Introduction to the Network

Emma joins the team from North Wales Police with almost 30 years’ service where she was the Head of Crime and Intelligence Analysis. Emma’s background in policing includes major and serious organised crime, leading partnership analysis and projects, and she has also been a programme lead for a national risk management tool (MoRiLE). Emma joins the Wales Safer Communities Network directly from a term of secondment with the Wales Violence Prevention Unit (VPU) and is the vice-chair of the Wales Data and Analysis Innovation and Improvement Network (WDAIIN). Emma brings a wealth of experience and expertise and a huge passion for being evidence led, collaborative working, prevention and the Wales safer communities vision.

Joining the team from Cardiff Third Sector Council, Sarah has extensive experience of facilitating partnerships and networks in the housing, health, social care and well-being sector. She was the Chair of the Cardiff and Vale Commissioning, Finance and Delivery Group for the Substance Misuse Area Planning Board and of the Cardiff and Vale Learning Disability Partnership Group, as well as representing CVC health and social care leads from across Wales at the Ministerial Third Sector Health, Social Care and Wellbeing meetings. Sarah has been the Chair of a domestic abuse charity, where her expertise on good governance and working in partnership was put to good use. She has a degree in Business Studies with ICT from the Open University and a qualification in Speech and Language Therapy.

A native Welsh speaker and champion for inclusivity, Holly joins the Network from the National Autism Team where she led on communications and events. With an English Literature degree from the University of Edinburgh, she is excited to be working in community safety and is eager to begin sharing stories and highlighting the fantastic work taking place in Wales, whilst raising awareness of community safety.

With thirteen years of experience working for Policing in Wales, Helen joins the Network knowing the importance of partnership working. Helen has a degree in Sociology and Criminology from Cardiff University and has been involved with numerous community volunteer programmes recognising her commitment and passion for proactive engagement in keeping Wales a safer place.

As part of the Network’s ongoing evaluation of our offer to partners and stakeholders, we have undertaken an evaluation of our Seminar Series and fortnightly newsletter “BRIFF”.

Since its inception in January 2021, the Network has run two seminar series – the summer series ran between June to July 2021, and the winter series from February to March 2022. Each series consisted of three virtual seminars each.

Between 7 December 2021 and 28 January 2022, the Network conducted a satisfaction survey of the fortnightly newsletter, BRIFF. At the time the survey closed, there had been 47 issues published via email.

The core audience of both the seminar series and BRIFF is professionals and practitioners working in community safety in Wales, which includes both devolved and non-devolved agencies, public, private and third sector colleagues.

To read the reports click here

Join the Wales Safer Communities Network as we work to raise awareness of community safety in Wales. We act as a voice to influence policy, legislation, and practice for local and national devolved and non-devolved matters that impact community safety and the delivery of safer communities across Wales.

To find out more click here

This is the first annual report for the Wales Safer Communities Network. It is a short report which covers from November 2020 until 31 March 2021 (the Safer Communities Network Team started to operate in January 2021). Future annual reports will provide further information, including an overview of the year from the joint Chairs of the Wales Safer Communities Board, which provides leadership to the work of the Network.

To read the report click here