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Save the date: 21-25 September 2026
Safer Communities Awareness Week 2026
Safer Communities Awareness Week is an opportunity to raise the profile of community safety and highlight innovative work that is taking place across Wales. Started by the Wales Safer Communities Network the first Awareness Week took place in September 2023. From 15 to 19 September 2025, we raised awareness of community safety and the theme “working together for cohesive and inclusive communities”.
This year’s Safer Communities Awareness Week focuses on prevention, partnership and early intervention. Through a series of Lunch and Learn sessions and a workshop, practitioners from across Wales will explore how organisations can work together to prevent harm, support vulnerable people and build safer communities.
Follow us on our social media channels to stay up to date with activity throughout the awareness week:
If you’d like to submit any case studies or good practice examples to be shared throughout the week, please do so by emailing us at safercommunities@wlga.gov.uk with the subject line ‘Safer Communities Awareness Week – Case Studies’.
Register for this Lunch and Learn here
Join colleagues from Public Health Wales and partners from across Wales to explore suicide and self-harm prevention in practice. Through contributions from speakers representing each region, this session will showcase the structures, partnerships, resources and toolkits supporting prevention activity at both local and national levels.
The session will highlight how regional and local partners, including Community Safety Partnerships, are working together to reduce harm, share intelligence and deliver effective interventions. It will also explore the role of partnership working in supporting a coordinated public health approach to prevention.
Designed for community safety practitioners and wider partners, this session offers an opportunity to learn about current developments, exchange ideas and consider how effective partnership working can help strengthen suicide and self-harm prevention across Wales.
Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of how suicide and self-harm prevention is being coordinated across Wales, alongside practical examples of partnership approaches that can support local delivery and planning.
Delivered by Regional Leads for Suicide and Self-Harm: Deb Job, North Wales; Laura Tranter, Mid and West Wales; and Ceri Fowler, South East Wales.
Register for this Lunch and Learn here
The term ‘Public Health Approach’ is increasingly used across community safety, policing, health and public services, but what does it mean in practice?
Delivered by the Violence Prevention Team at Public Health Wales, this Lunch and Learn session will explore the principles of a public health approach to violence prevention and why it is central to creating safer, healthier communities. It will address common misconceptions and provide a practical overview of how the approach can be applied within community safety settings.
Attendees will also hear about the Wales Without Violence programme and work taking place across Wales to prevent violence before it occurs by understanding and addressing its root causes. Whether you are new to the concept or looking to deepen your understanding, this session will highlight the importance of partnership working, data and evidence, early intervention and long-term prevention, helping participants consider what a public health approach means for their own roles and organisations.
Participants will gain a clearer understanding of what a public health approach looks like in practice and how its principles can be applied to community safety challenges within their own organisations and partnerships.
Delivered by the Public Health Wales Violence Prevention team, Lara Snowdon and Emma Barton.
Register for this Lunch and Learn here
Community safety partners are increasingly likely to encounter veterans, serving personnel and military families through safeguarding, housing, health and support services. This session explores the Armed Forces Covenant and what it means for practitioners working across Wales.
The Armed Forces Covenant is a national commitment to ensure that serving personnel, veterans and their families are treated fairly and are not disadvantaged when accessing public services. Elements of the Covenant have also been strengthened through legislation, placing responsibilities on a range of public bodies, including local authorities, health services and education providers.
This Lunch and Learn session will provide an overview of the Covenant, its purpose and its expanding role across public services in Wales. Participants will explore what the Covenant means in practice, the responsibilities it places on organisations and why it is increasingly relevant to community safety partners.
The session will also consider how community safety professionals can support the Armed Forces community through their work, highlighting opportunities to strengthen awareness, partnership working and service delivery. Whether you are new to the Covenant or looking to better understand its implications for your role, this session offers a practical introduction to an important and evolving area of policy and practice.
Delivered by Peter Kellam, Welsh Government
Register for this Workshop here
The Government’s Police Reform White Paper, From Local to National: A new Model for Policing, published in January 2026, set out proposals to replace the Police and Crime Commissioner model and introduce new arrangements for police governance from May 2028.
This interactive workshop will provide community safety practitioners in Wales with an opportunity to hear more about the proposed reforms, the rationale behind them and their potential implications for Community Safety Partnerships and wider partnership working.
The session will create space for discussion and reflection, enabling attendees to share their views, raise questions and explore the opportunities and challenges that may arise from the proposed changes. Designed for practitioners and partners with an interest in the future of policing and community safety, the workshop will help participants consider how the reforms could affect local partnership arrangements. Feedback gathered during the session will also help inform ongoing conversations about the future of police governance and Community Safety Partnerships in Wales.
Delivered by Home Office Police Governance Reform Policy Lead, Louise Williams
Register for this Lunch and Learn here
Prevention and early intervention are central to creating safer communities and supporting positive outcomes for children and young people. This Lunch and Learn will explore how Dyfed-Powys Police and partner organisations are working together to identify risks, build resilience and engage young people through a range of preventative approaches.
The session will share what developments and investment have taken place with schools liaison and education programmes, the development and sharing of resources to support young people, and the use of analytical intelligence to better understand local issues and emerging trends. It will also explore the role of child-centred policing in recognising and responding to the needs and experiences of children and young people.
Designed for community safety practitioners and wider partners across Wales, the Lunch and Learn will provide an opportunity to hear about current approaches, share learning and reflect
on the challenges and opportunities associated with prevention and early intervention.
Attendees will gain insight into current prevention and engagement approaches, alongside practical ideas that may help strengthen local activity, partnership working and outcomes for children and young people.
Delivered by Police and Crime Commissioner for Dyfed-Powys Police Dafydd Llywelyn, Bethan James and Sarah Francis from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Register for this Lunch and Learn here
Stalking is often perceived as an issue affecting adults, yet stalking behaviours can also occur among children and young people, with significant impacts on those affected. Awareness and understanding of stalking in younger age groups can be limited, while misconceptions about what stalking looks like may prevent concerns from being recognised or addressed at an early stage.
This Lunch and Learn session will explore what is currently known about stalking and young people, including patterns of behaviour, prevalence and the experiences of those affected. It will challenge common myths and misunderstandings, helping participants recognise stalking behaviours and consider how they may present differently among younger people.
Attendees will also hear about approaches to awareness raising and education, including the role of schools, youth settings and community safety partners. Designed for practitioners working with or supporting young people, the session offers an opportunity to reflect on barriers to identifying concerns and consider how partners can work together to better support and protect children and young people.
Participants will leave with greater confidence in recognising stalking behaviours among young people, understanding their impact, and identifying opportunities for earlier intervention and support.
Delivered by Sophia Kier-Byfield, Senior Research Assistant, University of South Wales.
