Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 20
20
Accepted
Home Office evidence review highlights effective VAWG interventions but reveals data gaps.
Recommendation
The Home Office has also sought to improve its understanding of what works by conducting a review of the available evidence at a national level, which it intends to publish with the new VAWG strategy, in summer 2025.45 Officials told us that this work has provided some valuable insights on the importance of education; bystander interventions; screening to identify domestic abuse survivors; perpetrator programmes and therapeutic support. However, there was weaker evidence around what sorts of communications campaigns really work, and whether there is a greater role for specialist courts.46 Gaps in data and inconsistent definitions
Government Response Summary
The government agrees the recommendation is implemented, explaining its extensive efforts to improve understanding of what works through in-depth evidence reviews, stakeholder engagement, and academic workshops, with findings to be published alongside the VAWG Strategy. It will also continue to grow the evidence base, evaluate initiatives, and trial local solutions via the Safer Streets Mission.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 4.2 The recommendation is being implemented through work undertaken to support the VAWG Strategy and any ongoing analytical work on tackling VAWG. 4.3 The Home Office regularly reviews emerging evidence at both national and local levels to ensure its approach to tackling VAWG is based on the best available evidence. To provide a comprehensive assessment of the existing evidence base and support the development of the VAWG Strategy, the government conducted in-depth reviews on the evidence of what works to reduce VAWG. Four evidence reviews, focused on evaluation evidence, were undertaken to align as closely as possible to the themes of the VAWG Strategy. In addition, information on promising national and local initiatives was shared by a range of stakeholders, including 8 government departments, 23 VAWG sector organisations and 10 international countries and devolved administrations. As part of the evidence review work, 2 workshops on the evidence base and interventions were also held with 12 leading UK academics on VAWG. This work has been used to inform the government response to VAWG outlined in the Strategy; the output will be published alongside the VAWG Strategy. 4.4 The Safer Streets Mission provides the infrastructure needed to ensure all departments are collating and sharing evidence on successful initiatives. The government will continue to grow the evidence base, recognising that there are evidence gaps, to feed into the mission approach, and where feasible will evaluate new and existing initiatives and approaches over the course of their lifecycle. The government will also seize ‘test-and-learn’ opportunities to design and trial small, innovative local solutions, exploring the potential for national implementation. The overall progress of the Strategy will be measured through a suite of metrics that form the Performance Framework.