£2m in government funding for new Domestic Abuse Hub in Surrey

A major £2million project to tackle domestic abuse and stalking in Surrey has been given the green light following a successful bid for government funding by the OPCC.

This additional funding was secured as part of a national programme to work with those responsible for harmful behaviour, with the aim of helping change the way they think and behave. The funding, spread over the next two years, will be used to create a Domestic Abuse Hub which will be open to any adult in Surrey and give participants the skills to be able to make positive, long-lasting changes in their lives.

More info: https://www.surrey-pcc.gov.uk/commissioner-secures-2m-in-government-funding-for-new-domestic-abuse-hub-in-surrey/

£1m in government funding for projects to improve safety in three Surrey towns

Projects in Walton, Redhill and Guildford are set to receive a boost to their safety after a successful bid for additional funding by the OPCC to the government’s Safer Streets fund.

The grant is part of the fifth round of Safer Streets funding which has so far seen over £120m shared across England and Wales for projects to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, and to make areas safer for women and girls.

More info: https://www.surrey-pcc.gov.uk/commissioner-secures-1m-in-government-funding-for-projects-to-improve-safety-in-three-surrey-towns/

Supporting convictions for serious sexual offences

Every police force in England and Wales has now signed up to Operation Soteria, a joint policing and prosecutions programme. This Home Office-funded initiative aims to develop new operating models for the investigation and prosecution of rape in a bid to increase the number of cases reaching court by more than double.

The PCC hosted Edward Argar, the Minister for Victims and Sentencing, to discuss the implementation of Soteria in Surrey. During the MP’s visit to Guildford, he joined a tour of Surrey’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) to learn more about the work that is currently being done to support survivors locally.

More info: https://www.surrey-pcc.gov.uk/commissioner-hails-new-national-programme-aimed-at-driving-up-convictions-for-serious-sexual-offences/

Fully-funded teacher training to tackle violence against women and girls

Schools in Surrey were invited to apply for a new teacher training programme which was fully funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. The programme aims to build self-confidence in children, enabling them to live safe and fulfilled lives.

Additional £1million to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls

The Commissioner's office has secured almost £1million in Government funding to provide a package of support for young people to help combat violence against women and girls in the county. The sum, granted by the Home Office’s What Works Fund, will be spent on a series of projects designed to build self-confidence in children with the aim of enabling them to live safe and fulfilled lives. Reducing violence against women and girls is one of the key priorities in the Police and Crime Plan. At the heart of the new programme is specialist training for teachers delivering Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education at every school in Surrey via the Government’s Healthy Schools scheme, which aims to improve the health and wellbeing of pupils.

New Domestic Abuse & Stalking Perpetrator Schemes

Complementing local provision for victims, the Commissioner's office introduced a set of new domestic abuse and stalking perpetrator programmes, designed to work with offenders to address problematic and inappropriate behaviours and reduce the risk of further offending. Both Surrey Police and wider partners are now able to refer individuals into these services, and the stalking programme is ensuring that Surrey Police is well placed to meet its duties under the Stalking Protection Act 2019.

Successful bid to the Government's Safer Streets Fund

Responding to feedback received from the Surrey Police ‘Call it Out’ survey, which sought to understand concerns of women across the County, the Commissioner's office successfully bid for £175,000 from the Government’s Safer Streets Fund to tackle issues along the Basingstoke Canal in Woking. This has included the removal of vegetation to improve visibility, cleaning of graffiti and the installation of new CCTV cameras which now cover the towpath.

Launch of Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy

Surrey Police became one of the first forces in the UK to launch a Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, helping to harmonise and develop a consistent approach across multiple areas including domestic abuse, sexual offences, peer-on-peer abuse in schools and Harmful Traditional Practices.