Home Office
Detail of outcome
In June 2022, the government launched a consultation seeking views on a draft version of the Serious Violence Duty statutory guidance, the legislation, local area support offers and a request for case studies.
We received feedback from interested stakeholders and parties including those with expertise in working with young people at risk of criminal involvement and / or re-offending or victimisation, those involved in law enforcement and, more generally, the communities affected by serious violence including the voluntary and community sector.
This included relevant professionals, such as those working in social care, education, law enforcement, local government, community safety, youth services, offender management, victims services, public health and healthcare.
This document provides a summary of responses and the governments response to the consultation.
The final statutory guidance on the Serious Violence Duty is now available.
Original consultation
Consultation description
In response to a government consultation in 2019 on a new legal duty to support a multi-agency approach to preventing and tackling serious violence, there was an overall consensus for a legislative approach to a duty. As a result, the Serious Violence Duty (the duty) was legislated for as part of the Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Act 2022 (the PCSC Act) and is a key part of the governments commitment to reduce and prevent serious violence.
The duty covers the requirements set out in chapter 1 of part 2 of the PCSC Act 2022; where it requires specified authorities, the police, local authorities, fire and rescue authorities, youth offending teams, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in England, Local Health Boards in Wales and probation services, to work together to formulate an evidence-based analysis of serious violence in a local area and then formulate and implement a strategy detailing how they will respond to those issues.
This consultation seeks views on the draft statutory guidance on the Serious Violence Duty which will be issued by the Secretary of State under section 19 of the PCSC Act 2022. The aim of the guidance is to support specified authorities, local policing bodies, educational, prison and youth custody authorities, any persons prescribed by the Secretary of State in regulations under section 10 of the PCSC Act 2022 in the exercise of their functions under the duty as set out in chapter 1 of part 2 of the act.
The consultation is aimed at those with expertise in working with young people at risk of criminal involvement and/or re-offending or victimisation, those involved in law enforcement and, more generally, the communities affected by serious violence including the voluntary and community sector. This includes relevant professionals, such as those working in social care, education, law enforcement, local government, community safety, youth services, offender management, victims services, public health and healthcare.
Proposals for implementation of the Serious Violence Duty
We aim to publish the final statutory guidance before planned commencement of the Serious Violence Duty early in 2023 so partners are sufficiently prepared for implementation. In advance of the indicated commencement, secondary legislation will be brought forward to make further provision for or in connection with the publication and dissemination of strategies and conferring functions on local policing bodies.
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