Report to: Overview and Scrutiny (South Hams)
Date: 8^th February 2022
Title: South Devon and Dartmoor Community Safety Partnership
Portfolio Area: Place and Enterprise
Wards Affected:	All
Author: Ian Luscombe		Role:	Head of Environmental Health and Licensing
Contact: Ian.Luscombe@swdevon.gov.uk

Recommendations:  

That the Committee:

1. Acknowledge the work of the Community Safety Partnership

2. Encourages Members to take part in the annual priority setting process to reflect the priorities in their communities

1. Executive summary

1.1 The report explains the background to the Community Safety Partnership and asks members to support the annual priority setting process.

1.2 The work that the Community Safety Partnership has carried out this year may be found in the Appendices to this report.

2. Background

2.1 The South Devon and Dartmoor Community Safety Partnership is a partnership between South Hams, Teignbridge and West Devon, the principle aim of which is to reduce crime and disorder in the area.

2.2 Community Safety Partnerships were introduced by Section 6 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The Legislation sets a statutory requirement to bring together local partners to formulate and deliver strategies to tackle crime and disorder in their communities. Responsible authorities that make up a Community Safety Partnership are the Police, Fire and Rescue Authority, Local Authorities, Health Partners, and Probation Services.

2.3 The work of the Community Safety Partnership fits with the Services for Communities services of the Council’s Strategic plan.

2.4 The Community Safety Partnership Chairperson is a member of the Safer Devon Partnership which forms the upper tier Community Safety Partnership function – the “Safer Devon Partnership.” 

2.5 Funding is no longer allocated to the Community Safety Partnership but must be bid for as and when required to support specific project and initiatives. Funding is generally made available by the Police and Crime Commissioner for specific projects that meet their qualifying criteria.

2.6 In the current financial year the only budget that the Community Safety Partnership had allocated was £8,000 from Serious Violence funding that has been delegated by the Safer Devon Partnership.

2.7 In terms of resource in South Hams and West Devon there is one full time Community Safety Officer and one Anti-Social Behaviour Officer, who also undertakes other duties under environmental protection.

2.8 The Community Safety Partnership Manager is employed by Teignbridge DC. This is a more senior role than the West Devon and South Hams equivalent. Teignbridge also have an Anti-social Behaviour Officer.

2.9 The Lead Member for South Hams is currently Cllr Dewynter.

2.10 Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) have a statutory responsibility to work together to protect their local communities from crime and to help people feel safe.

2.11 In exercising its functions, the Partnership must have regards to the Police and Crime objectives set out in the Police and Crime plan for the Police area.

2.12 This year the Partnership will also need to have regard to the Preventing Serious Violence Strategy that outlines Safer Devon’s framework for preventing and reducing serious violence in Devon.

3.0       Priority Setting

3.1   The Community Safety Partnership sets priorities in March/April each year using intelligence from the soon to be published Devon Strategic Needs Assessment and produces a Local Delivery Plan which is reviewed at each Community Safety Partnership meeting.

3.2  Ahead of the priority setting meeting, at which SH and WD CSP Lead Members will be present, we will invite the Lead Members to meet with Portfolio holders and other Cllrs so that they can present the views of all members to ensure wider representation and tie in with our corporate priorities and the needs of our communities.

3.3  Local Police are also present at the priority setting meetings and will also provide a local perspective from their respective neighbourhoods.

4.0    CSP Home Office visit

4.1  In November 2023 the Community Safety Partnership gave a presentation to the Safer Stronger Communities Board where the Leader of WDBC and Police and Crime Commissioner were present. The work of the Community Safety Partnership was later discussed at the Safer Stronger Board of the Local Government Association in London, as was described as exemplary in the way that it works. A visit has been requested by the Deputy Chairperson of the Board to explore how the Partnership works ahead of the second part of the National Community Safety Partnership review.

5.0    Raising awareness

5.1  A key development area for the Community Safety Partnership is to focus on raising awareness about how the Partnership operates.

5.2 There is an Annual Forum each year where the Community Safety Partnership celebrates and raises awareness of the best projects with over one hundred attendees. This year the forum will be held in West Devon.

5.3  Recently a bitesize session was delivered on Teams to share information about the day to day working of the Community Safety Partnership, this was attended by almost 100 stakeholders including elected members. There has also been a renewed focus on social media, that together with some new branding to make a better impact.

5.4  The Community Safety Partnership will also contribute articles to Member briefings, the next one will include information about priority setting process.

6.0 Options available and consideration of risk:

a. The Community Safety Partnership is required to be in place by Section 6 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

b. The Priorities are the basis for a range of initiatives and interventions that are delivered locally. The Council is represented at Devon Boards around Prevent, Modern Slavery, Youth Crime Violence Prevention, Trauma, Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence and key partners in Channel, Domestic Homicide Reviews and Child safeguarding meetings and share information and action back into our own council departments.

c. The Community Safety Partnership arrange and chair Multi agency meetings with our partners to deliver against identified local issues in our communities. We develop and maintain a local community network where we share relevant information around best practice or available training and funding opportunities.

d. If the Community Safety Partnership did not carry out these activities, many of the preventative, there would likely be an increase in those areas of concern, leading to a negative impact upon our communities.

e. The evaluation of which activities should be the focus of the Partnership’s attention is via the priority setting process that invites numerous stakeholders to contribute.

f. Local Members will have an opportunity to contribute to the priority setting process, firstly by discussion with the Lead Member ahead of the Priority Setting meeting.

7.  Proposal and Next Steps

7.1 The Community Safety Partnership will continue to consider its annual workplan in line with current priorities. Those priorities will be discussed as part of the priority setting process that Members are able to contribute to.

7.2  The Community Safety Partnership provides an annual report on the work that it carries out to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

7.3 The annual report measures success against the agreed workplan. This year’s work plan may be found in the attached appendices.

8. Implications

Implications	Relevant to proposals Y/N	Details and proposed measures to address
Legal/Governance		The Council is required by section 19 of the Police and Justice Act 2006 to have a committee with power to review or scrutinise decisions made, or other action taken, in connection with the discharge by those authorities responsible for crime and disorder strategies of their crime and disorder functions.  The Committee undertakes that role.
Financial implications to include reference to value for money		The staff costs of South Hams District Council Council contribution to Community Safety Partnership and Anti-Social Behaviour in 2023/24 was £16,679.00.
Risk		Members consider the report and any risks be taken to the next CSP meeting.
Supporting Corporate Strategy		Communities, Wellbeing and Homes
Consultation & Engagement Strategy		The setting of the annual workplan is a consultative process with numerous stakeholders and elected members.
Climate Change - Carbon / Biodiversity Impact		No direct carbon/biodiversity impact arising from the recommendations.
Comprehensive Impact Assessment Implications
Equality and Diversity		The CSP addresses issues including hate crime and specific crimes relating to vulnerable members of the community such as exploitation.
Safeguarding		CSP staff engage in several safeguarding forums and promote effective safeguarding practice in their work. This links to internal Council safeguarding.
Community Safety, Crime and Disorder		The report details the many implications on Community Safety of West Devon Borough Council’s engagement in the CSP.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing		The CSP works closely with public health and other partners on health and wellbeing issues including alcohol, licensing, and mental health.
Other implications		None

Supporting Information

Appendices:

Community Safety Partnership workplan 2023-24

Background Papers:

None

Approval and clearance of report