Progress through prevention: Building on what works in tackling violence to keep young people safe
23rd June 2026
When instances of violent crime affecting young people occur, the response from policymakers and commentators often focuses on the need to implement tougher penalties from the justice system. For the past decade, London has taken a different approach, with the focus on implementing measures to prevent violent crime occurring in the first place.
Adopting a public health approach, London has been at the forefront of bringing together health, education and law enforcement alongside the voluntary sector to work intensively with young people at risk of getting involved in violence, both as victims and perpetrators. Led by the London Violence Reduction Unit (LVRU), this prevention focus has resulted in thousands of vulnerable young people being supported across a range of settings and seen a significant decline in levels of serious injuries.
The conference, run in partnership with LVRU, is your opportunity to learn about how London is delivering violence prevention and gain practical tips and advice on what approaches work best in supporting young people. There will be contributions from senior figures in the violence prevention community, input from young people and practitioners with lived experience, and discussion on how to overcome some of the practical challenges of delivering services in this space.
Whether you work in local authorities, health, education, voluntary and community organisations, commissioning or policy, Progress through prevention is an essential opportunity to learn about what approaches work best, share experiences with peers from across the system, and get involved in discussion and debate about emerging threats and how to respond to them.
Adopting a public health approach, London has been at the forefront of bringing together health, education and law enforcement alongside the voluntary sector to work intensively with young people at risk of getting involved in violence, both as victims and perpetrators. Led by the London Violence Reduction Unit (LVRU), this prevention focus has resulted in thousands of vulnerable young people being supported across a range of settings and seen a significant decline in levels of serious injuries.
The conference, run in partnership with LVRU, is your opportunity to learn about how London is delivering violence prevention and gain practical tips and advice on what approaches work best in supporting young people. There will be contributions from senior figures in the violence prevention community, input from young people and practitioners with lived experience, and discussion on how to overcome some of the practical challenges of delivering services in this space.
Whether you work in local authorities, health, education, voluntary and community organisations, commissioning or policy, Progress through prevention is an essential opportunity to learn about what approaches work best, share experiences with peers from across the system, and get involved in discussion and debate about emerging threats and how to respond to them.
The conference is designed for:
- Youth workers
- Youth Offending Team staff
- Mentors and trusted adults
- Headteachers and inclusion leads
- Senior leaders in local authority children’s services
- Charity chiefs and senior staff
- Safeguarding managers
- Violence prevention officers
- Policy advisers and officers
- SENCOs
- NEETs Team
- Local authority commissioners
- Police officers
- Anyone working with young people affected by or at risk of violence