Reducing the Risk is an Oxfordshire charity dedicated to the safety and empowerment of adults and children at risk through abuse and of those who support them. Since our inception in 2007 we have played a key role in Oxfordshire’s strategy to tackle abuse, recognised for our commitment to partnership and for the safety, responsiveness and effectiveness of our services.
Over this time we have worked with over 3000 victims and survivors of abuse and their children, in particular through our IDVA service’s rapid and ongoing support for everyone at high risk in the county, and through piloting a range of initiatives to meet complex needs.
We believe in the value of local charities, of drawing on grass roots expertise, and of working together to strengthen community support for vulnerable people, even more so during the pandemic. We also work with strategic partners from other areas of the UK who are interested in developing similar local approaches to tackling abuse. Our work has extended regionally and nationally in the provision of training, the development of a resource hub for friends, family and practitioners, and through our unique Champion Network approach to coordinating local multi-agency services. Please find out more about our work here.
Looking ahead: building for the future
We have reached a vital stage in our development. We have always relied on our Board of Trustees to run the charity, while our staff deliver our services. This is not sustainable. We need greater governance and executive capacity if we are to build on our achievements and fulfil our potential.
We are seeking a new Chair to steer the next stage in our development and we are creating a new post of Chief Executive to drive the charity forward. Our current Chair, and founding Trustee, will take on the new role of President – available to advise and represent the continuity of Reducing the Risk’s values. We are seeking a Chair who is sympathetic to our local partnership approach, who would relish joining a charity which is ready for a fresh perspective to build for the future and who would bring rigour to our governance. We look forward to the new energy this will bring to our work as an independent and pioneering charity.
We have a role description for the Chair and more information about the new roles will be on our website in July.