VRU Evidence Hub

The Inclusive and Nurturing Schools (INS) programme seeks to reduce suspensions and exclusions by fostering a whole-school nurturing approach. This approach aims to build children and young people's social and emotional skills, resilience, and self-confidence by replicating early nurturing experiences. It also empowers school communities to address sexual harassment and gender-based violence through education, training, and guidance. The Anna Freud Centre is conducting a mixed-methods, realist process evaluation to explore how, why, and for whom the programme is effective.

The VRU's Maia & Lift programme provides community-based safe spaces, mentoring and skills support for young women and girls aged between 9-25 years old. The programme developed practice-led approaches including trauma-informed, gender-informed, culturally-aware and strengths based. This report provides an evaluation of the pilot programme.

The Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) and Alternative Provision (AP) Mentoring Programme provides one-to-one support for young people aged 11-18 years-old who have been excluded from secondary school or are at risk of exclusion.

The VRU's flagship 'MyEnds' programme implements a hyper-local and community-led approach to violence reduction in neighbourhoods affected by high and sustained levels of violence. This evaluation report explores implementation and impact of the programme between 2021-2023.

The Difference Matters consultation and co-development process engaged over 100 experts by experience and profession, including neurodivergent young people and their families, an advisory group of mixed sector specialists from across the city, and academics, education professionals and local authority leads. This formative research has led to a new model, which will be tested through a two-year pilot programme in seven boroughs.

Two research projects to better understand the links between online social media content and offline violence, and engage with young people to identify strategic opportunities for prevention.

The Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has commission Alma Economics to conduct an impact and process evaluation of the Parent Carer Champion Network (PCCN). The evaluation will outline the key successes achieved and any challenges experienced across the programme design, implementation and delivery of the network.

The Strengthening Fathers Programme (SFP) aims to support male caregivers and fathers to strengthen their relationships with their children and families. Delivery focuses on bespoke, holistic and trauma-informed approaches which aim to instil positive and healthy co-parenting skills. The VRU have commissioned Alma Economics to lead a process and impact evaluation of the SFP pilot.

Stronger Futures is a targeted funding programme manged by Rocket Science and Action for Race Equality. The programme funds community-led groups across 20 projects and 5 boroughs, providing support for children and young people aged 10-18 afterschool and at weekends. This evaluation report explores process learning and outcomes from the first 2 years of the project.