Serious violence continues to impact individuals, families, and communities across the UK. Traditional enforcement-led models alone have not been sufficient in reducing harm or addressing root causes. Increasingly, the public health approach has gained traction as a strategic framework for understanding and responding to serious violence in more holistic, preventative ways.
This course explores how applying a public health lens can help professionals and organisations develop long-term, sustainable strategies to reduce violence by tackling its underlying causes, including poverty, trauma, exclusion, and inequality.
Participants will gain an understanding of:
- The principles of a public health approach to violence prevention
- How violence spreads within communities and the role of early intervention
- The importance of multi-agency collaboration, data-sharing, and community engagement
- Practical case studies from local areas applying public health frameworks
- The relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), social disadvantage and patterns of serious violence
Through a mix of expert insight, frontline perspectives, and interactive discussion, attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to implement preventative, person-centred approaches in their own services.
Ideal for:
- Violence reduction unit teams and safeguarding professionals
- Youth justice and probation practitioners
- Social workers and early help teams
- Public health professionals and policy advisors
- Police, community safety and neighbourhood teams
- Education, housing, and community development workers
Key takeaways:
- What defines a public health model of violence prevention
- How trauma, inequality and marginalisation drive serious violence
- Examples of successful, place-based public health interventions
- The power of data, partnerships and community voice in designing effective responses
- Tools to begin embedding this approach into local strategy and frontline practice
Additional benefits:
- Strengthen multi-agency working and shared responsibility for harm reduction
- Build confidence in adopting preventative frameworks beyond enforcement
- Gain insight into scalable models that address serious violence as a societal issue, not just a criminal one
This course is essential for professionals and leaders committed to shifting from reactive models to evidence-informed, holistic approaches that tackle serious violence at its roots.