Across the UK and internationally, we have been influencing and catalysing change at many levels. We work with all political parties, local champions, people on the front line and decision-makers because child abuse and neglect is everyone's business.

Influencing policy

• Prior to the 2024 General Election, the 70/30 initiative was endorsed by:
  • 612 (94%) Westminster MP's
  • 127 (98%) Members of the Scottish Parliament
  • 50 (83%) Members of the Welsh Parliament
  • 55 (61%) Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly
  • 13 UK Local Authorities( Dundee, Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, Edinburgh, Fife, Greater London Authority, Highlands and Islands, Isle of Wright, North Ayrshire, Moray, Portsmouth, Southampton and West Dunbartonshire)
    
    • 8 UK political parties (UK Labour, Scottish Labour, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, Welsh Conservative, Scottish Conservative, The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland and The Scottish National Party(Westminster ) 
      
• A WAVE-led coalition of early years experts was responsible for the inclusion of prevention in the Scottish Children & Young People Act 2014
• WAVE Trust were advisors to the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) on their 2018 report 'Hope For Every Child' that was endorsed by the party leadership and called for a comprehensive approach towards tackling Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) in Northern Ireland

 

Influencing society

• Brought preventive programmes (Family-Nurse Partnership and Roots of Empathy) to the UK which have benefitted over 90,000 children and families
• The evidence based PCPS programme was previously implemented in the London Brough of Camden to support families in the first 2 years of life
• Established multi-nation, cross-sector workshops for senior decision-makers across the UK and Republic of Ireland, training them on child development and trauma, and solutions for prevention of ACEs
• WAVE is an active member of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Violence Prevention Alliance and is coordinating the British group of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network for Trauma-Informed Prevention of Adverse Childhood Experiences
• Our work is used internationally by UNICEF in Asia and Europe and by healthcare experts (e.g. Italy, Australia, Iceland); has been praised by the World Health Organisation and translated into multiple languages (including Icelandic); and was described as a ‘manifesto for the world’ by a senior UN official
• Training multi agency professionals to work in a Trauma-Informed way to achieve large scale impact (using best practice and latest science)

Other impacts

• Wrote policy recommendations currently being used by UK and international experts, senior civil servants and government departments
• Created UK-wide alliances and coalitions of early years experts & practitioners
• Gave evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees
• Advised governments and local authorities on the early years
• Created cutting-edge preventive action plans, working with local and national partners to implement these

WAVE Trust is a member of the World Health Organisation's Violence Prevention Alliance, who have found our advice and support has influenced their thinking and action plans. This is a quote from Dr. Alexander Butchart, Co-ordinator, Prevention of Violence, WHO.

'Thank you for the time you took to visit Geneva - it was inspiring to learn of your considerable achievements in moving an evidence-based approach to the early developmental prevention of violence ahead in the UK, and fascinating to see the close parallels between the work of WAVE and unfolding of the WHO violence prevention activities.'

Robert Scott was in prison serving time for a violent offence when he sought help from George. His childhood trauma was healed and when he left prison he changed his life and no longer showed violent behaviour.

'Before I completed WAVE’s An End to Violence Therapeutic Programme, I was angry with the world, meaning society, my community and my life. This anger caused me not to think about life or anything in a positive way, therefore I led a life down a path of destruction. One year on from completing the programme, I am at peace with myself and all that the world, society and life can throw at me. I am now in a content place in my life where I am able to see life in its real reality and I am able to deal with it in a rational way without even a thought of violence.'

Learn more about his story

We have advised the Metropolitan Police on strategies to reduce violence in London. Commander Allan Gibson, then Director of Strategic Development, Specialist Crime Directorate, Metropolitan Police stated this about our work.

'Indisputably, one area of crime has continued to rise year on year: violent offences. The WAVE Report 2005: Violence And What To Do About It [is] perhaps the most significant paper on strategic crime reduction in recent years.'