We are delighted to announce that the Statistical Excellence Award for Trustworthiness, Quality and Value has been awarded to the Violence Research Group at Cardiff University for their work on the National Violence Surveillance Network (NVSN) and linked Cardiff Model for Violence Prevention.
Presented in partnership with the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) and Civil Service World, this award recognises excellence in the voluntary application of the principles of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics.
The NVSN is a pioneering public health surveillance system which, together with the Cardiff Model for Violence Prevention, has transformed how serious violence is measured and prevented across England and Wales.
Established in 2000 to address a significant evidence gap in police recording, this triangulated measurement approach linked to the Cardiff Model has enabled the use of A&E data to inform violence prevention and drive changes in practice. In doing so, it has reduced the long-standing reliance of policymakers, researchers and the public on incomplete data.
To tackle this issue, the Violence Research Group created a structured surveillance network across Accident and Emergency departments, producing 25 annual reports that have driven meaningful improvements in public policy, understanding, and frontline practice.
The network operates with robust ethical and peer-review oversight, transparent methodology, and independent scrutiny. Data is collected at the point of patient attendance to minimise recall bias, and a rigorous statistical weighting approach is used to produce nationally representative estimates by age and gender. These insights complement and strengthen existing data sources, including the Crime Survey for England and Wales and police-recorded crime statistics.
NVSN data also underpins the Cardiff Model for Violence Prevention widely implemented in England and Wales and internationally, recognised by the World Health Organization as an INSPIRE strategy for preventing violence against children, and adopted by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States.
Findings from this work are incorporated into annual ONS crime statistics and have directly informed government policy, including decisions such as increasing alcohol duty in line with inflation.
Professor Jonathan Shepherd CBE FMedSci FLSW, project lead from Cardiff University’s Violence Research Group, said: “My colleagues and I are absolutely delighted that NVSN and linked Cardiff Model have won this year’s Trustworthiness, Quality and Value award. Our long-standing work confirms a substantial decline in serious violence consistent with national Crime Survey findings.
“This work has provided a more accurate and reassuring public picture of violence trends as the police don't know about 75% of violent offences which result in emergency hospital treatment. NVSN data and crime survey data show that violence has decreased by 60% since 2000.
“The network’s annual report reports always get high profile interest, yet these operations are sustained without external funding, reflecting our enduring commitment to serving the public good.”
Ed Humpherson, Director General for Regulation, said: “NVSN is a clear standout winner, consistently demonstrating innovation, delivery and tangible value. Its strength is further amplified by the powerful network it has built, supporting and creating meaningful impact for a wide range of organisations and individuals.”
Dr Sarah Cumbers, Chief Executive of the Royal Statistical Society, said: “NVSN powerfully demonstrates how the principles of trustworthiness, quality and value can be brought to life for the benefit of society. Congratulations to the entire team on this longstanding and outstanding achievement.”