Agenda item

·         Data report & Strategic Assessment

·         PSG

·         Toolkits

o   OPCC micro grants

o   Community Engagement

o   Unauthorised Encampment

This Review is very different from past years due complications of Covid. Trend data is difficult to analyse due to Covid changing crime patterns.  Drug offences are up but inquisitive theft is down, probably as a result of people being at home during lockdown.

 

Existing priorities:

Priority 1 – Community resilience

Areas where communities are galvanising energy into action and the development of Community Engagement toolkits.

 

There has been a huge Community response to Covid across the County. There is a large volume of volunteers assisting in communities and there is an opportunities to build on this now. Support Cambridgeshire (umbrella organisation supporting the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS)) are highlighting the value of existing groups and their energy.

 

Priority 2 – Priority Areas

Areas for focus are chosen based on data and professional judgement. A highlight of the last year was the creation of the Data Group. This was set up to assess the quality and effectiveness of the data being shared and to broaden the types of data used to inform the activities of the CSP.

 

Areas have been placed into one of 3 categories based on the Data Group’s recommendations:

Emerging – areas where multiple issues are presenting and / or where escalating issues have been identified.

Preventing - growth areas and/or existing communities where vulnerabilities are predicted to be an issue for the future

Sustaining - areas where work has been / is being done to tackle known issues and where support is required to improve future resilience.

 

Strategic Assessment key findings:

Domestic Abuse (DA) - This is a big issue owing to Covid restrictions increasing vulnerabilities.  DA calls are up by 12% in South Cambs in 2020 compared to 2019, although IDVA referrals have not increased notably.  Nationally, the charity sector is showing spikes in calls with a 65% rise in calls and a 700% increase to website visits - see strategic assessment for DA graphs.  Victim data for 2019 showed victims of DA offences were more likely to be aged 25-49.

 

Violence - There has been an upward trend in violent crime in South Cambs over recent years, driven by an increase in stalking and harassment offences. This is likely to be linked to changes in recording practices, however, it may also be partly due to real increases in stalking particularly virtual offences.   This area needs more detailed analysis, which will be brought back to the TCG as part of the quarterly monitoring of data.

 

Stalking & harassment – This area is responsible for the majority of growth in crime stats for South Cambs. This could be due to better reporting or is possibly as a result of more online / virtual stalking.  This area needs more detailed analysis, which will be brought back to the TCG as part of the quarterly monitoring of data.

 

Substance Misuse - Overall increase in drug offences in 2020 due to an increase during the first national lockdown, in line with a national spike. It is believed that a large part of this increase is due to increased Police activity. Nationally there is concern that  increases in substance misuse may be  linked to the financial pressures that have come with Covid - increased unemployment. This is an emerging issue of concern requiring future work with more analysis to be brought back to the TCG for discussion around inclusion in the risk assessment process.

 

Acquisitive Crime - These figures are down in relation to vehicle crime and residential burglary, because people are spending more time at home. We may see changes as restrictions are lifted although long term changes to home working behaviour may serve to maintain reductions in burglary.

 

ASB - This is up 4%. There was a spike in April during the first lockdown, but a large number were public reports of lockdown breaches so not ASB in the sense we have come to know it, but a new category added. Figures dropped back down in second lockdown.  ASB data is aligning with priority areas (see below).

 

Fire - Deliberate fires are down from a peak in 2018. Lockdown did not lead to an increase in residential fires.  Wards highlighted are covered by the priority areas for the Community Safety Partnership (see below).

 

Main recommendations for priorities:

 

Retain both current priorities - when they were adopted, they were considered longer term priorities.  The Covid-19 pandemic has interrupted, and likely will continue to slow, delivery.

Priority 1: It is recommended that for 2021/22 the Partnership continues to prioritise a thematic issue in continuing the development of the toolkit within the Transformation Topic that focuses on communities helping themselves and each other. This priority can be summarised as Community resilience - Areas where communities are galvanising energy into action and can share their experiences with others to tackle issues of local importance.

Priority 2: It is recommended that priority areas are driven by data and informed by professional judgement and will be organised under the following headings:

Emerging - Areas where multiple issues are presenting and/or where escalating issues have been identified.

Preventing - Growth areas and/or existing communities where vulnerabilities are predicted to be an issue for the future.

Sustaining - Areas where work has been / is being done to tackle known issues and supported to improve future resilience is provided.

 

Buildon changes that have been made to ways of working throughout the year - in order continuously to enhance effectiveness, for example, through the continued evolution of the PSG process and improved cross-agency working in accordance with the Think Communities / Cambridgeshire Local approach.

Gather lessons learnt from the Covid-19 response - and use them to support work under the community resilience priority.  Continue to provide support to communities to help themselves and others in solving issues of local importance.

 

Priority areas for 2021/2:

Emerging

Orchard park (Histon & Impington)

Milton & Waterbeach

Fen Ditton & Fulbourn

 

Preventing

Northstowe (Longstanton)

 

Sustaining

Cambourne

 

Discharged

Willingham (formerly Sustaining)

 

CD - ASB covers a wide range of incidents. Is there any more detail about what ‘ASB’ encompasses? HL – We have not completed a deep dive into that data as yet, but will do so as part of the quarterly monitoring. We do focus on hotspots to get detail of incidents.

 

CD - Fulbourn hospital - a particular type of patient visits this hospital and therefore is appearing in figures as offences which must be reported as crimes, but the reason for this hotspot is well understood.

 

CD - made the observation that figures are extremely low in South Cambs.

HL - Numbers are low in South Cambs in comparison to the rest of the County. Still a very low crime area. The priority area assessment process looks at wards in South Cambs with the top 20% highest recorded crime rate (per 1,000 population) so there will always be wards showing as higher risk relative to other wards in the district, but this does not mean crime has gone up.

 

The Board was asked to agree the priorities for 2021-2022. The recommendation was agreed, and priorities supported. PR also indicated his support for the recommendations.

 

Problem Solving Group Update – Sgt Emma Hilson

At the end of last year, we saw a significant drop-off in attendance and participation of partners. This could have been due to the criteria used, i.e. that cases to be adopted are those that require 3 or more agencies’ involvement. We conducted a review into the structure and accessibility of the PSG. After consultation and feedback, we decided to split the PSG into 2 meetings: 1. Adults / 2. Youth & Families.   The aim of this is to make each meeting more relevant for those attending and it is based on good practice elsewhere.  The first Adult PSG meeting was last week and the Youth & Families one is due to begin soon (Anita Howard and Sally Stephenson are setting this up).  Only 1 current case was presented but as we move forward, we hope for more attendance and participation.  We are also creating placed-based PSGs focussing on the priority areas outlined above.  This will either be done using existing groups in the community and growing them to cover CSP issues (the preferred option) or by setting up something new.

Northstowe Support Partnership – is already in place, has good attendance and is growing well. Cambourne - is a work in progress – it is not clear which groups in existence should be used for this purpose.

Orchard Park - in process of re-establishing community networks; there was a group of partners in place and this has not continued.

Milton and Waterbeach / Fen Ditton and Fulbourn – partner agencies are being identified and elected members are key to developing these new groups as they understand their communities.

 

Clare Cook requested that she be included if any of the new PSGs raise any issues in relation to child exploitation or County Lines connections.

 

Cllr Bradnam (AB) asked whether members would be advised of issues regarding individuals at PSG. EH advised individual cases would not be fed back unless there was community impact, but instead linked back / referred on to community groups or volunteer organisations for assistance. We would, however, seek member involvement in area based PSGs, both in their development (provision of contacts, stakeholders etc) and in ongoing attendance.

 

Action – AH and team to invite local elected members to placed based meetings when in place.

 

Toolkits

 

OPPC microgrants – Kathryn Hawkes

As part of OPCC bid we were keen to ensure there was money available for groups to kickstart local projects. £8000 in total was assigned to Microgrants and application forms are currently available on SCDC website.  Toolkits are launching later than expected and there has been very little interest so far. Grants are for between £50 and £500 with decisions on applications being made at the TCG monthly meetings. An article advertising these grants will be in the Spring South Cambs Magazine with more Comms articles to come. Alasdair baker at the OPCC has authorised the broadening of the criteria so that projects relating to any aspect of ‘community resilience’ (especially following the Covid-19 pandemic) are eligible.

 

Community Engagement Toolkit – Linda Gallagher

This toolkit is currently being loaded onto the SCDC website and the Comms team are seeking animation creators for a video and pictures bring the pages to life. Hoping to launch end March.

[Launch date subsequently agreed as 10 May – both toolkits to launch at the same time]

 

Action - LG to share the web page with Board members and Councillors prior to live launch.

 

Gypsy, Roma & Traveller Inclusion Toolkit – Sgt Emma Hilson

 

This is now in the workshop delivery phase. First workshop last night was very well received with excellent feedback. After completing GRT Cultural Awareness Training (1st element) as well as joining the Workshop (2nd element), the Parish can now apply for microgrants (3rd element). The 4th element is the toolkit itself with templates that will go out once all the workshops are completed. The online cultural awareness Training is hosted on the SCDC website, provided by 'Me learning' and can be rolled out to unlimited users for next 12 months. Feedback so far is showing that there is a desire for the roll out of the E-training into Parishes.

 

9 workshops to run covering all 100+ parishes to ensure are all well-informed before the travelling season begins. All District Councillors have been contacted directly by EH and or LG and they have been asked to share with their PC's and encourage involvement. Workshops will have all been delivered by Easter before the Travelling season begins and we see an increased number of encampments in South Cambs. Fuller update at next Board.

 

MF – how can further community groups get involved?

 

EH - We are currently highlighting the project to key community leaders and those most likely to have operational engagement with community to ensure that they are on board with the concept. We will then look at involving the voluntary sector. Suggestions are welcome – please forward to LG or EH. Unlimited online training for 1 year is an opportunity we should take advantage of.

 

PR - requested that the ongoing implementation of the GRT Toolkit remains supported by the CSP Board and its component organisations.  He stated that it is of particular importance that the District Council remains agreed on its stance on the Toolkit and supportive of the approach given its role as lead partner on the CSP Board and given its duties regarding housing and GRT accommodation / sites. He added that a considerable amount of officer time has gone into the workshops and the Toolkit.

 

CD said she would take these concerns back to colleagues in Cabinet for their input.

She also explained her understanding was that this was a police-led initiative and requested that we revisit the minutes of previous meetings to ensure they captured the project correctly.

 

PR – explained that while police are leading the workshops, the Toolkit project is a CSP project.

 

AB – Explained that while the District Council has some responsibilities it is not SCDC who leads when an encampment arrives. Each Parish Council takes action and SCDC assists them. SCDC and County Council enforcement teams take action as appropriate and Police assist when necessary. The negotiated stopping plan requires each parish to identify alternative locations that might be more suitable for Travellers to move onto. This requires buy in from land owners. Parish Councils don’t generally have land to achieve this and the District Council may not have influence over a Parish Council.

 

PR – The District Council is a key stakeholder in Countywide agreement of the policy on GRT location and Parish Councils may well want to be aligned to the District Council position. There have been some brave and forward-thinking attitudes from Councillors and others for how they plan to work with GRT communities in future.

 

KH - In terms of GRT training and Toolkit, Cllr Bill Handley Lead Member for Community Resilience and Wellbeing is very supportive of it.  The first workshop last night was a great success and it was clear that the training combined with the workshop had resulted in improved understanding of those in attendance.  Those responsible for making decisions now felt that their decisions might be made differently, involving people in their communities, rather than calling bailiffs. Enforcement is still an available option, but this project is about finding a solution via a more collaborative route.  The workshops have been aligned to the 10 x Covid patches.  Parishes and key personnel are being invited personally by phone either through their District Councillor or by EH and then there are follow up calls and emails from LG, so there is no misunderstanding. It was felt that just sending an email invitation about unauthorised encampment training was not sufficient.  This is relevant to parishes with experience of encampments and also to communities who have never experienced an encampment in their area, so they are prepared. It's about education, engagement and awareness and preparedness as opposed to Enforcement.  Elected member involvement is key to the success of the Toolkit.

 

PC – suggested Officers, Police and Councillors to get together outside of this meeting to discuss.

 

Action – PR/KH to arrange a meeting or alternative discussion outside of this forum with the lead member and councillors as appropriate.