Vulnerability and violent crime programme (VVCP)
The Centre for Crime, Justice and Policing (CCJP) at the University of Birmingham partnered with UK police forces to evaluate a series of early intervention and safeguarding projects under the College of Policing’s Vulnerability and Violent Crime Programme (VVCP). These projects aim to reduce harm, prevent offending, and support vulnerable individuals and families through multi-agency collaboration and evidence-based practice.
Full Evaluation Studies
Think Family Early Intervention (TFEI) Scheme
Force: Avon and Somerset Police
Description: A preventative and multi-agency scheme responding to the troubled families programme and aiming to target complex problems at an early stage before they become severe and high risk. Police community support officers (PCSOs) work closely with families to identify difficulties and coordinate holistic support before issues escalate into high-risk situations.
Findings: The intervention was linked to a reduction in domestic abuse, crime and youth crime for families but no positive impact on anti-social behaviour. PCSOs gave mixed feedback, with effectiveness depending on delivery quality and appropriate family targeting.
Project lead: Professor Caroline Bradbury-Jones
Co-investigators: Dr Kari Davies, Margaret Hardiman, Dr Juste Abramovaite, Professor Anindya Banerjee and Professor Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay
Trusted Adult Workers (TAWs)
Force: Hampshire Constabulary
Description: TAWs support young people who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), helping them build resilience and reduce risks of future offending. The model includes professional training, using a Train the Trainer approach to improve referral pathways. The project was funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire, and delivered through local authorities working closely with local safeguarding boards and community safety partnerships.
Findings: TAWs provided early support to children with ACEs, helping to build resilience and improve emotional health, social connections, and empowerment. Outcome Star scores showed statistically significant improvements, with an average gain of +0.5 for children and +0.65 for family outcomes. The intervention was particularly effective for younger children, females, and those with four or more ACEs. Although TAWs were often supporting children with multiple ACEs and complex needs, the programme still achieved clear improvements in resilience, emotional wellbeing, and empowerment, showing that trusted adult relationships can make a positive difference even in the most challenging circumstances. The Train the Trainer (TTT) programme raised awareness of ACEs within public-sector organisations. TTT participants demonstrated improved scores relating to awareness of the impact and effects of ACEs, suggesting the training was beneficial.
Project lead: Dr Joht Singh Chandan
Co-investigators: Megan Denne, Dr Juste Abramovaite, Rosie McGuire, Dr Krishnarajah Nirantharakumar, Professor Julie Taylor, Professor Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, Dr Emily Evans
Family Safety Plans (FSPs)
Force: Hampshire Constabulary
Description: The Family Safety Plans (FSP) intervention, delivered jointly by with Children’s Services and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), aims to reduce the use of Outcome 20 and increase Out of Court Disposals (OOCDs) and community resolutions, supporting early evidence gathering and reducing criminal justice outcomes. It involved home visits and behaviour contracts to improve the level of care given to children and raise awareness about the consequences of failing to follow the contract.
Findings: FSPs aimed to reduce Outcome 20 use and increase OOCDs and community resolutions, supporting early evidence gathering and monitoring. Compared to 2017 cases, the intervention led to a 45% drop in Outcome 20s, a 12% rise in OOCDs, alongside approximately 40 fewer children on CPPs (an 18% reduction) within the six months following the intervention. Children in the intervention group were 5% less likely to be suspects (p<0.10) and 5% less likely to be reported missing (p<0.05) than matched controls. However, concerns around consistency of use, legal value in court, and disproportionality were shared during interviews with practitioners.
Project Lead: Professor Catherine Hamilton-Giachritsis (Department of Psychology, University of Bath)
Co-investigators: Rosie McGuire and Megan Denne (Department of Psychology, University of Bath), Dr Kari Davies, Dr Juste Abramovaite, Professor Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay and Professor Matt Cole (University of Birmingham)
Risk Assessment and Management: Spousal assault risk assessment (SARA v3) and stalking assessment and management tool (SAM)
Forces: Cumbria Police, Lancashire Constabulary, West Midlands Police
Description: These interventions focus on risk assessment and management tools for serial and repeat perpetrators of domestic abuse and stalking. A three-force pilot began in 2018 and endorsed by the NPCC leads for management of sexual or violent offenders and domestic abuse.
Findings: Training was positively received, boosting offender managers’ confidence, but did not significantly improve their understanding or use of the tools. Inter-rater reliability was low, with offender managers frequently disagreeing on risk factors and interventions, raising concerns about the validity of the assessment tools. Across all forces in the pilot, the rate of reoffending for all offences was 54% after six months with similar pattern for DA-related reoffending (40%).
Project lead: Professor Jessica Woodhams
Co-investigators: Dr Emily Evans, Dr Kari Davies, Ms Margaret Hardiman, Dr Juste Abramovaite, Professor Anindya Banerjee, Professor Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay; Ms Christina Moreton, Dr Owen Forster
High Harm Perpetrator Unit (HHPU)
Force: Surrey Police
Description: HHPU focuses on risk assessment and management, it uses an algorithm and referral process to support professional judgement and proactively identify high-harm perpetrators who may or may not be currently managed.
Findings: The unit significantly increased offender management capacity and enabled earlier intervention, particularly for domestic abuse perpetrators. Staff reported improved skills, proactive working, and spillover benefits to other units. The algorithm showed weak but significant predictive ability with potential for further development.
Project lead: Dr Kari Davies
Co-investigators: Professor Jessica Woodhams, Dr Juste Abramovaite, Dr Emily Evans, Professor Anindya Banerjee, Professor Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay.
Feasibility Studies:
County Lines Intervention Team (CLIMATE)
Force: Dorset Police
Description: A multi-agency team, consisting of uniformed officers and partner agencies, visits vulnerable individuals at risk of exploitation through county lines networks with aims to safeguard those at risk of cuckooing and foster positive engagement with the drug-using community.
Findings: It was found that there is demand for interventions that tackle county lines activity, community safety and local vulnerability. CLIMATE is acceptable, practical, and potentially scalable while dependent on strategic support and effective collaboration with neighbourhood policing teams and partner agencies.
Report authors: Dr Christine Christie, Professor Julie Taylor, Professor Caroline
Bradbury-Jones, Professor Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, Professor Matthew Cole, Dr
Karen Nokes, Mr Robert Lees.
Adolescent Risk Team (ART)
Force: Metropolitan Police (Southwest Basic Command Unit)
Description: ART is a specialist team operating across four London boroughs and co-ordinating the police response to children vulnerable to criminal exploitation, serious youth violence, or harmful sexual behaviour.
Findings: ART was found to be acceptable, practical, and in demand, with evidence of reduced risk for young people and improved multi-agency safeguarding. The intervention led to fewer missing episodes, increased school and training engagement, and reductions in contextual harm and exploitation risk. While implementation was strong and the model transferable, findings are limited by small sample size and reliance on proxy measures.
Report authors: Dr Christine Christie, Professor Paul Montgomery-Marks, Dr Livia Menezes, Dr Amy Burrell, Dr Karen Nokes, Mr Robert Lees.
Out of Court Disposal Panels
Force: Northumbria Police
Description: Multi-agency panels that review youth offences to ensure proportionate out-of-court outcomes, aiming to reduce unnecessary criminalisation, repeat cautioning, and future reoffending.
Findings: Outcome 22 is viewed as an acceptable and flexible early intervention that effectively diverts young people from the justice system and encourages tailored support to prevent reoffending. It is in high demand, well-integrated into existing panel processes, and considered a favourable alternative by police and youth justice teams, despite limited outcome data.
Report authors: Dr Shola Apena Rogers, Dr Christine Christie, Dr Karen Nokes, Professor Anindya Banerjee, Professor Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay
Youth Engagement Team (YET)
Force: Suffolk Constabulary
Description: YET works with vulnerable young people aged 10–18 identified via a Vulnerability Assessment Tracker (VAT), delivering intensive 12-week engagement and tailored multi-agency support to reduce gang involvement, serious violence, and social exclusion.
Findings: YET is widely viewed as acceptable and valuable by young people, families, and partners, with strong demand exceeding current capacity. However, its broad focus makes integration with existing police structures challenging, and further data is required to assess long-term outcomes while future expansion would require additional resources and structural integration.
Report authors: Dr Emily Evans, Dr Christine Christie, Dr Joht Chandan Singh, Dr Amy Burrell
Project team
Project team
Overall evaluation lead: Professor Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay
Funder
Funder
The VVCP is funded by the Home Office police transformation fund and is run in partnership with the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC).