Executive summary
Cleveland’s Violence Reduction Unit (CURV – Cleveland Unit for the Reduction of Violence) provides strategic leadership and coordination to tackle serious violence through a whole-system, public health approach. CURV works collaboratively with specified authorities, partners, and communities to reduce harm and create safer environments where individuals, families, and communities can live, learn, and work free from the fear and consequences of violence.
Our approach prioritises evidence-based interventions, aligning funded activities with the Youth Endowment Fund Toolkit, particularly those rated as ‘high impact.’ This ensures contributions to the local, regional, and national evidence base on what works to prevent serious violence.
Key performance indicators include:
- Reducing hospital admissions for knife-related assaults
- Reducing knife-enabled offences
- Reducing all non-domestic homicides
The Home Office funding agreement requires CURV to address root causes of violence, such as the link between school exclusions and increased risk of criminal involvement. This underpins the pilot intervention with the Education Navigator programme, delivered in partnership with Horizons specialist academy trust.
Initially, CURV intended to deliver the Education Navigator programme in partnership with Proclaim, as noted in Decision 2025/26 – 003: CURV delivery plan activity. However, due to unforeseen delays, the approach was revised to ensure we could still pilot the programme, and Horizons Specialist Academy Trust was engaged to deliver the intervention.
Programme summary
Horizons Specialist Academy Trust (HSAT) is a multi-academy trust based in Stockton-on-Tees, delivering specialist education for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), particularly those with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. The Trust operates several academies across Teesside, including Abbey Hill, Green Gates, Westlands, Hollis, and Mo Mowlam Academies.
What they do:
- Provide tailored education and support for pupils aged 5–19 with complex needs.
- Focus on improving life chances through personalised learning, therapeutic interventions, and vocational pathways.
- Work closely with families, local authorities, and partner agencies to ensure holistic support.
- Promote inclusion, independence, and positive outcomes for vulnerable learners.
HSAT’s expertise in supporting excluded or at-risk pupils aligns with CURV’s public health approach to tackling serious violence.
CURV will provide £19,999 in the 2025/26 financial year to fund an Education Navigator within Horizons Specialist Academy Trust between the 5th January 2026 – 31st March 2026. This role will work primarily across Mo Mowlam Academy and Hollis Academy, supporting vulnerable pupils and addressing risk factors linked to serious violence. The Education Navigator will focus on reducing exclusions, improving engagement, and strengthening collaboration between schools, families, and community partners. This initiative primarily aligns with the PCC’s Police and Crime Plan’s priority of reducing crime, antisocial behaviour and harm. It also aligns with CURV’s public health approach and HSAT’s mission to improve life chances for young people with SEND and SEMH needs, contributing to shared aims of prevention and positive outcomes.
Measuring success
Success will be assessed through improvements in school attendance, reductions in suspensions and exclusions, and positive feedback from pupils and staff on the support provided by the Education Navigator. Baseline data will be collected at the start, and progress will be reviewed at the end of the programme using a performance framework that captures both quantitative outcomes and qualitative insights, such as case studies and pupil perceptions. CURV’s evaluation partner, Research Core, will conduct a process evaluation to understand how the pilot was delivered and identify learning that can inform future programme development.
Decision 2025/26 – 025: Education Navigator Programme Pilot (application, 164kB)