Attendance 

Apologies

• Temporary Chief Superintendent Richard Bell, Dorset Police
• Andrea Breen, Dorset Council
• Stewart Dipple, Dorset Police
• Paul Dempsey, Dorset Council
• Lisa Reid, Dorset Council 

Item 

No 1

1. Minutes of Meeting Held on 21 December and Matters Arising 

1.1 2.6 Crest Advisory single points of contact – Andy explained that Crest had met with partners and there was an item on today’s agenda to discuss further.

1.2 7.3 Partner inclusions for the annual scrutiny report - Andy thanked everyone for their contributions and fed back that the report was well received by the Scrutiny Committee.

No 2

2. Domestic Homicide Review (DHR)

2.1 Members of the group considered work on Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs). 

2.2 Di Evans updated the Partnership on the current status of those referrals that had not resulted in a full Domestic Homicide Review but where learning was still identified. In each case, the learning was being captured for dissemination.

2.3 Di gave an update on two ongoing Domestic Homicide Reviews, with work progressing on one toward completion of the draft report stage. The second Domestic Homicide Review is at the earlier stages of the review process, with the independent chair gathering information, reviewing Individual Management Review's (IMRs) and speaking with family members. The group were informed of a further Domestic Homicide Review for which an Independent Chair had been recruited and the review process begun.

2.4 Members of the group considered two Domestic Homicide Reviews requiring sign off ahead of submission to the Home Office. Following discussion, both were agreed for submission. It was agreed that one of the reviews should not be published based on advice set out in statutory guidance. A communications statement will be prepared for the second review so partners could respond to any media interest.

2.5 Members of the group were briefed on the last meeting of the Domestic Homicide Review Review Group, including a brief outline of progress made on delivering on action plans and learning achieved from Domestic Homicide Reviews.

Resolved

The recommendations in the report were agreed.

No 3

3 Update on Local Priorities 

3.1 John Newcombe updated the group on work to tackle the Community Safety Partnership’s local priorities which include Anti-Social Behaviour, Violent Crime and Rural Crime.

3.2 John explained that the Local Priority Delivery Group (LPDG) provides co-ordination and oversight of the six Partnership Co-ordinating Groups (PCG’s) and track the progress of specific local priorities. John noted that the Partnership Co-ordinating Groups (PCGs) continue to operate successfully.

3.3 The Local Priority Delivery Group is developing overarching operating plans using the SARA model. SARA plans were already being used successfully to tackle neighbourhood issues at an operational level.

3.4 Feedback from Partnership Coordinating Groups (PCGs) included issues with youth Anti Social Behaviour, working with Youth Outreach and Children’s Services to put in place initiatives to address young males carrying knifes and developing a new peer to peer mentoring programme with Youth Outreach and Education.

3.5 SARA planning continues to develop and is working well, particularly rural crime. A part time analyst has been recruited and will shortly be supporting the Partnership Coordinating Groups in developing its analysts of local priority issues.

3.6 John mentioned work to explore funding opportunities to expand Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) to other areas of Dorset, particularly to areas where there are community protection orders. The Home Office Safer Streets Funding round 5 was one potential funding stream. This approach was supported by members of the group.

3.7 David Webb highlighted the ‘Turnaround Programme’, a new initiative for Dorset funded by the Ministry of Justice which aims to work with children and young people who repeatedly get involved in Antisocial Behaviour.

3.8 Dean gave the group some reassurances around increases in knife crime, explaining that historically, levels had been low and that there were robust plans in place to address issues.

3.9 Partners agreed it was important to cover issues like young people carrying knives in the serious violence work which they felt could also be used to help with the expansion of Community Safety Accreditation Scheme.

Action - John Newcombe, Ian Grant, and Di Evans

3.10 Cllr Graham Carr-Jones asked whether suitable partnership arrangements were in place to tackle the issues relating to youth Anti Social Behaviour. John explained that partnership arrangements were working well but stressed things were busy.

No 4

4 Update on Strategic Priorities 

4.1 Andy provided an update on activity since the last meeting. Much of the work taking place had become business as usual and was important to understand as part of the overall effort to tackle community safety issues.

4.2 Good progress continued to be made in tackling priorities, particularly stalking. A summary of the progress against the group’s delivery plan was included in the report.

4.3 In terms of performance, in the first nine months of 2022/23 compared to first nine months of 2021/22, domestic abuse incidents and domestic abuse crimes had reduced, with serious sexual offences seeing an increase.

4.4 Ian Denness presented an update on his research work on domestic abuse. Ian talked through the methodology, providing the group with some initial findings of his mapping work. He explained the work would be further enhanced once additional local information and data had been collected and considered. Ian’s work was well received by the group.

4.5 David Sidwick highlighted the information from the Rural Crime Network who had completed a research report into domestic abuse in rural areas.

4.6 Andy explained the findings of the research would be used to refine our understanding and help shape our local approach. Lewis noted that the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner is currently exploring options to re-commission Maple and would welcome Ian’s analysis to support that work.

4.7 Lewis also explained that the Police and Crime Commissioner had led a partnership bid to the Home Office Perpetrator Innovation fund but the Home Office had delayed any announcements due to the number of bids. Lewis gave the group a summary of the bid which included an expansion of DRIVE, stalking provision, and strengthen the offender management response.

4.8 Following a request from the Chair, Ian Grant provided a summary of the Dragonfly Project project that aims to build community awareness of domestic abuse and stalking by delivering awareness raising to members of the community who can then signpost to specialist domestic abuse services.

No 5 

5 Partnership Strategic Assessment, PSA, Community Safety Plan and Reducing Reoffending Strategy 

5.1 Andy noted that Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) are required to produce three-year Community Safety Plans that are revised annually. The Dorset CSP’s current plan expires in March 2023 and a new plan is needed to cover the 2023-26 period.

5.2 Andy advised that the Community Safety Plan sets out partners’ community safety priorities and how they will be tackled in broad terms. The plan must be informed by the annual Partnership Strategic Assessment (PSA) and include information on how partners will meet their priorities.

5.3 CSPs are also responsible for the development of reducing reoffending strategies in accordance with the Policing and Crime Act 2009.

5.4 Legally both the Community Safety Plan and Reducing Reoffending Strategy must be formally adopted by Dorset Council.

Partnership Strategic Assessment (PSA)

5.5 Andy explained that this year partners had agreed to look at tackling community safety issues over a longer time period, not just annually. Taking this approach allowed partners to build their understanding of issues and look at longer term activity.

5.6 Given that the PSA focused on partners’ current priorities: Domestic Abuse and Stalking, Sexual Offences, Violent Crime, Anti-social Behaviour, Rural Crime, and Fraud.

5.7 The priorities were complimented by the following cross cutting issues: Mental health; Substance misuse; Complex cases / multiple need, and; Violence against women and girls

Community Safety Plan

5.8 The new Community Safety Plan covered the period 2023-26. It sets out partners’ priorities and how they will be tackled in broad terms.

5.9 The plan includes references to members of the public’s views on community safety issues. Andy noted that as with previous plans, it will be complimented by a more detailed delivery plan. Andy also noted that an Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) is currently being undertaken on the plan.

5.10 The Community Safety Partnership and Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) are legally required to have regard to each others’ priorities when setting their plans. The Police and Crime Commissioner’s current Police & Crime Plan had been considered when writing the new community safety plan.

5.11 Andy also noted that the Community Safety Plan is being used to meet partners’ legal duty to produce a strategy relating to tackling serious violence.

Reducing Reoffending Strategy

5.12 In accordance with the Policing and Crime Act 2009, Community Safety Partnerships are responsible for developing reducing reoffending strategies.

5.13 Andy advised that locally, partners have traditionally developed pan-Dorset reducing reoffending strategies given that partners and issues are common across the area.

5.14 The latest strategy was appended for agreement. It had been developed by partners through the Reducing Reoffending Strategy Group helping ensure close links to both Community Safety Partnerships and the pan-Dorset Criminal Justice Board. The strategy set out partners’ vision for reducing reoffending which was: ‘To cut crime, reduce harm and protect victims by reducing re-offending through joint working and rehabilitation’.

5.15 The strategy contained information on the reasons for reoffending and the services and programmes operating in Dorset to address issues. Andy confirmed that an Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) is currently being undertaken on the strategy.

5.16 Cllr Graham Carr-Jones asked how partners would promote and cascade the plans across their agencies and how the reducing reoffending work links into the Criminal Justice Board (CJB). Andy explained the Criminal Justice Board tends to deal with issues once they form part of the criminal justice system, whereas the Community Safety Partnership deals with the community-based issues. Andy stressed the importance of the board and the Community Safety Partnership working together and that the reducing reoffending work links into both.

5.17 Cllr Molly Rennie highlighted the importance of linking the plans into the work around supporting children and young people and education going into schools, and the work to tackle fraud.

5.18 Andy gave the group a summary of the council’s overview and scrutiny arrangements and explained the strategies, once agreed by the Community Safety Partnerships, would go through the People & Health Overview Committee then Cabinet and finally Full Council.

5.19 Partners discussed the development of specific legislation from central government making tackling certain issues a mandatory requirement for partners. This approach is in contrast to other legislation where areas need to determine their priorities following an assessment of local need.

Resolved

1. The Community Safety Partnership agreed the latest Partnership Strategic Assessment

2. The Community Safety Partnership agreed the new three year Community Safety Plan subject to any changes required as a result of the Equality Impact Assessment process

3. The Community Safety Partnership agreed the new three year Reducing Reoffending Strategy subject to any changes proposed by the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Community Safety Partnership and as a result of the Equality Impact Assessment process

No 6

6 Serious Violence Duty 

6.1 The new serious violence duty under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 came into effect on 31 January 2023.

6.2 It was explained that the new duty requires specified partners to produce an evidence-based analysis of serious violence and develop and implement a strategy in response. Statutory guidance sets out specific details including for individual partners.

6.3 The Home Office has provided funding for partners to deliver the new duty. The funding is being channelled through Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) even though they are not a responsible authority under the new duty. Funding was allocated by Police Force area.

6.4 Andy explained that partners across both Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole had agreed to lead their response to the new duty through their Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) and that the terms of reference for the Dorset Community Safety Partnership would be updated to reflect the decision.

6.5 As previously agreed, the intention was to use each Community Safety Partnership’s annual Partnership Strategic Assessment (PSA) and Community Safety Plan to fulfil the functions of the new duty. This was in line with provisions set out in the new legislation and statutory guidance. Given that, information on serious violence had been incorporated into the latest Partnership Strategic Assessment and Community Safety Plan as discussed earlier in the meeting. The information will be enhanced and developed as part of the annual review process.

6.6 Although work would take place on an individual local authority basis, both the Dorset and Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Community Safety Partnership's intend to work closely as they develop their responses to the new duty.

6.7 In terms of allocating funding, partners felt labour costs should be split equally by each local authority since both areas must complete the same work to meet the new duties (and the local authorities would do the work to compile the evidence bases and strategies).

6.8 Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Community Safety Partnership has agreed to work closely with Dorset Community Safety Partnership to develop costed implementation plans for each area that can be used to determine the allocation of the implementation funding being held by the Police and Crime Commissioner. Partners felt that implementation funding should be held and administered by each local authority on behalf of their Community Safety Partnership's.

6.9 Crest Advisory were working on behalf of the Home Office to deliver the national implementation support offer for the new duties and had met with partners in Dorset.

6.10 Representatives from NHS Dorset, Dorset Combined Youth Justice Service and the Probation service fed back that their meetings with Crest had been positive.

6.11 Following a question from the Chair, it was confirmed that the draft delivery plan had gone out to partners and detailed existing work as well as new initiatives. Close links were also being made with colleagues in Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole council to ensure plans were aligned.

6.12 Lewis referred to the milestones contained in the report and agreed he would pick up the first milestone with Andy and colleagues in Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council outside of the meeting to ensure the April return is completely and returned in good order.

Resolved

1. Members of the Community Safety Partnership noted the latest position relating to the new serious violence duty

2. Members of the Community Safety Partnership agreed to amend the terms of reference for the Dorset Community Safety Partnership to reflect partners’ decision to lead their work on the serious violence duty through the partnership

3. Funding to cover labour costs is split 50/50 between Dorset and Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole and used by the respective local authorities to complete the evidence base and serious violence strategy work.

4. Dorset and Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Community Safety Partnership's work together to develop costed implementation plans for each area and use these to allocate implementation funding

5. Each local authority (Dorset and Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole) holds and administers their respective implementation funding on behalf of their Community Safety Partnership's

No 7

7 Forward Plan

7.1 Members of the Community Safety Partnership agreed the Forward Plan. 

No 8

8 Any Other Business 

8.1 The Chair explained he had written to the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority asking how they were responding to concerns over misconduct in the Force. He confirmed he had received a response that set out a detailed set of actions to identify and address any issues.

Future Meeting Dates: To be confirmed