. The crime survey also estimated that 3% of women aged 16 to 74 years in England and Wales experienced sexual assault (including attempts) and 5% experienced stalking. These trends have remained similar over the last 10 years.

In the year ending March 2020, police recorded crime data showed that almost half (46%) of adult female homicide victims in England and Wales (81 women) were killed in a domestic homicide.

There are other types of abuse that are hidden from society and are particularly hard to measure, such as female genital mutilation (FGM). Between April 2020 and March 2021, there were 5,395 women and girls who had attendances at NHS trusts or GPs in England where FGM was identified.

Abuse often starts early in life. In the year ending March 2019, the crime survey estimated 25% of women aged 18 to 74 years, around 5.1 million women, had experienced some form of abuse before the age of 16 years.

Other crimes, such as harassment, often happen in public. In June 2021, the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey showed that around a third (32%) of women over the age of 16 years in Great Britain had experienced at least one form of harassment in the last 12 months. Women aged 16 to 34 years were more than twice as likely (65%) to have experienced harassment in the last year than women aged 35 years and over.

The range and prevalence of these crimes is widespread, with many women and girls living with the aftereffects.

Of women who were victims of rape or assault by penetration (including attempts) since the age of 16 years, the crime survey, year ending March 2017 and year ending March 2020 combined estimated 63% reported mental or emotional problems and 10% reported that they had tried to kill themselves as a result. In addition, 21% reported taking time off work and 5% reported losing their job or giving up work.

In Gloucestershire, our figures present a similar, harrowing picture. In 2020, there were 10,865 domestic abuse incidents, that’s 1011 a month, which accounted for 13% of all crime reported to us. 78% of local DA victims were female, 93% of perpetrators were male. In 20/21 577 incidents of stalking crimes were recorded in Gloucestershire. Again, 94% of stalking victims were female and 97% of stalking offenders were male. In 2021, we saw 1468 sexual offences, including 284 rape offences and we know that 96% of victims of rape, sexual assault and abuse are female, 4% are male. Between 2009-2018, Gloucestershire saw 7 women killed by men.

The data is a stark reminder of the prevalence of VIAWG in Gloucestershire and in the UK as whole.

6. The NPCC's 'Policing Violence Against Women and Girls National Framework for Delivery: Year 1'

The NPCC has developed a framework for delivery to help bring consistently high standards to the police response to VAWG offences. The aim is to reduce the prevalence of these harmful and devastating crimes and the framework sets out priority actions for policing.

Actions are organised under three overarching objectives:

• improving trust and confidence in policing
• relentlessly pursuing perpetrators
• creating safer spaces

We welcome the framework and have developed delivery plans against the three pillars and points of action. This document provides further information and context for our delivery plans.

7. Pillar 1: Build trust and confidence

1. Respond unequivocally to allegations of police-perpetrated abuse, learning from mistakes and best practice.

We expect the highest standards from our officers and staff at all times so that we can retain the confidence of our communities in the standard of policing service we deliver. If our officers fall short of the professionalism we expect, they are held to account. This is of particular focus if the allegations relate to sexual misconduct, domestic abuse or other VIAWG related offences.

Since VIAWG became a force priority, our Professional Standards Department (PSD) has been prioritising current allegations. We have also been revisiting and reviewing actions taken in historic cases.

Working alongside experts in DA, stalking, harassment and all forms of sexual violence, our PSD team (staffed by Senior Detectives) has sought to fully understand the impact of such crimes. In turn, this has made us better able to support victims and bring perpetrators to justice. One example of the positive impact this has had, is that a victim of a historic DA case, empowered by our commitment to tackling VIAWG, is now working alongside our Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Strategic Coordinator.

PSD also work closely with colleagues in HR to ensure that behaviours that fall below the misconduct threshold level are also addressed, whether that is through Fairness at Work processes or through our Respect policy.

Whilst the majority of complaints will be managed by us, serious allegations may be referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who may decide to supervise, manage or independently investigate a complaint. We will always support this as a route for independent oversight.

We will continue to communicate through our PSD team that we are prioritising the investigation of VIAWG related allegations. We expect that in turn, this will increase the confidence of our own workforce to report. Forward facing, we will consider the creation of a VIAWG PSD Officer post, whose role it will be to investigate any allegations.

Our Professional Standards Department are active communicators; sharing via Force internal communications channels outcomes of misconducts, orders and advice and guidance. We also share any learning from IOPC investigations with our Force. As part of regional and national PSD working groups, we also bring learning back into Force.

Equally, officers and staff in ACU and PSD regularly do inputs to new recruits and supervisors and attend PCSO Forums, Leader’s Days and Senior Development Forums to share themes, problems and good practice.

2. Challenge and address sexism and misogyny within policing.

In Force, we communicate immediately, clearly and frequently that misogynistic, sexist and sexualised behaviour will not be tolerated by anyone in policing. This has included responding to the sentencing of Wayne Couzens, a tackling sexual harassment in the workplace Team Talk, a Force wide VIAWG webcast, a mandatory read for all staff on the abuse of power for sexual gain and a full day event on female empowerment to mark International Women’s Day 2022.

Forward facing, we aim to tackle misogyny and sexism in Force through the continued promotion of the HeforShe initiative, through our Innovate programme (a personal development programme for under-represented groups in Force), an inclusion module on our Supportive Leadership and Wellbeing Programme and through internal communications. We are also pursuing White Ribbon accreditation for the organisation.

Establishing a strong ‘call it out’ culture

We will establish and continuously improve a strong ‘call it out’ culture (including a focus on the importance of men being up standers, not bystanders), supported by safe processes for reporting inappropriate behaviours and swift interventions where necessary. We will do this through our Bystander Intervention Training programme, the continued promotion of the Women’s Initiative Network (W.I.N), through PSD communications and through a specific communications campaign acting on the findings of the Crossing the Line report.

Understanding the problem within: Crossing the Line report

Our VIAWG strategy includes developing a local problem profile to understand the situation that women and girls face in Gloucestershire. As an organisation, we’re going one step further - examining our own position and culture through the creation of an internal problem profile as well as really listening to women who work in our organisation.

To help us achieve this, we commissioned an independent consultant, Wendy Derrick, to conduct a number of focus groups and 121s with police officers and staff within Gloucestershire Constabulary and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. During December 2021, 72 female colleagues volunteered to give us their views by joining these groups.

To reflect what had been said, a report was drafted called ‘Crossing the Line.’ The report makes a number of recommendations. We will be considering these thoughtfully and carefully so that they can be implemented effectively. A Silver Group, led by a Chief Inspector, supported by a Detective Inspector will take this work forward.

A detailed action plan of next steps, based on the recommendations is in development. This will include further ‘listening circles’ with the women who took part and the wider female workforce.

The organisation will also continue supporting our Women’s Initiative Network (W.I.N) who can provide confidential support and advice to women at all levels across the Force.

Reward and appreciation

We are working to ensure that reward and recognition is given to those modelling positive behaviours. These include bespoke Tackling VIAWG categories in our flagship recognition programme, The Impact Awards, and VIAWG related nominations for The High Sheriff Awards.

3. Involve VAWG organisations, including charities supporting Black and minoritised women and girls, as well as individual women and girls with lived experience.

Welcoming independent scrutiny

We welcome and encourage effective engagement, challenge, advice and support from community representatives and Critical Friends such as our Independent Advisory Group, our Community Legitimacy panel and internally through our staff associations and Staff Association Network (SAN).

Our IAG and Community Legitimacy Panels help

• to demonstrate a working partnership and transparent approach between Gloucestershire Constabulary and residents of Gloucestershire’s wider communities
• to provide constructive advice to Gloucestershire Constabulary on ways to improve service delivery to all communities
• to look at organisational policies, practices and procedures and advise on how they can be improved to minimise any potential negative impact on different communities
• advising in critical and major incidents and policing
• to provide advice and guidance to Gloucestershire Constabulary on its development and introduction of new ways of working
• to work at the gold and strategic level and where appropriate to support other levels of policing.

Moving forward, we have drafted the Terms of Reference for a Domestic Abuse Scrutiny Panel with discussions ongoing about broadening the scope to all VIAWG related matters. This panel will assess our response led by our DCI Investigations and our Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Strategic Coordinator.

Involving and empowering women and girls at every stage

Gloucestershire has a Domestic Abuse Partnership Board and a Sexual Violence Partnership Board that coordinate and improve the service to victims of abuse and crime. Through robust needs assessment and service user consultation countywide strategies are developed and implemented by these multiagency partnerships. The boards are committed to exploring the need for any specialist services that can specifically meet the needs of minority groups.

We have employed a Consultation Officer to work across both areas, tasked to improve the service delivery to our diverse and minority communities and who will ensure that strategic approaches are informed by service user voice. The role is jointly funded by the OPCC and County Council and the work is driven by the DASV Strategic Coordinator.

Commissioned Services such as GDASS (Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service), GRASAC (Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre) and the SARC (Sexual Assault Referral Centre) have dedicated workers all with specialisms in working with minority groups.

Equally, third sector organisations are part of the current board structure and will be part of the strategy developments and subsequent communications plans.

Finally, the countywide DA delivery plan includes a commitment to developing a multi-agency communications strategy for DA, stalking, Honour Based Violence and Forced Marriage. Such communications will look to engage with communities who under-report. This will include a joint communications approach between the County Council and Police, ensuring we provide partners with key messages and information to share information to targeted groups. This will also be explored for sexual violence, once the Sexual Violence Strategy is complete.

Listening to and incorporating the voice of those with lived experience

The voices of those with lived experience is used to change and improve practice in Force.

The county domestic abuse (inclusive of stalking, HBV/FM) strategy was developed following a commissioned engagement project with our local communities and those with lived experience. The survey was pushed through the use of targeted advertising to gather a range of views from a cross section of Gloucestershire communities.

The findings from this project directly influenced the priorities identified in the strategy and the delivery plan.

The ongoing development of the multi-agency communications strategy will focus on areas of awareness raising that were identified through the engagement project.

The sexual violence strategy, currently in development, will reflect on the service user consultation conducted in 2019 and refreshed in 2021. Training is another key priority identified in the strategy with plans to commission countywide training via the domestic abuse commissioning framework. A review of the county training pathway will be conducted and any training will cover DA as well as stalking, Honour Based Violence and Forced Marriage.

Training delivered to new recruits by our Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Strategic Coordinator and our DA and Stalking Tactical Lead incorporates and shares best practice and learning from Domestic Homicide Reviews and other cases. Direct feedback received by our Service Recovery team is also shared into operational policing teams.

The new Consultation Coordinator role will further coordinate lived experience feedback and ensure this is built into our training provision.

DA and Stalking Champions and DA Matters

Forward facing, we are in the process of developing DA and Stalking Champions for the Force, responding to reports both externally and internally; ensuring that we support colleagues who experience these issues too. Once established we will ensure that regular updates are circulated to those champions to implement force wide change.

Domestic Abuse Matters (a training programme which seeks to improve the response given to survivors of domestic abuse) is being explored for the Force, to improve our knowledge and response to domestic abuse. If DA Matters is rolled out, we will look to develop ongoing continual professional development to listen to and understand the voices of those with lived experience.

In our campaigning and communications work, we continue to work with partner agencies, and those in the voluntary and third sectors, to understand and share stories of domestic abuse and sexual violence through case studies and testimonies.

4. Collect consistent local and national information on the availability of specialist VAWG investigators to build the right capability and capacity.

Skills Gap Analysis

We are commissioning an urgent skills gap analysis of the number of specialist trained staff, relative to current demand. This will include specialist staff trained in initial response to VIAWG-related offences, investigators and specialist trained interviewers. This will be used to inform the national picture of skills
and capabilities.

Models of deployment

We will ensure that effective models of deployment for these specialist trained staff are in place, to enable effective response and swift investigation based on vulnerability and skills.

We have a dedicated Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Team that specialise in the investigation of VIAWG cases, they are accredited PiP2 Detectives and trained in specialist sexual assault investigation (SSAIDP).

We have a dedicated Domestic Abuse Safeguarding Team (DAST) that work closely with partners to reduce risk to the victims of domestic abuse. They work alongside partners as part of the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). They support victim cases subject of Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC) and manage requests for information in respect of the ‘domestic violence disclosure scheme’.

Local Policing Constables are trained as ‘first response officers’ in dealing with victims of rape and serious sexual offences. This model ensures that any victim will receive an immediate response where a first account and early evidence samples are taken within the golden hour.

8. Pillar 2: Relentless perpetrator pursuit

5. Relentlessly pursue and actively manage and target the most dangerous and prolific perpetrators.

We will ensure that a process is in place to proactively identify individuals who pose the highest risk of harm to women and girls, and actively manage those individuals to prevent or reduce offending.

We will work with partners in the effective management of violent offenders using well established principles of Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), Management of Sexual or Violent offenders (MOSOVO) and Integrated Offender Management (IOM). We will identify high risk perpetrators and direct operational activity via local, force and sensitive tasking. We will identify and pursue high risk and urgent perpetrator threat via Daily Management Meetings.

Forward facing, we will implement a MATAC (Multi Agency Tasking and Co Ordination) process into Force. The overarching objectives of the MATAC are to identify and target those offenders who pose the most harm to our communities, to safeguard adults and children at risk of domestic abuse and sexual violence and to reduce reoffending.

We will also consider a multi-agency whole-system approach to offender management of such individuals, to include education, prevention, diversion, disruption and enforcement tactics, including the use of electronic tagging. We have a voluntary DA perpetrator programme in the county ‘Positive Relationships Gloucestershire (PRG)’ who run behavioural change programmes. The service is engaged in discussions around MATAC.

In Gloucestershire we have the Stalking Clinic; a multi-agency process, with a dedicated coordinator that assesses specific stalking risk based on the typology of the stalker from the Stalking Risk Profile. This model supports the tactical lead in providing advice and guidance to investigating officers to ensure a robust response to high risk stalking.

6. Better use of police powers to protect women and girls, and to manage and disrupt perpetrators.

We will increase effective use of protective and preventative tools and orders, ensuring that they are properly monitored, risk-based and well-governed.

We will make effective use of positive action in protecting victims of domestic abuse. We will make effective use of all available civil orders to protect victims and manage offender behaviour (including Domestic Violence Protection Notices (DVPN), Stalking Protection Order (SPO), Sexual Risk Order (SRO), and Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

We will be delivering work in Force to improve the uptake of Stalking Protection Orders, with the Stalking Tactical Lead and Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Strategic Coordinator working alongside our Legal team to better understand current barriers and how to overcome them. Training is also being delivered to new recruits includes positive action with an offender i.e. arresting and the use of measures such as DVPN, SPO, SRO, SHPO.

We will also complete a review of, and strengthen processes to identify, perpetrator non-compliance with orders and ensure that where required, breaches are met with swift action and robust enforcement.

7. Adopt a trauma-aware approach at all levels, to better support victims through the criminal justice process, and focus on evidence-led prosecutions where appropriate.

Being trauma informed

We will embed trauma informed awareness in all training. Gloucestershire offers support to victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence through independent trauma advisors, based at specialist victim support agencies.

We ensure that officers and staff tailor their responses and approaches accordingly and monitor referrals to appropriate specialist victim support services.

There are a range of these in the County where referrals are made by officers and staff including:

• Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service (We also have two response IDVAs from GDASS based alongside the Domestic Abuse Safeguarding Team supporting police in engaging with hard to reach victims (2 year pilot)
• Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (GRASAC)
• Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC):
• Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworker service (Splitz): for high risk non DA stalking victims
• Victim Support: for non DA and standard and medium risk stalking and harassment
• GP, Mental Health Services, Turning Point or anyone else that may be appropriate
• TIC+ for Sexual Violence counselling provision
• STREET ( a young person’s domestic abuse service which supports those aged 13-19 who may witness DA at home, experience DA in their own relationships and those who are starting to use harmful behaviours in relationships)
• Stroud Beresford Refuge (DA Women’s Refuge)
• The Nelson Trust (a women’s centre: responding to complex needs and also specifically has the sex worker outreach programme)

Understanding the impact of trauma on our workforce

We will also ensure that force wellbeing strategies include an awareness of the effect of trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on police officers and staff.

Since April 2021, we have been working to become a trauma informed and ACE aware organisation. This has been underpinned by developing an understanding of trauma and resilience within our own workforce. Our approach has included an internal communications campaign and engagement across the business.

We recognise that Police Officers and staff deal with potentially traumatic incidents which may impact on their psychological wellbeing and we manage this impact by implementing the Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) procedure as part of our holistic Wellbeing Initiative. TRiM Practitioners provide support to affected individuals guided by a risk assessment which can indicate those who may be more at risk of developing post trauma reactions and those who may require treatment.

We will continue to promote TRiM and being trauma informed through our approach to wellbeing.

8. Enhanced supervision of VAWG investigations.

We will develop a force process for enhanced and standardised supervision of VIAWG investigations.

Cases of rape and serious sexual offence are subject of enhanced supervision and review by a Detective Inspector as per our investigations policy. Cases of domestic abuse are supervised in line with current crime and investigative standards.

We will endeavour to reduce the number of investigations that are finalised without a criminal justice outcome. We will establish greater scrutiny of those cases proposed for finalisation where the victim declines, or is unable to support, further police action to identify the offender, when the victim supports police action but evidential difficulties prevent further action and where a named suspect has been identified but the victim does not support (or has withdrawn support from) police action.

We will work with key partners to provide scrutiny to cases of both domestic abuse and sexual violence, the panels will review cases deemed no further action by either police or the Crown Prosecution Service. The purpose of the panels are to share learning and improve standards of investigation, therefore offering a better service to victims.

9. Pillar 3: Safer Spaces

9. Immediate and unequivocal prioritisation of VIAWG.

Prioritising VIAWG

We will build VIAWG into every force’s priority plan, and into internal and external policies and processes, and ensure that appropriate equality impact assessments are conducted and in place. In Gloucestershire, tackling VIAWG is also a priority of our Police and Crime Commissioner and a pillar of the Police and Crime Plan and it has been identified as an operational priority. We have a current Gold Command structure with silver leads for both internal and external aspects. We have created a communications and engagement plan which sets out our approach to tackling VIAWG.

We have tasked a problem and threat profile that will inform organisational decision making and allocation of resources. We will adapt the national performance framework to bench mark our performance on this issue.

We are working with partners and the OPCC to understand and embed the new Serious Violence Duty into partnership VIAWG plans.

10. Focus prevention work on the most dangerous online, private and public spaces.

We will target activity at identified high-risk and high-harm locations, including those associated with the night-time economy and other large-capacity venues, to make them safer. We have done and will continue to do this in a number of ways including through Safer Streets Funding where we have secured £1 million funding from the Home Office to focus on creating safer public spaces in Gloucester. Through targeted operations such as Operation Nightingale; an anti-spiking operation in the night time economy and through the launch of the Flare app; an app which enables women and girls to anonymously report many types of behaviour that give cause for concern and locations where they happen. We have also on boarded with the national Streetsafe tool and will continue to promote it alongside the personal safety app, Hollie Guard.

We will also continue to record gender based hate crimes and incidents as a pilot. This forms part of our wider approach to tackling hostility and prejudiced based offences towards marginalised communities and people of difference. Although not an aggravated offence in law, the recording of gender will allow us to signpost victims to tailored support agencies, capture valuable intelligence, build a picture of what is occurring in our communities and enable us to assess wider vulnerability and harm.

Develop and maintaining comprehensive problem profiles

We have commissioned the development of a problem profile to understand the nature of the threat from offences linked to violence, intimidation and abuse of women and girls in the county in order to support decisions and action to mitigate and prevent that threat.

The problem profiles will allow us to identify mechanisms that could aid in reducing incidents of violence, intimidation and abuse of women in the county by removing the opportunity or the motivation by making recommendations under the 4P’s framework.

In scope are the following areas:

1. Violence

• Homicide - Murder, Attempted Murder, Manslaughter, Threats to Kill
• Other violence - Assault with or without injury
• Kidnapping
• Modern Slavery

2. Intimidation

• Stalking
• Harrassment
• Malicious Communications

3. Abuse

• Rape and Serious Sexual Offences
• Child Sexual Abuse
• Child Sexual Exploitation
• Prostitution - Soliciting of Women by Men, Exploitation of Prostitution, Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation
• FGM

4. Domestic Abuse

This document will include quantitative data from the Constabulary’s crime and incident systems, partner agencies, the local authority and other open source data (e.g. ONS) as well as qualitative data from subject matter experts and victim surveys. A data collection plan has been produced separately from this document by the Research department.

The problem profile will also include data on the what, how, who, where, when of VIAWG related crime in the county. It will underpin prevention activity and inform our approach. It will identify intelligence gaps, give recommendations and include the production of a control strategy.

The problem profile will be ready by September 2022.

We will also work with local partners in wider criminal justice, education and health to target prevention activity, and ensure that this is part of any police and crime plan.

Both Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence multi agency partnership boards, have prevention as a priority within their strategies. Both have also completed needs assessments which will influence the local commissioning of services and have supported strategy development. The OPCC is also a key part of the boards and can ensure a continuous feedback loop into the Police and Crime Plan.

Outcome and performance measurements

By 31st March the NPCC will publish an outcomes and performance framework which will assist with how the Constabulary measures performance. The Analysis, Research and Planning (AR&P) department will assist in gathering the data included in this performance framework.

Our approach will also include a focus on measurement against the following areas for both our internal and external strands of work:

• Prevalence of crimes and incidents of VIAWG
• Confidence in our ability to respond
• Effectiveness in our approach: supporting victims and bringing perpetrators to justice

In addition, our Analysis Research and Planning function is working with the business area leads to develop delivery plans and 4p Action Plans (Prepare, Prevent, Protect, and Pursue) which will identify performance measurements at a force level.

The Constabulary problem profile also includes a variety of measures laid out in the NPCC Taskforce Data Guidance document. The problem profile will be used to inform the local VIAWG strategy in Gloucestershire and will direct activity and resources. This will inform baseline measures and will then be used to measure outcomes and impact of the VIAWG work. Data sources will include: Crime reports, intelligence reports, performance data, and partner data such as local surveys, health data and analysis completed by other organisations.

The Constabulary will also be using the national crime and policing measures to assess the impact of the VIAWG work, including: Murder and other homicide, reducing serious violence, improving satisfaction among victims, with a particular focus on victims of domestic abuse, and tackling cybercrime.

Alongside this we will use our satisfaction surveys to understand the impact of our work in our communities.

We will record and measure data from our Professional Standards Department to track the impact of our work internally and understand the impact this strategy has on internal confidence. We will also continue to track the prevalence of harassment in our workforce through our annual staff survey.

We will a work with our Independent Advisory Group to understand their assessment of the impact our work is having.

10. Gloucestershire Constabulary's Delivery Plan

The NPCC framework for delivery is for police forces to use to develop local action plans, setting out activity against the framework. In Gloucestershire we have created a detailed delivery plan. It is a continuously evolving and updated document, held by our Analysis, Research and Planning Team. For further information or to see our delivery plan please contact [email protected]

11. Download this information as a PDF

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