Agenda item

The Cabinet Lead Member for Safer Communities, Mr. J. T. Orson JP CC, has been invited for this item.

The Commission considered a report of the Chief Executive concerning the Safer Communities Commissioning Plan 2012/13. A copy of the report, marked ‘B’, is filed with these minutes.

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting the Cabinet Lead Member for Safer Communities, Mr. J. T. Orson JP CC, who was present to respond to any questions raised by the Commission. In his introduction, the Cabinet Lead Member reported that it had been necessary to average out, over an 18 month period reductions in Government funding in 2012/13 equivalent to 60% of the overall budget in order to deliver a managed reduction in the Service. From 2013, the Community Safety funding would transfer to the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and a dialogue on the future of these services would need to take place when the PCC had been elected in November.

Arising from the discussion, the following points were noted:

• It would be crucial to establish a relationship with the PCC at an early stage in order to gain an understanding of his/her intentions for the future of the County’s Community Safety function. The reductions in central grant funding had put pressure on more effective joint working and there was an increased emphasis on accessing mainstream funding sources;
  
  
• Currently, the district councils used a combination of mainstream and grant funding to support Community Safety projects. The funding allocated to some District Councils for Domestic Abuse Outreach services was an interim arrangement, pending a full Service Review on how best to commission domestic abuse services in the future. This funding would also transfer to the PCC;
• Arising from reviews carried out in the wake of the Fiona Pilkington case in 2011, there was now a greater focus on the ‘vulnerability’ of victims. Risk assessments aimed to improve the identification of vulnerable people had been rolled out across the sub-region, along with a single anti-social behaviour database for those cases which needed to be pro-actively case managed;
• It would be important, prior to the election of the PCC, to prepare documentation that clearly set out the achievements of the Council’s Community Safety work. The Safer Communities Strategy Board had commissioned an evaluation of the use of the Community Safety Fund for this purpose. There were commonalities between the work carried out in the County, the City and Rutland. As the PCC funding would be allocated on the sub-regional basis, it would be important to clearly identify needs and outcomes for each area;
  
  
• At present, there was a lack of clarity around how best Scrutiny might engage with the Police and Crime Panels (PCPs). It was clear however that elected members would continue to have a role to play in the work of the PCPs and Community Safety more widely, not least with the Commission continuing to act in its capacity as Crime and Disorder Committee for the County Council;
  
  
• A booklet was currently being prepared for the PCC which would bring together the workstreams of all key agencies in respect of Community Safety, as well as identifying key priorities and the current use of funding that was due to transfer to the PCC. A draft was expected by the beginning of July. The booklet would be shared with elected members when finalised;
  
  
• It was recognised that further work could be done to publicise some of the success stories of the Youth Offending Service, however this was not always possible due to the sensitivities of identifying the individuals involved, some of whom were young offenders.
  
  

RESOLVED:

(a)               That the report be noted;

(b)               That a report on performance against the Commissioning Plan be submitted to a future meeting of the Commission.