Meeting documents

The Committee will receive an update on the progress of developing the Safer Bucks Plan for 2017/18. This is an opportunity for Members to provide a steer on the suggested areas of priority for the Community Safety Team for the coming year.

Contributors:

Margaret Aston, Deputy Cabinet Member for Community Engagement and Public Health.

Cath Marriott, Community Safety Manager.

The Chairman welcomed Mrs Margaret Aston, Deputy Cabinet Member for Community Engagement and Cath Marriott, Community Safety Manager.

The Committee received an overview of the evidence base from the Strategic Assessment which helps to inform decisions around priorities for the 2017 3-year Safer Bucks Plan. Members had the opportunity at the very early stages of the plan being developed to ask questions and provide input into the emerging plan. The plan is due to be completed for Cabinet in the March 2017.

Questions from members covered the following areas:

• The previous year budget, allocation of funding and outcomes.

Members heard that last year the Safer Bucks Partnership board received £495,000 from the Police and Crime Commissioner. Members heard about examples of the projects and initiatives that were delivered and the success of those. They also heard how the community safety work in Bucks is held as good practice for innovative ideas and solutions. One of the ongoing key areas for Bucks is Violence (including Domestic), along with emerging issues such as Modern slavery, child exploitation and cybercrime. These are leading to a need for longer term planning and longer term interventions due to the complex and national nature of these issues. Members were informed that contract management of commissioned services has tightened to ensure outcomes achieved (although preventative projects are inherently difficult to measure). AN area highlighted for further improvements was in getting better engagement with service users of the services commissioned.

• Issues around Domestic Violence and unaccompanied children:

These issues were raised by members as issues that need to be addressed. Members heard how issues like these will always sit within the work that the partnership address and will be priorities going forward. The information provided in the report was on emerging trends that are new to the plan for the forthcoming years, and which required a shift in approach to a longer term plan, rather than an annual plan. Members were reassured that issues such as these would also be the foundation work of the partnership.

• Social return on investment, and how to balance the annual budget/funding with the longer term planning approach.

Members heard that the budget for next year is unknown as of yet, this will be confirmed in the New Year. There will be a change in funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner, who will retain 10% of the funding to commission services centrally. Public consultation will be completed in January. The funding and longer term planning balance will be achieved through the greater use of commissioning of services and smarter contract management. The partnership in Bucks are working closely with national and regional partners to ensure that in Bucks we are able to influence national issues but link into national work taking place where it is appropriate and to ensure that there is not duplication of work, and effective sharing of information and activity.

• How we benchmark nationally with the emerging national issues:

The partnership work closely with national partners such as the Jill Dando Institute to share data and identify victims of these currently unknown crimes (the extent of the crimes are unknown, the victims unknown etc.). Information is shared at regional networks and the Police and Crime Commissioners office. For example, victim pathway profiling around adult exploitation will take place at a workshop on the 16^th November 2016. In January service mapping will take place for the emerging crimes to identify services, partners and potential victims. Bucks are being seen as innovative and best practice in their approach to this.

• Issues around street drinkers and sleepers and how these are addressed

Members were told that these are seen as vulnerable people and are prioritised within this heading. The District Councils are working on these issues at a local level as it present a demand on their services. The Police have also highlighted rough sleeping as an issue of vulnerability (as opposed to nuisance).

• Process for the development of the plan:

Members heard that a partnership workshop will take place on 16.11.16 which will start to develop what the priorities might look like. December and January will be the consultation phase. At the end of January the priority areas will be confirmed and funding confirmed. In March the plan will go to Cabinet for endorsement.

The Chairman thanked Cath Marriott for her very helpful and detailed answers to the Member questions.

ACTION: For the draft plan to come to committee and be added to the work programme

Committee and Governance Adviser