The Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Task and Finish Group met to discuss its findings and recommendations for preventing VAWG in Wandsworth. The group presented a report detailing feedback from over 355 residents, young people, and professionals, leading to three key recommendations for enhanced prevention strategies. These recommendations will now be considered by the Children's Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and subsequently by Cabinet.

Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls

The meeting focused on the findings and recommendations of the VAWG Task and Finish Group's review into the prevention of violence against women and girls. The group has concluded its review and presented a report outlining its findings and recommendations, which were discussed by members of both the Children's and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committees. The report highlights that harmful attitudes begin early and are shaped by peer culture, social media, and everyday environments, emphasizing the need for prevention to start in childhood. Young people expressed a desire to discuss these issues but noted a lack of consistent opportunities. The report also points out that online spaces mean young people often experience content alone, without shared reference points, which can allow harmful norms to take hold without being questioned. Furthermore, young people value a sense of belonging, and accessible community activities can reduce time spent online and provide spaces for challenging harmful attitudes. The review also found that while prevention is available, it is not always visible or connected across different agencies, and that not everyone experiences prevention in the same way, with some groups facing additional barriers.

The Task and Finish Group proposed three recommendations for Cabinet consideration:

• Recommendation 1: To enhance the reach and visibility of Wandsworth's existing VAWG prevention offer in schools, exploring options to deliver interventions co-produced with young people and aligned with best practice regionally and nationally. This could be supported by measures such as creating a video co-produced with young people focusing on shared responsibility and allyship, and considering opportunities to commission specialist services.
• Recommendation 2: To ensure a robust systems approach across statutory agencies, voluntary and community organisations, and communities, to VAWG prevention and early identification by increasing visibility and sharing of best practice, whilst identifying ways to address priority areas for further development. This could be supported by promoting partnership engagement in the VAWG Strategic Delivery Group, emphasising with partners the importance of sustaining key programmes like the IRIS-i in GP practices, and exploring options to support senior management and committee oversight related to trauma-informed domestic abuse case management in Housing.
• Recommendation 3: To maintain ongoing engagement with survivors, including a renewed focus on seldom-heard communities, to ensure their voices inform the continuous improvement of service delivery and support available. This could be supported by exploring opportunities to commission specialist 'by and for' organisations and identifying tailored outreach strategies.

The report, titled A review into the prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls in Wandsworth, was presented by Councillor Lizzie Dobres, Chair of the Task and Finish Group. She was supported by Councillor Sheila Boswell, Chair of the Children's Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and Councillor Della Sejol, who offered words from the opposition, commending the cross-party work.

Members of the Youth Council, including Kwasi, Elizabeth, and Basma, shared their perspectives, highlighting the importance of de-stigmatising conversations around misogyny and violence, and the need for early intervention. Georgina Crowley, Area Manager for Refuge Accommodation at Hestia, spoke about the importance of co-production with young people and the need for consistency and expertise in schools' prevention efforts. Misha Sumer, Chair of the VORG Community Forum and an advocate for violence against women and girls, shared her personal experience as a survivor and stressed the critical role of early prevention in tackling harmful attitudes and norms.

During the discussion, Councillor Sarah Davies reflected on the value of hearing directly from stakeholders and the importance of leading by example in open conversations. Councillor Borrell highlighted the need for more training around a culturally competent approach, particularly concerning 'on-base' abuse, and stressed that VAWG prevention should be embedded across all council committees. Councillor Owens raised concerns about the impact of social media and mobile phones on young people, suggesting a ban on phones in schools and advocating for more after-school clubs. This sparked a significant debate among the Youth Council members and councillors regarding the role of social media and phones in education and the potential benefits and drawbacks of outright bans versus education on appropriate use and critical engagement.

The discussion also touched upon the need for consistent, sustained education on relationships and violence, moving beyond one-off events. Concerns were raised about the practical implementation of recommendations, including the need for dedicated resources and measurable outcomes. The importance of tackling religious and cultural influences, ensuring culturally competent approaches, and working with 'by and for' organisations was also emphasized. The meeting concluded with an invitation for representatives to present to the Cabinet, underscoring the commitment to taking this work forward and finding the necessary resources.

The recommendations will be considered by the Children's Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee before being submitted to Cabinet on 23rd February 2026.