The Wandsworth Borough Council's Children's Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss a report by the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Task and Finish Group on its scoping report. The Task and Finish Group was established to look at the prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). The report sets out the scope of the review for the Children's OSC's and Health OSC's consideration.

Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Task and Finish Group Scoping Report

The Children's Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee were scheduled to jointly consider a report from the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Task and Finish Group. The report provided an update on the group's activities and set out the scope of their review, with a report containing recommendations expected to be presented at the OSCs' February meetings.

The Task and Finish Group's aims include reviewing current prevention activities and addressing the root causes of VAWG. The report stated that while Wandsworth has made strong progress on support and response services, there is potential for improvement in areas such as schools, public spaces, housing, and community services. The group also seeks to identify opportunities for Wandsworth to lead in VAWG prevention through early intervention and culture change initiatives.

The report outlined key lines of enquiry for the review, including:

• Hearing the voices of women, girls, children, including young men
• Harmful behaviours and how it is being addressed in Wandsworth's schools, colleges and youth spaces.
• The delivery of relationships, consent and respect education across schools and youth services.
• Engagement with men and boys in preventing violence against women and girls
• Inclusivity and intersectional prevention work.
• Support, resourcing and commissioning of services
• Workforce training on VAWG prevention across settings like housing, education, youth and health.
• Alignment with national and international best practice,
• Communication of the services on offer

The report also included a list of eight key components of what a good prevention offer looks like:

(1) Primary Prevention Focus on stopping violence before it starts by addressing root causes like gender inequality and harmful norms. Use long-term strategies to shift behaviours and systems.

(2) Multi-Level Interventions Promote change at individual, community, and societal levels through education, community mobilisation, policy reform, and media.

(3) Evidence-Based Approaches Implement rigorously evaluated programmes (e.g. What Works to Prevent Violence) and apply frameworks like RESPECT to guide action.

(4) Whole-System Integration Embed prevention across sectors—education, health, housing, justice, social care, and digital safety—with coordinated, wellfunded national plans.

(5) Targeted Support for Children and Young People Provide early intervention and safeguarding for children exposed to domestic abuse, recognising the heightened risks and intergenerational impact.

(6) Intersectional and Inclusive Design Ensure interventions reflect how gender inequality intersects with race, disability, sexuality, and other forms of discrimination, tailoring support for marginalised groups.

(7) Community Engagement and Co-Production Involve local communities, survivors, and grassroots organisations in programme design and delivery, using culturally competent approaches to build trust and relevance.

(8) Online Safety Strengthen protections against digital abuse, including harassment and exploitation, and hold platforms accountable for safeguarding women and girls online.

The report stated that the review aims to incorporate the voices and expertise of survivors, young people, frontline workers, and community-led organisations. To this end, a number of key stakeholders have been identified to be involved, such as care leavers, children with additional needs, the Children's Service Domestic Abuse Operations Group, and the VAWG Community Forum.

The committee was asked to consider the report, provide feedback on any relevant stakeholders not included in the list, and offer input on the most pressing priority areas in VAWG.

Declarations of Interest

The agenda included an item for councillors to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests¹, other registerable interests, and any non-registerable interests relevant to the matters being considered at the meeting.