Overview
The aims of the VAWG advisory panel are to provide open, transparent, and thematic advice on Violence Against Women and Girls offence types, providing a platform for continuous improvement. This is done through reviewing Northumbria Police practices and activities to ensure they are victim focussed and to seek an increase in victim and partner confidence and satisfaction in Northumbria Police’s approach to tackling VAWG.
The Advisory Panel will receive update reports and consider case studies under the three pillars of Building Trust and Confidence, Relentless Pursuit of Perpetrators and Creating Safer Spaces. The panel will also hear, in some cases, directly from the victim to provide lived experience and first-hand insight into how their case was handled.
- Terms of Reference – currently under review
Memberships
Core members of the advisory panel have been drawn from a range of subject experts with both strategic and operational knowledge within Northumbria Police. To provide external, expert advice members representing different parts of VCSE are part of the group including representation from SARC and victims voice is represented on at least one case per panel.
VAWG current membership comprises of the following representatives:
- OPCC
- Northumbria Police
- Northumbria Victim and Witness Service
- Relevant VCSE organisations
- Local Authority representative from Adult MASH
- Local Authority representative from Children MASH
- Mountain Healthcare
Associate Members will be involved at key points through-out the year as subject experts, dependent on the agenda topic.