Crime reduction services

Crime reduction services include:

North Herts and Stevenage Domestic Violence Forum

The Forum’s activities include:

• organising training events to promote increased understanding of domestic violence and to support service improvements
• producing public information and resources for staff on local domestic violence services
• supporting the development of services to meet identified needs
• providing advice and information to staff from local agencies on how to respond to domestic violence

Contact
c/o East & North Herts PCT
Solutions House
Dunhams Lane
Letchworth Garden City
Herts
SG6 1BE
Phone: 01462 708474
01462 708470 (Main Switchboard)
Hertfordshire Domestic Volence/Abuse line: 08 088 088 088 (Confidential freephone helpline available 10.00am-8.00pm Monday to Friday).

Youth Offending Team

The Youth Offending Team (YOT) is a multi-agency team established under the requirements of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. It is comprised of staff from Social Services, the Police, Probation, Education and Health.

YOT's overall aim is to prevent youth offending, and to provide ‘diversionary’ packages following a Police Final Warning. It prepares court reports on young offenders and the supervision of young offenders placed on community sentences or given custodial sentences.

Stevenage Police Safer Neighbourhood Team

As part of their plan to provide the highest level of Policing, the Police made a pledge that every citizen in Hertfordshire will have access to the services of a Neighbourhood Policing Team.

The teams are designed to operate in ‘localities’- small clusters of wards - and will be mixed, comprising Neighbourhood Constables, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and officers from the Special Constabulary. They will work closely with local authority wardens, Neighbourhood Watch groups and people and organisations accredited as partners in community safety.

Members of the teams will be additionally trained to enable officers to deal with and understand the very specific and diverse needs of their communities.

The teams aim to:

• Use problem solving techniques to address local issues and to set in place long-term and sustainable solutions.
• Continue to work closely with and provide training to our community safety partners.
• Provide training to Neighbourhood Watch members and any member of the community who wishes to actively participate in solving their local problems.
• Seek to establish with our partners Locality Based Problem Solving Teams, a multi-agency group which can form quickly and has the resources to effectively tackle local problems.
• Work with our partners to explore further ways to enhance integrated services at a local level, improving communication and accessibility.

For more information about the Safer Neighbourhood Teams, Police Community Support officers or to find out who you local contact is see the links below.

• Safer Neighbourhoods Policing Team
• Profile of the Police Community Support Officers
• Your local contact

Drug Action Team (DAT)

The Drug Action Team (DAT) is tasked with implementing the National Drug Strategy at a local level. This involves co-ordinating and commissioning services relating to drug and alcohol treatment; young people’s treatment, education and prevention; Criminal Justice Intervention Programmes; developing community capacity and tackling the availability of drugs. See the Community Safety Crime, Disorder and Drugs Strategy 2005 - 2008. 

A range of agencies in the statutory and voluntary sectors deliver high quality drug treatment services for young people, commissioned and co-ordinated by the Drug Action Team. These include one-to-one work, clinical nurse support and in-patient services.

Community Development Officers (CDO’S)

Based in the town centre at the central offices of the Council, this service aims to empower communities by working in partnership with voluntary bodies and statutory organisations, groups and individuals for the benefit of all.

Officers work alongside a wide range of groups with diverse interests from children to health and the environment. The type of support includes:

• access funding, training and learning in the community
• giving advice and guidance or signposting to essential services
• working with committees and volunteers to improve services
• generating publicity and newsletters
• acting as an advocate for groups and individuals
• helping identify needs and exploring how these can best be met
• recruiting volunteers and promoting good practices
• helping communities become more active and to participate fully in the democratic process

Neighbourhood Watch

With currently 147,000 groups nationally in operation consisting of over 5½ million homes, Neighbourhood Watch is one of the fastest growing movements in the country today. The Stevenage Neighbourhood Watch Forum Committee is there to assist, help and advise Neighbourhood Watch groups or anyone contemplating starting a Neighbourhood Watch Group. There are 210 groups in Stevenage.

Aims

• to reduce local opportunities for crime thereby deterring would-be thieves and criminals
• to establish a community spirit so that everyone can contribute towards the protection of their property by mutual cooperation and communication
• to inform the coordinator or the police of any suspicious activity

If you are concerned about your neighbourhood, don’t complain about it, Neighbourhood Watch It!

For more information contact Angela Clark, the Watch Liaison Officer for Neighbourhood Watch in Stevenage by calling direct on 01438 758613.

You can also visit their website at www.stevenageneighbourhoodwatch.org

Women’s Resource Centre

The Stevenage and North Herts Women’s Resource Centre is a group providing help and support for Women by Women in our local area. Offering one-to-one meetings or group discussions, topics such as:

• Post natal depression groups
• Over 50’s groups
• Drop in’s for lesbian and bisexual women
• Domestic violence drop In
• Mental health advocacy
• Vocational guidance appointments
• Assertiveness courses
• Free solicitor appointments

For a timetable of events or to book an appointment for either a one-to-one meeting to talk through your difficulties, to discuss counselling or group availability, please call the centre.

Tel: 01438 742742
Email: stevenagewrc@btopenworld.com
Web: www.womensresourcecentre.org.uk

Services for Addiction in Stevenage

Living Room

The Living Room is a non-profit making charity offering a FREE service providing Group Therapy to help clients and offering a warm, friendly and confidential environment, with a sense of belonging. The project’s services are available to all, irrespective of race, religion, sex or disability. The Living Room offers group therapy, one-to-one counselling and a support group for families and friends in a number of cases:

• Alcohol,
• Illicit drugs
• Prescribed drugs
• Gambling
• Eating disorders (i.e. compulsive eating, anorexia, bulimia, etc)
• Addictive relationships
• Any other dependencies

For more information or to book an appointment please contact:
The Living Room, 8-10 The Glebe, Chells Way, Stevenage, Herts, SG2 0DJ
Telephone: 01438 355649
Web: www.thelivingroom.me.uk/ 

Westminster Drug Project

Westminster Drug Project (WDP) is a leading substance misuse treatment provider, delivering a variety of services.

Opening hours for Stevenage:

• Monday-Thursday: 9.30am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-5.00pm
• Friday: 9.30am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-4.30pm
• Late Night Tuesdays until 8.00pm

WDP Stevenage Open Access
Bank Chambers
68A High Street
Rookery Yard
Stevenage
Herts
SG1 3EA

Tel: 01438 364067
Web: www.wdp-drugs.org.uk