In December 2025, the Government published “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls” — the most comprehensive national VAWG strategy in a generation. It reframes violence against women and girls not simply as a criminal justice issue, but as a deeply rooted societal problem demanding coordinated action across government, services, communities, and the private and voluntary sectors.
New enforcement tools are coming into force, including Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) and Raneem’s Law. Learnings from Operation Soteria Bluestone are reshaping how forces respond to rape and serious sexual offences.
The strategy sets ambitious targets and commits significant new investment. But the harder questions remain: how will national commitments translate into local change? Which tools and approaches are actually working? And how do organisations across policing, health, housing, education, and the voluntary sector join up effectively to prevent harm and support survivors?
New enforcement tools are coming into force, including Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) and Raneem’s Law. Learnings from Operation Soteria Bluestone are reshaping how forces respond to rape and serious sexual offences. The Crime and Policing Bill proposes new offences for spiking, criminalises the non-consensual taking of intimate images, and introduces stronger tools to tackle stalking. But legislation alone is not enough. Implementation, consistency, and cross-sector collaboration remain the challenge.
On 29 June, Westminster Insight is bringing together policymakers, senior practitioners, commissioners, researchers, and voluntary sector leaders for a full-day conference examining what the strategy means in practice and how to implement it effectively and equitably.
Rachel Gilmour MP will share the latest recommendations from the Public Accounts Committee, setting out steps to improve accountability, cross-government collaboration, and the measurement of outcomes across the VAWG landscape. Jo Coles, Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime at North Yorkshire Combined Authority, and Clare Moody, Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset, will explore what local and regional leadership looks like in delivering the strategy.
Specialist services will also be represented. Representatives from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, the Drive Partnership, and Rape Crisis will share insights from successful local initiatives, highlight gaps in provision, and discuss how specialist knowledge can better inform statutory responses.
Sessions will also examine the data-driven approach underpinning the new strategy, prevention and early intervention programmes targeting the root causes of VAWG — including misogynistic attitudes and harmful cultural norms — and how national funding streams will be allocated and evolve over the lifetime of the strategy.
What You’ll Take Away
Relevant for commissioners, senior police leaders, PCCs and their offices, local authority leads, health and social care professionals, housing providers, voluntary sector organisations, and policy teams working across the VAWG agenda:
- What the new VAWG strategy means in practice for your organisation and the communities you serve
- Implementation of DAPOs and Raneem’s Law: early lessons and what needs to improve
- Learnings from Operation Soteria Bluestone and implications for forces nationwide
- Prevention and early intervention: tackling the root causes of VAWG before harm occurs
- How national investment will be allocated and how to access funding over the lifetime of the strategy
- Improving information sharing across health, housing, adult and children’s services
- Case studies from specialist services including stalking, domestic abuse, and sexual violence
- Proposals in the Crime and Policing Bill: spiking, intimate images, stalking, and what they mean for practitioners
This conference qualifies for CPD, certified on attendance.
Monday 29 June 2026 | 09:30 to 16:00 | London (in-person & online). Book at www.westminsterinsight.com. 25% discount with code POLINSIGHT.
