MINISTERIAL
BRIEFING JUNE 2015
WORKING WITH WILTSHIRE Work on the new strategic alliance between Avon and Somerset and Wiltshire Police continues at a pace. Sue Mountstevens and Wiltshire PCC Angus Macpherson began discussions in January to share police resources and support functions in order to secure savings. They have now agreed the following governing principles: • Two independent Chief Constables accountable to two PCCs • A common approach to policing and, wherever possible activities will be carried out once across the combined area • Local policing will remain locally managed with local commanders • A shared vision and values • Governance will be shared with each partner having an equal voice • An externally verified financial strategy will identify a fair way of sharing programme costs and savings • A target of £30m in revenue savings by 2018/19 with resources for local policing preserved as far as possible • Partnerships with councils or other forces to be fully considered • Consultation with staff and the public Acting Assistant Chief Constable Julian Moss from Avon and Somerset Constabulary has now been appointed as the new programme director.
FLOODING IN SOMERSET Flooding across Somerset has been a focus for many over the past year or more. That’s why Sue Mountstevens brought all the key agencies and the voluntary sector involved in the floods to a public meeting. Over 200 local people attended the meeting in Taunton last November and it was the chance for residents to hear first-hand about flood-proofing and any learning for the future. Sue Mountstevens was particularly keen for the police to hear and learn from feedback from residents.
TWO COUNTIES WORKING WELL TOGETHER… Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Wiltshire Police already collaborate on Brunel, a shared Major Crime Investigation Team, and Special Branch.This has been running successfully since 2011. Both PCCs supported by police and partners across Avon and Somerset and Wiltshire recently secured over £1m from the Home Office for the first multi-agency, cross-border service to reduce the risk of young people becoming victims of CSE. The new service will see the police, local authorities, health agencies and voluntary organisations work together to tackle CSE. Including, the introduction of specialist workers to work alongside professionals, share information and best practice, raise awareness of CSE and increase training for professionals. A specialist multi-agency risk assessment conference for CSE cases will be introduced. More than £2m will be made available for the project over the next two years which includes a total of £900,000 from both PCCs, local authorities across the area and Barnardo’s, together with £1.2m from the Home Office.
/AANDSPCC /AVONANDSOMERSETPOLICE
@AANDSPCC @ASPOLICE
WWW.AVONANDSOMERSET-PCC.GOV.UK / WWW.AVONANDSOMERSETPOLICE.UK
POLICE BUDGET By the end of this year Avon and Somerset Police will deliver the £46m savings required, however it has not been without its challenges.
GREEN LIGHT FOR COMMISSIONERS’ NEW VICTIM SERVICES New specialist support services for victims of crime and anti-social behaviour are now live. In October 2014, the Ministry of Justice transferred responsibility for commissioning local victim services to PCCs. To prepare for this Sue’s team consulted with victims, partners and service providers to explore what people wanted and identify any gaps in the current provision. Organisations were able to bid to provide the services and the new services include: • Lighthouse integrated victim and witness care
• A young persons’ advocacy service
• An emotional support service - including listening, advice and emergency grants
• Independent sexual violence advisors
• An adults advocacy service
• A modern slavery support service
Further savings of around £40m need to be found over the next four years. Around £17m of which will be provided by the new operating model, new PFI buildings and other initiatives as part of an internal Change Programme. However £23m still needs to be found. The ability to make further significant savings without impacting on frontline services is limited. With this in mind, the Police and Crime Panel supported Sue Mountstevens’ plan to increase the policing part of the council tax for 2015/16 by 1.99% - a £3.41 annual increase to an average Band D council tax bill. The decision to increase the precept was made following a consultation which showed that residents on average supported an increase by up to 2.4%. However given the council tax precept is capped at 2% unless Sue Mountstevens holds a referendum, it meant choices were limited. In addition every year the disparity between the money Avon and Somerset is assessed to need and what it actually receives grows. As a result of a complex, historical and outdated funding formula Avon and Somerset suffers more than most. Losing out on £110m it is assessed to need over the past eight years.
WHAT’S LIGHTHOUSE? Lighthouse is a brand-new service offering increased support to the victims who need it most.
The new service helps realise Sue’s commitment to put victims at the heart of the criminal justice system.
Victims who are vulnerable, intimidated, persistently targeted, or experience serious crime are the focus of the new service.
If you would like to visit Lighthouse please contact Sue Mountstevens’ office to arrange a convenient time.
They will be given both practical and emotional support and be guided through the criminal justice system.
This is an issue which Sue Mountstevens continues to raise with Government whenever she can. Any support to highlight the issue and bring about a fairer settlement for the people of Avon and Somerset is welcomed.
Meeting three times in the coming months, the team will help provide reassurance about the quality and consistency of service to local residents in each of the three local policing areas. Exploring four key themes - anti-social behaviour, hate crime, burglary and violence against women and children. The panel includes people who work with victims, academics and the Probation Service, who will dip-sample cases, study them and make an evaluation. A report, together with the response from the Constabulary, will be published on the PCC website. Other ways the PCC scrutinises the police: • 65 custody visitors who help check on standards in custody
SCRUTINISING THE POLICE A new panel of local people and specialist experts has been set up to help assess the service being delivered by the police.
MENTAL HEALTH AND POLICING Local agreements focusing on improving care for people experiencing mental health crisis have been signed.
• 12 members of an Independent Residents Panel (pictured) who review the police response to complaints and highlight best practice or causes for concern • 10 members of an Out of Court Disposal scrutiny panel to make sure that these powers are being used appropriately Sue Mountstevens signed the Crisis Care Concordat alongside Acting Chief Constable John Long and representatives from the NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups of South Gloucestershire, Bristol and North Somerset as well as the Great Western Ambulance Service. The concordat includes commitments to… • Getting the right care, at the right time and from the right • Sharing information to help frontline staff respond to people in crisis • Putting in place, reviewing and updating action plans for local areas • And better partnership working and earlier intervention to prevent crises occurring As of May 2015, Avon and Somerset Police is no longer accepting under 18’s in police custody. This is ahead of new legislation and is a result of Sue Mountstevens and the police’s commitment that custody is not an appropriate place of safety. Multi-agency work on dealing with the mentally ill continues with a number of pilot schemes taking place this autumn. Including a street triage system between health organisations and the police, and a control room triage where health professionals will be based in the police control room.
/AANDSPCC /AVONANDSOMERSETPOLICE
@AANDSPCC @ASPOLICE
WWW.AVONANDSOMERSET-PCC.GOV.UK / WWW.AVONANDSOMERSETPOLICE.UK