Safer Torbay workshop series 2026: Emerging challenges shaping community safety

Join the Safer Torbay workshop series 2026, a series of 5 free online workshops exploring the challenges that affect community safety.

Community safety does not exist in isolation. It is influenced by:

• economic uncertainty
• rapid technological change
• social division
• climate change
• increasing pressure on public services

The Safer Communities Team, on behalf of Safer Torbay, created this workshop series to help you understand these factors and consider ways to respond to them.

Who can attend

The workshops are open to anyone working in Torbay or across the South-West with an interest in community safety, including:

• Local Authority officers
• Police and probation staff
• Health and public health professionals
• Commissioned services
• Voluntary, community and faith sector organisations
• Elected Members
• Community resilience and safeguarding practitioners

What you'll learn

By taking part, you will:

• Improve your understanding of emerging risks and trends.
• Explore how wider societal challenges connect to local community outcomes.
• Learn from speakers with specialist knowledge and experience.
• Build networks across sectors and organisations.
• Strengthen your ability to support community resilience and cohesion.
• Take part in activities to help you reflect, learn and take action.

Workshop programme

The programme brings together experts, practitioners and partners from across Devon and Cornwall and beyond.

1. The mainstreaming of the far-right

Date and time: Thursday 5 November 2026, 10am to 12pm.

Speaker: Professor Aurelien Mondon, University of Bath. View Professor Mondon's profile at the University of Bath.

This workshop explores how divisive narratives become normalised and affect community cohesion and safety.

You will explore ways to recognise and respond to these challenges.

2. AI, algorithms and online harm

Date and time: Wednesday 11 November 2026, 10.30am to 12.30pm

Speaker: Dr Helen Beetham, University of Manchester. View Dr Beetham's profile at the University of Manchester.

This workshop examines how emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), and social media create challenges opportunities and disinformation.

It also looks at how technology affects our relationships, wellbeing and community safety.

3. Climate change and community safety

Date and time: Monday 16 November 2026, 1.30pm to 3.30pm

Speaker: Steffi Bednarek, Centre for Climate Psychology. View Steffi Bednarek's personal website.

This workshops explores climate change as a "threat multiplier". It looks at how climate change affects community safety and focuses on its psychological impact on us and our communities.

4. Social cohesion and societal resilience

Date and time: Tuesday 1 December 2026, 10.00am to 12.00pm

Speaker: Maddie Jennings, Belong.

This workshops explores the connection between social cohesion and societal resilience. It also considers how community safety and its wider partners fit into this connection.

5. Collective Sensemaking

Date and time: Tuesday 8 December 2026, 1.30pm to 3.30pm

Facilitator: The Cynefin Company

This is the closing session which will help you reflect on the workshops and topics covered.

The aim is to help you:

• improve your understanding of complex challenges
• identify actions you can take in your personal life and in your work

Signing up

Attending the workshops is free.

Please sign up to as many workshops as you want. We designed the workshop as a series, so attending all sessions will give the most complete learning experience. We recommend attending the Collective Sensemaking workshop, as it will help tie all learning together.

If you would like any further information, please contact safercommunities@torbay.gov.uk