Bi-Annual Update-

Safer North Yorkshire (Community Safety Plan) Delivery and Partnership Working

 

March 2026

 

 


1.0  Purpose of this Report

1.1 The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 places a statutory duty on local authorities to establish multi‑agency partnerships to address crime, disorder, anti‑social behaviour, and other issues that impact community safety, including the reduction of reoffending. Over time, both local needs and statutory responsibilities have continued to develop. In North Yorkshire, this statutory function is delivered through Safer North Yorkshire (the North Yorkshire Community Safety Partnership). Safer North Yorkshire is chaired by a senior officer from North Yorkshire Police, ensuring strong strategic leadership across the partnership. The Vice Chair role is fulfilled by North Yorkshire Council, represented by the Head of Community Safety and CCTV.

1.2 Updates from Safer North Yorkshire to this Overview and Scrutiny relate directly to the agreed priorities set out within the multi-agency Community Safety Partnership Strategy and Action Plan. NYCSP Strategy Plan 2024-2028.pdf To support more thorough and informed scrutiny, it has been agreed, that a more focused, thematic approach will be adopted. This will enable elected members to consider each priority in greater depth.

1.3 For 2026, the following programme of updates has been agreed. March 2026- Domestic Abuse and Serious Violence Duty. September 2026- Community Safety Hubs and Hate Crime, Radicalisation and Extremism.

 

 

 

 

 

2.0  Domestic Abuse (statutory duty)

2.1 Muti-agency arrangements adhere to the Home Office definition of domestic abuse. “Any incidents or patterns of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse:

·         Psychological

·         Physical

·         Financial

·         Sexual

·         Emotional.”

2.2 Police data indicates that domestic abuse crimes have reduced significantly between 2022 and 2025. Further reported data shows a notable decrease in repeat cases, with the proportion of repeat victims falling from 26.3% of all victims to 17.2% and repeat perpetrators falling from 29.5% to 20.4%. These reductions may suggest improvements in early intervention and support. For victims, this may reflect more effective safety planning, multi‑agency responses, and access to specialist services that help reduce the risk of further incidents. For perpetrators, it may indicate that disruption tactics, including timely arrests, probation-led interventions, and behaviour‑change programmes, are successfully reducing opportunities for repeat offending. Reported domestic abuse follows anticipated seasonal and Christmas trends. In 2023/24, the highest number of domestic abuse crimes occurred in April, May, July, and December. Weekend periods also show increased reporting, with most incidents reported during afternoon and evening hours. These patterns are consistent with national trends and inform resourcing and partnership planning, including communication campaigns.

2.3 Although North Yorkshire is a predominantly rural county, the majority of domestic abuse crimes are recorded within its urban wards. An additional area of emerging complexity is the identification of repeat locations involving hotels and holiday parks. These locations present operational challenges, as both victims and perpetrators often reside outside the county, making ongoing support, safeguarding follow-up, and multi‑agency coordination more difficult. Specific training and awareness raising has taken place with staff in holiday parks across a number of community safety priorities, including domestic abuse.

2.4 While police‑recorded domestic abuse data provides valuable insight into incident trends and demand on policing, it captures only a partial picture of the true scale and nature of domestic abuse across North Yorkshire. National evidence shows that domestic abuse is a significantly under‑reported crime, with only around 24% of incidents reported to police. Robust contracting processes ensure that data within commissioned services is appropriately scrutinised. It is recognised that some individuals accessing these services may not have reported domestic abuse to the police, and these commissioning arrangements help to highlight and understand that unmet need. Effective multi-agency arrangements for strategic and operational delivery relies on collaboration between partners including local authorities, policing, health and specialist providers to design services that are accessible, sustainable and responsive to the diverse needs of victims and families across the county’s urban, rural and coastal communities.

2.5 Under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, local authorities are required to deliver a coordinated and multi‑agency approach to supporting victims of domestic abuse. Statutory responsibilities include:

·         Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board
Local authorities must appoint a Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board, ensuring representation from victims/survivors, specialist domestic abuse services, housing providers, community safety, health partners and other relevant agencies.

·         Local Needs Assessment
A comprehensive needs assessment must be undertaken, covering the prevalence of domestic abuse locally and the need for accommodation‑based support, including safe accommodation and associated specialist services.

·         Domestic Abuse Strategy
Following consultation with partners and stakeholders, local authorities must develop, publish and maintain a multi‑agency Domestic Abuse Strategy. This strategy must set out how identified needs will be met and be reviewed regularly.

·         Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
Local authorities must monitor delivery against the strategy, evaluate the effectiveness of commissioned services, and submit an annual report to central government on spend, outcomes and future needs.

 

2.6 Under the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) are required to commission a Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) when a death appears to be the result of domestic abuse and criteria are met. The purpose of a Domestic Homicide Review is to:

·         Identify lessons to protect victims- Understand the events leading up to the death to identify how agencies can strengthen safeguarding and intervention.

·         Improve multi‑agency working- Examine the effectiveness of partnership responses and recommend improvements to systems, practice and policies.

·         Prevent future domestic homicides- Share learning locally and nationally to enhance prevention, early intervention and risk‑management approaches.

2.7 In partnership with relevant agencies, all statutory functions outlined above are fully implemented. In 2025, North Yorkshire was subject to a Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI) undertaken by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP). The inspection recognised the strengths of the multi‑agency arrangements in place across North Yorkshire. “The response to domestic abuse in a place of this scale is consistent in its localism, informed by clear, decisive strategic intent.”

 

2.8 North Yorkshire and City of York Domestic Abuse Strategy“We will not tolerate domestic abuse within North Yorkshire and York, and we will strive to ensure everyone can live free from abuse and harm.”

North Yorkshire and City of York Domestic Abuse Strategy 2024-2028

The strategy is underpinned by a series of clear priorities and multi‑agency commitments. Although the multi‑agency strategy has been in place since 2024, its priorities are fully aligned with the Government’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, published in December 2025. Progress against the agreed multi‑agency commitments is monitored and scrutinised by the Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board, ensuring accountability and driving continuous improvement across all partner organisations.

Local Priority 1 – Prevention and Early Identification

Local Aim:
“We will focus on prevention by proactively increasing understanding of healthy relationships across all age groups, while raising awareness of domestic abuse to ensure early identification and the promotion of specialist services. Our aim is to provide support early and ultimately eradicate abuse.”

National VAWG Strategy – Pillar 1: Prevention and Early Intervention
“We will stop violence and abuse before it starts. This means breaking the intergenerational cycle of abuse through early intervention and prevention—protecting young people, disrupting dangerous attitudes, and preventing harmful behaviours from escalating.”

Examples of Multi‑Agency Commitments and Performance Indicators:

·         Number of professionals accessing training- by sector.

·         Number of schools and youth settings delivering healthy relationships education.

·         Engagement reach of awareness campaigns (e.g. number of social media impressions, website visits, distribution of printed materials).

·         Increase in use of early-stage interventions (e.g. disclosures under Clare’s Law[1]).

Local Priority 2 – Authentic and Inclusive Support for All

Local Aim:
“We will ensure that services across North Yorkshire and York remain informed, responsive and fully prepared to meet the specific needs of every victim, survivor and their families.”

National VAWG Strategy – Pillar 3: Support
“We will never lose sight of victims and survivors, recognising that each individual experience is unique. We will address fragmentation within the system and ensure that all government agencies and every part of the Criminal Justice System take responsibility for enabling victims and survivors to recover and live free from abuse.”

Examples of Multi‑Agency Commitments and Performance Indicators:

·         Number of victims accessing specialist domestic abuse support, broken down by demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, rural/urban location).

·         Percentage of victims receiving a needs‑led, trauma‑informed support plan.

·         Victim satisfaction and outcome measures.

·         Number of safe accommodation placements and proportion meeting DAHA[2] standards.

Local Priority 3 – Drive Change Together

Local Aim:
“We will continue to strengthen our partnership approach to tackling domestic abuse, working collectively to achieve shared priorities and commitments.”

National VAWG Strategy – Pillar 4: Whole‑of‑Society Approach
“Ending VAWG starts with individuals and requires commitment from all parts of society. Everyone has a role to play—challenging harmful behaviours, reflecting on our own actions and modelling positive behaviour.”

Examples of Multi‑Agency Commitments and Performance Indicators:

·         Attendance and participation rates at multi‑agency boards, MARAC[3] and partnership meetings.

·         Timeliness and quality of data submissions from partners.

·         Number of multi‑agency audits or case reviews completed (e.g., domestic homicide reviews, learning reviews).

·         Implementation rate of recommendations from audits and reviews.

·         Use of best‑practice tools, such as:

o    Number of Clare’s Law disclosures made

o    Number of schools participating in Operation Encompass[4]

·         Evidence of improved multi‑agency decision‑making, measured through case sampling and audit.

Local Priority 4 – Accountability

Local Aim:
“We will focus on addressing abusive behaviour by holding individuals accountable and supporting them to develop healthy relationship behaviours.”

National VAWG Strategy – Pillar 2: Relentless Pursuit of Perpetrators
“Using every tool available, we will make the understanding, identification and response to violence a mainstream responsibility across all agencies and institutions.”

Examples of Multi‑Agency Commitments and Performance Indicators:

·         Number of perpetrators referred to intervention programmes, including voluntary and mandated programmes.

·         Completion rate of perpetrator programmes and evidence of behaviour change (using accredited evaluation tools).

·         Number of Domestic Abuse Protection Notices (DAPNs[5]) and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs[6]) issued.

2.9 Building on the success of previously jointly commissioned and funded services, the York and North Yorkshire Office for Policing, Fire and Crime Commissioning (Deputy Mayor’s Office), North Yorkshire Council, and City of York Council have continued to work collaboratively to ensure that services for victims, survivors, perpetrators, and their children remain accessible through simplified, coordinated pathways to support. This partnership aims to build and sustain a ‘Whole System Approach’ ensuring consistent provision, improved outcomes, and reduced duplication of effort across agencies.

 

Since the implementation of the new contract arrangements in 2022, the partnership has invested over £10 millioninto the following services:

·         Community based services for victims of domestic abuse.

·         Domestic abuse refuge and safe accommodation.

·         Services for children and young people affected by domestic abuse.

·         Behaviour change interventions for perpetrators of domestic abuse.

2.10 Support for Victims and Survivors – Independent Domestic Abuse Services (IDAS) IDAS delivers a comprehensive range of support services for victims and survivors of domestic abuse aged 16 and over, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or whether they choose to engage with the police. Services operate across North Yorkshire and the City of York and are designed to provide safe, accessible support at every stage of a victim’s journey. Key elements of the service include:

Central Referral Hub: A single point of contact providing initial triage, advice, support, and safety planning for victims, survivors, and affected children and young people.

Safe Accommodation: Up to 12 months of refuge and dispersed accommodation with tailored emotional and practical support for adults and dependent children. 47 safe accommodation units are in place across North Yorkshire and York. These include units within the 3 women only refuges and 12 units in dispersed properties, which can be accessed by both males and females.

Safe Haven Scheme- Short‑term emergency accommodation for up to two months with trained host families.

Resettlement Support- Up to three months of continued support to help individuals and families move on from safe accommodation and establish independent living.

Sanctuary Scheme & Target Hardening- Specialist measures and security improvements enabling victims and families to safely remain in their homes where appropriate.

 

Community-Based Practitioners (IDVAs)- Independent Domestic Violence Advisers providing one‑to‑one support, group work, agency liaison, and assistance during police investigations and court proceedings.

2.11 Support for Children & Young People Affected by Domestic Abuse (IDAS)

IDAS provides specialist support for children and young people aged 10 to 16 who have experienced domestic abuse within their family, or who are displaying inappropriate or abusive behaviours as a result of that experience, including Child/Adolescent to Parent Violence or Abuse (C/APVA). Support is also offered to older young people who display abusive behaviours in their own intimate peer relationships. Provision is available to all genders and sexual orientations, with flexibility to support under‑10s or 16–18s on a case‑by‑case basis. Key elements of the service include:

Central Referral Hub- A single point of contact providing consistent advice, initial triage, and safety planning for families, and allocating children and young people to the most appropriate interventions.

Intensive One‑to‑One Support- Tailored emotional and practical support, including early intervention, therapeutic work for those affected by domestic abuse, trauma‑informed approaches for young people using abusive behaviours, and specialist programmes for young perpetrators in intimate relationships.

Age‑Appropriate Groupwork- Group sessions that focus on healthy relationships, understanding behaviour and its impact, building self‑esteem, and supporting emotional regulation and wellbeing.

Support for Parents and Guardians- Practical guidance and ongoing support through one‑to‑one or telephone contact, information packs, workshops, peer networks, and liaison with other agencies where needed.

IDAS produce an annual impact report, the most recent was published April 2025 IDAS-Impact-Report-Apr2025.pdf

2.12 Perpetrators of Domestic Abuse – Inspire North Foundation UK

Inspire North Foundation UK delivers specialist behaviour‑change support for individuals aged 16 and over who acknowledge their abusive behaviour and are willing to engage voluntarily. The service is inclusive of all genders and sexual orientations and aims to reduce domestic abuse by addressing harmful behaviours, safeguarding victims, and improving long‑term outcomes for families. Key elements of the service include:

Referral and Assessment- All referrals are assessed by Domestic Abuse Intervention Workers to identify risks, determine programme suitability, and ensure safeguarding arrangements are in place for victims and children from the outset.

Tailored Intervention Pathways- Perpetrators are offered a range of interventions based on risk level and individual need, including:

·         Brief early‑stage interventions, safety planning and signposting.

·         A 26‑week Respect‑accredited group programme for standard‑risk perpetrators, focused on challenging attitudes, developing accountability, and improving relationship skills.

·         A Respect‑accredited one‑to‑one programme for higher‑risk or more complex cases, offering structured weekly sessions with optional modules for issues such as parenting, trauma, jealousy or substance misuse.

·         High‑harm/high‑risk case management, aligned with the national Drive model, providing intensive multi‑agency management and close coordination with police, probation, children’s services, and health partners.

Integrated Support for Victims- A dedicated Integrated Support Worker ensures victims are kept informed of progress, that their safety needs are prioritised, and that their voice is reflected throughout the perpetrator’s intervention. This supports coordinated safeguarding and informed decision‑making.

2.13 Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHR)

Under Section 9(1) of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, a DHR must be commissioned when:

·         A person aged 16 or over has died, and

·         The death has, or appears to have, resulted from domestic abuse.

A DHR should also be undertaken where a domestic abuse victim has died by suicide, or in cases of suspected suicide, if there is any evidence that the individual experienced domestic abuse. In line with national guidance, all DHRs commissioned in North Yorkshire are published on the Safer North Yorkshire website. Independent authors and panel chairs are appointed to undertake each review to ensure impartiality and rigour. All recommendations arising from DHRs are monitored and implemented with robust scrutiny by the Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board.

 

Based on available national data, it appears that approximately 130-150 DHRs are undertaken each year, with numbers showing a slight upward trend annually. Locally since 2018, four DHRs have been completed and published. An additional DHR has been submitted to the Home Office and is currently awaiting sign‑off prior to publication. A further DHR has recently been initiated. Of the six DHRs commissioned by Safer North Yorkshire to date, two relate to deaths by suicide.

 

Consistent with national findings, the following themes have emerged from Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) in North Yorkshire, along with details of associated local recommendations and actions.

·         Lack of professional curiosity across services- Embed professional curiosity training focusing on asking deeper questions, exploring inconsistencies, and challenging assumptions.

·         Impact of substance use and mental health issues, both on victims and perpetrators- Ensure that risk assessments routinely consider the interplay between domestic abuse, mental health, and drugs/alcohol for both victims and perpetrators.

·         Limited public and professional awareness of domestic abuse dynamics and available support- Develop joint public awareness campaigns targeting rural communities, older victims, LGBTQ+ victims. Consistent messaging across all partners (posters, GP waiting rooms, council buildings, libraries, schools, social media).

 

3.0  Serious Violence Duty (statutory duty)

3.1 The Serious Violence Duty was introduced through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.The Duty emphasises a whole‑system, multi‑agency approach and requires partners to share information, jointly assess local need, and coordinate interventions.

The Duty applies to a set of specified authorities, including:

 

Work collaboratively- Partners must work together to understand patterns of violence, share data and intelligence, and plan joint activity.

 

Produce a Strategic Needs Assessment (SNA)- Agencies must analyse local data to understand the drivers, locations, and victims/perpetrators of serious violence.

 

Develop and publish a Serious Violence Strategy- The Strategy must set out the local partnership’s plan to prevent and reduce serious violence, and how they will monitor progress.

 

Share information lawfully- The Duty sets clear expectations for information sharing to support prevention, early intervention, and enforcement activity.

 

3.2 Each local area is encouraged to adopt its own working definition of serious violence. Within our local area, the following crime types are included in the definition of serious violence:

 

In addition, several wider thematic areas are considered as part of the broader local serious violence profile. These include:

 

3.3 North Yorkshire & York Strategic Needs Assessment (SNA) of Serious Violence (2024/25)

 

Final-Strategic-Needs-Assessment-2024-25-13.3.25.pdf

North Yorkshire and York remain among the safest areas nationally, but serious violence does occur and continues to have a significant impact on victims, communities and services.

 

The SNA is based primarily on police data from 2022/23, 2023/24, and Q1–Q2 2024/25, supplemented with partner datasets.

 

3.4 The SNA identified multiple drivers and risk factors, many of which align with our local thematic areas:

 

3.5 The SNA underpins a joint Serious Violence Response Strategy for York and North Yorkshire, which focuses on five key priorities: NYY-SVD-Strategy-2024-29-v1-FINAL-1.pdf

  1. Awareness and public perception
  2. Children and young people
  3. Weapon possession/use
  4. Alcohol‑related violence and Night‑Time Economy
  5. Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)

 

3.6 The Serious Violence Working Group (North Yorkshire and York) is chaired by a senior officer from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and reports into each Community Safety Partnership. The Group is responsible for overseeing delivery of the SNA and the Response Strategy, monitoring progress, and facilitating the sharing of relevant data and best practice. A key function of the Working Group is to identify aligned priorities, highlight effective practice, and coordinate early intervention and prevention activity already in place. Existing partnerships, such as the and the Safeguarding Children Partnership, are utilised to support co‑working and co‑commissioning of funded activities. This ensures that local priorities are led by the appropriate ‘expert’ partnerships, enabling them to drive aligned actions and deliver activity funded through the strategy.

 

3.7 Home Office funding of over £500,000 has been allocated to North Yorkshire and the City of York for the period 2022–2025 to support the development of the Strategic Needs Assessment (SNA), the Serious Violence Strategy, and the creation of targeted interventions to reduce serious violence. The section below provides examples of locally commissioned services and summarises the outcomes achieved, demonstrating how these interventions align with local priorities.

 

 

3.8 A refreshed Strategic Needs Assessment (SNA) has recently been completed, incorporating findings from a public survey. The document is currently progressing through the required assurance processes, including review and sign‑off by the respective Community Safety Partnerships and the relevant Data Protection Officers. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to publish the SNA in time for this committee report.

ommuniyThe refreshed assessment identifies continued reductions in crime across several priority areas and highlights positive outcomes achieved through commissioned interventions. The SNA provides partners with detailed insight to inform the review of existing priorities and areas of focus. Based on these findings, the Serious Violence response strategy will be updated to ensure it remains aligned to current need.

 

Report Author- Odette Robson, Head of Community Safety and CCTV (Public Space), North Yorkshire Council (Deputy Chair- Safer North Yorkshire)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


[1] Clare’s Law, or the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) allows individuals to request information from the police about a partner’s or ex-partner’s history of abusive or violence behaviour to protect themselves or others at risk

[2] DAHA- Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance. Accreditation is a scheme open to housing associations, LA housing teams to support them improve their response to domestic abuse. It includes 8 priority standards; NYC is currently undertaking the accreditation process.

[3] MARAC- Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference. A multi-agency meeting to discuss high risk cases of domestic abuse and agree on protection plans.

[4] Operation Encompass- National safeguarding partnership between police and education settings designed to ensure that schools are informed quickly when police attend a domestic abuse incident involving a child.

[5] DAPN- Domestic Abuse Protection Notice. An immediate protective measure issued by the police to safeguard a victim of domestic abuse when an incident has occurred, and urgent action is needed.

[6] DAPO- Domestic Abuse Protection Order. Court issued order designed to provide longer term protection for victims of domestic abuse, following an initial police issued DAPN.

[7] DASH- Domestic Abuse, Stalking and ‘Honour’-based abuse. The DASH checklist is a ‘SafeLives’ resource and nationally available. It helps practitioners identify and understand the risk that victims are facing.

[8] Violence with injury includes, attempted murder, endangering life, grievous bodily harm (GBH), actual bodily harm (ABH), administering poison with intent to injure, non-fatal strangulation and suffocation