A central team is based in the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner at Leicestershire Police HQ and comprises staff seconded from partner agencies.
The team's role is to:
-
Lead the implementation of the Response Plan
-
Champion the VRN's vision, core principles and the Prevention Framework including supporting its application to other types of violence
-
Co-ordinate and promote strategic messaging and campaigns around serious violence
-
Ensure young people and communitues are fully involved in the Network
-
Generate and provide multi-agency data products, including management information for the Board and develop the necessary information sharing infrastructure
-
Provide strategic co-ordination of serious violence prevention activity, improving consistency with the evidence-base and reducing duplication
-
Generate and cascade resources including providing briefings on the findings from needs assessments, the evidence base and relevant local and national developments
-
Support organisation, other Boards and partners to strengthen their violence prevention offer
-
Design, test and evaluate new interventions
-
Promote and embed the Network within partnership and community arenas to broaden membership and reach
Meet the Team:
GRACE STRONG
Strategic Director
As Strategic Director, Grace is responsible for the overall leadership and strategic development of the VRN including the management of the central team.
Grace is seconded into this role from the local Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) which provides local probation services. She started her career as a Probation Service Assistant 25 years ao and since then has worked in a variety of settings as a practitioner, practice development manager, team manager and senior leader within and beyond Leicestershire and Rutland.
Throughout her career she has worked operationally and strategically with a wide range of public, private and voluntary and community sector organisations and has led numerous partnership projects and intitiatives.
SUMAYA BIHI
Project Development Officer
Sumaya has recently graduated with a Public Health Degree and has joined the VRN as Project Development Officer, supporting the Programme Manager and the rest of the team.
Alongside undertaking her degree, Sumaya also volunteered in the community by setting up a women’s coffee morning in St Matthews, Leicester and many more projects for young people and the elderly in her community. She was also part of the Youth Commission as a Youth Coordinator for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland.
BETH GREWCOCK
Performance Analyst
Beth recently graduated University with a Chemistry degree and has joined the VRN as a Performance/Data Analyst. He role is to develop the evidence-based approach to violence prevention by gathering and analysing multi-agency data allowing the team to understand the extent, nature and causes of violence in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The data analysed will be delivered in the VRN's Strategic Needs Assessment, alongside a strategy and response plan.
DR STEVIE-JADE HARDY
Evidence and Evaluation Lead
As the Evidence and Evaluation Lead, Stevie is responsible for designing, commissioning and delivery the VRN's programme of evaluation. She also leads on the development of a multi-agency data hub which will improve understanding, planning and delivery of the local response to serious violence and other harmful behaviours.
Over the past decade, Stevie has led complex, high profile research and evaluation projects for the public and private sector and not for profit organisations which have shaped national and international policy relating to crime and justice. She is an Honorary Fellow at the University of Leicester and sits on national advisory panels for the Crown Prosecution Service, the Government Equalities Office and the Office for Students.
OLIVIA JONES
Programme Manager
As Programme Manager, Olivia will work closely with the VRN team to develop the projects the network will deliver, monitor progress and build an effective programme structure that will help the network to deliver its aim of tackling violence and addressing its root causes.
Olivia has been working in the public sector for the past 5 years on a range of different projects and programmes. She is committed to delivering high quality services and successful projects for both the organisations she works for and the communities they serve. In her previous role as a Project Development Officer in the Police & Crime Commissioners Office she has experience of working and developing projects with partners including voluntary and community sector organisations.
NILESH PATEL
Schools Lead
Nilesh will lead the VRN’s work to support the prevention of violence across LLR schools. Key to this will be supporting the implementation of VRN sponsored initiatives in schools such as the Mentors in Violence Prevention programme and ensuring strong links between other initiatives such as Police School Liaison Officers. His involvement will extend to help co-ordinate, develop and cascade PHSE material/resources relating to violence in its many forms and to support the development of local community-based partnerships between schools and other relevant agencies.
Presently teaching within the Loughborough Inclusion Partnership, Nilesh brings his expertise on schools and education to the VRN in his seconded capacity. In addition to his role of Science teacher Nilesh has taken on pastoral leadership responsibilities in mainstream secondary school settings over his 13 year career.