Shelter Merseyside Violence Reduction Programme

VRP is a home office initiative to address reducing violence in offenders. Within Merseyside, a number of agencies have been funded to offer support to such young people. Shelter’s VRP started in July 2020 and we have been working, until recently, remotely helping people with housing issues. The service is Merseyside-wide and incarceration is not actually a criterion. The client must have perpetrated violence, or have the propensity to do so. It is a low intensity and short term support service. Typically, clients are homeless or facing homelessness, but the team have also supported clients to maintain their accommodation.