NCDV Welcomes Keith Fraser as Official Expert Advisor
Keith Fraser, NCDV Expert Advisor
Chair of Youth Justice Board for England & Wales
Chair of Local Partnerships, Chair of the Public Chairs Forum
Friendship firmed up
We are delighted that Keith Fraser, someone who has long supported the work of NCDV, has agreed to become our official Expert Advisor. Keith has previously offered advice and direction, especially around keeping the focus on a victim-survivor perspective.
NCDV Expert Advisors
NCDV’s Expert Advisors are trusted professionals who offer specialist knowledge to support our work. They provide occasional guidance on legal, policy, and practice developments, helping us ensure that our information, resources, and campaigns remain accurate, relevant, and effective.
Keith Fraser is a nationally respected thought leader in policing, youth justice, and inclusive public leadership across England and Wales. As Chair of the Youth Justice Board, a member of the Criminal Justice Board, and former UK Commissioner on Race and Ethnic Disparities, he has shaped national policy and governance while staying grounded in regional delivery through senior operational roles in West Midlands Police and the Metropolitan Police Service.
His work spotlights the vulnerability and over‑representation of children from ethnic minority backgrounds, children with complex needs—care‑experienced, SEND, disabled, and those in poverty—within the youth justice and youth custody systems, advocating evidence‑based prevention, earlier intervention, and community‑led support over late‑stage enforcement. He champions evidence based and the experience of people and avoids simplistic “hard and soft” approaches: proportionate enforcement alongside inclusive leadership, cultural competence, and being trustworthy, demonstrating how fairness and legitimacy reduce violence and improve outcomes. At national level, Keith convenes cross‑government stakeholders to embed accountability and data‑driven decision‑making; at regional level, he translates strategy into practice through workforce development, recruitment, and rigorous performance oversight to identify disparities.
A values‑led, collaborative leader, Keith brings plain‑English clarity, political acuity, and operational credibility to the politics of justice. He aligns system reform with measurable impact using evidence to challenge disproportionality, strengthen prevention, and improved youth custody pathways while ensuring people, dignity, and opportunity remain central. His portfolio spans chairing the Public Chairs’ Forum and Local Partnerships, advising ministers on youth justice, and training senior police leaders, innovative domestic abuse survivor voice led work in the police, all focused on creating fair environments that lift trust and productivity. Keith’s approach marries governance discipline with lived‑experience insight, demonstrating that when inclusion is embedded not added on policing and youth justice become more effective, legitimate, and humane.
We are hoping to expand this group to include a Family Law specialist who can support NCDV with legal interpretation and updates to guidance and legislation when needed. If this is you and you’d like to support our vital work, we’d love to hear from you: office@ncdv.org.uk
