18 June 2026 - Minutes of the Dorset Community Safety Partnership

Attendance 

Apologies

• Paula Golding (Dorset Council, Children's Services)
• Megan Cameron-Brown (Dorset Council, Children's Services)
• Bradley Stephens (Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service)
• Julia Ingram (Dorset Council, Adult Services)
• John Newcombe (Dorset Council, Community Safety, Public Health)

Cllr Matt Bell introduced himself and explained he was the Council’s new portfolio holder for Public Health, Prevention and Communities. The terms of reference for the Community Safety Partnership state the group will be chaired by the Council representative, making Cllr Bell the new Chair.

Item

No 1. Partnership Strategic Assessment (PSA) and Community Safety Plan 2026-2029

1.1 Members of the Community Safety Partnership had considered their latest three year Community Safety Plan at their meeting in March. However, it was a requirement for Community Safety Partnership’s to hold at least one public meeting a year to help obtain people’s views about crime in their area and the issues the Community Safety Partnership should prioritise and that meeting had not taken place.

1.2 To rectify this, a meeting was held immediately prior to today’s Community Safety Partnership meeting to provide members of the public with an opportunity to share their views. The Community Safety Plan considered by the Community Safety Partnership in March had been updated with additional findings from consultations and made available to members of the public and the Community Safety Partnership ahead of the session.

1.3 Members of the Community Safety Partnership were asked to consider the discussion from the public session and agree the revised Community Safety Plan for 2026-2029.

1.4 It was noted that once agreed, it was a legal requirement for the Plan to be formally adopted by Dorset Council.

1.5 Members of the group discussed the challenges of engaging people through a single public meeting and agreed to explore a wider range of consultation and engagement activities that could complement the survey results already used to inform their plans and strategies. 

Action - Andy Frost

Resolved

The Partnership Strategic Assessment and Community Safety Plan 2026-2029 were agreed. 

No 2. Minutes of Meeting Held on 25th March 2026 and Matters Arising

All actions from the previous meeting were complete or covered on the agenda for today’s meeting.

No 3. Performance and Delivery Report Update

3.1 Ian Denness presented highlights from the performance and delivery report, outlining both positive trends and areas of concern.

3.2 There had been a continued reduction in the proportion of victims of domestic abuse that were repeat victims. This measure had been steadily improving and was at its lowest recorded level since 2020, which could reflect the positive impact of partnership activity and support provided to victims. There had also been a further reduction in the proportion of domestic abuse perpetrators that were repeat perpetrators, which had also been in decline and was approaching its lowest recorded level.

3.3 Some measures had seen increases, including sexual offences and stalking offences. Members noted that these trends may reflect a combination of increased reporting, greater victim confidence in coming forward and ongoing demand for support services.

3.4 Chief Superintendent Stewert Gates shared with the group that the positive outcome rate for sexual offences in Dorset County had increased significantly, which was welcomed. 

3.5 It was agreed that the measures used by the Community Safety Partnership were subject to influence by numerous factors and that it was important to continue to understand the context behind the figures. For example, reductions in the proportion of repeat victims of domestic abuse could mask other issues and it was agreed to explore this including with other partnerships.

Action - Andy Frost

3.6 Members of the group discussed concerns around the rise in hate-related incidents. Cllr Matt Bell highlighted concerns about attitudes and behaviours among some young people and suggested that these trends could contribute to further increases in hate-related incidents in the future. The potential impact of a proposed social media ban for under-16s was discussed, with members noting both the opportunities and challenges this could present. Cllr Bell emphasised the importance of providing positive activities and support for young people should such changes be introduced.

No 4. Domestic Homicide Reviews

4.1 Di Evans provided an update on the current status of Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs).

4.2 Delays within the Home Office and the national Quality Assurance Panel continue to persist. Feedback had now been received for Domestic Homicide Review D16 and Domestic Homicide Review D21, which was welcomed. Di noted that the feedback had been shared with the Independent Chairs and would now be considered by the Domestic Homicide Review Panel. Overall, the feedback was positive and did not require either review to be substantially revised or resubmitted for approval.

4.3 While the new national quality assurance process had introduced additional delays and challenges, it was hoped those issues would subside as the process becomes more established and embedded in practice. The format for feedback was much improved, with a clear framework that will be applied to all Domestic Homicide Review Quality Assurance reviews. 

4.4 Members of the group considered Domestic Homicide Review D26, which needed to be approved by the Community Safety Partnership before being submitted to the national quality assurance process. Di pointed out there were some very minor amendments that needed to be made to the report (for example numbering and grammatical corrections) but that these did not have a material impact.

4.5 The group discussed national recommendations arising from Domestic Homicide Reviews. Although responsibility for these did not sit with the local area, there was local learning and application arising from them so it was important to include them in action plans.

4.6 The Office of Domestic Abuse Commissioner (DAC) has responsibility for the oversight mechanism for all Domestic Homicide Reviews, producing an annual report that specifically highlights national themes and trends and those national issues that require consideration and action. 

4.7 Molly Rennie asked whether there was an opportunity to raise awareness of the issues identified through Domestic Homicide Review D26 within the local financial services sector, particularly in light of the Dragonfly initiative delivered by Paragon. Di agreed to explore this further.

Action - Di Evans

4.8 Members recognised the significant effort involved in co ordinating and completing Domestic Homicide Reviews and thanked Di for her continued work and commitment.

Resolved

The final draft for Domestic Homicide Review D26 was agreed for submission to the Home Office (subject to the minor amendments).    

No 5. Updates from Sub-Groups 

5.1 Andy Frost provided an update from the Strategic Delivery Group (SDG). 

5.2 The group was working well. Activity undertaken to date included strengthening the stalking clinic, exploring and responding to funding opportunities and reviewing and updating relevant strategies and plans.

5.3 Supt Claire Phillips provided an update from the Partnership Coordinating Group (PCG). The group was well supported by partners and Claire thanked Ian Denness for his analytical support.

5.4 Each Partnership Coordinating Group meeting included a thematic focus alongside updates from the Multi-Agency Forums (MAFs). To date, the group's primary focus has been on antisocial behaviour, with more recent discussions centred on violence against women and girls.

5.5 Work was continuing to embed both groups within the partnership structure, including clarifying areas of responsibility, identifying priority areas of focus and developing a performance management framework to ensure the groups worked effectively together. Andy and Claire both sit on the Strategic Delivery Group and Partnership Coordinating Group, providing continuity and helping to maintain effective communication between the two groups.

5.6 Steve Yeoman provided several examples of effective partnership working at a local level, noting that these had previously been recognised as examples of good practice during an HMICFRS inspection and more recently a national housing magazine.

5.7 Claire also noted that some challenges remain in relation to information sharing between partners. However, she advised that a new Information Sharing Agreement was being developed, with the aim of addressing these issues and strengthening information-sharing arrangements across the partnership.    

No 6. Serious Violence Duty Update

6.1 Di Evans provided an update on the Serious Violence Duty. The 2025/26 funding return had been submitted to the Home Office, with no feedback received to date. 

6.2 Di outlined the interventions for 2026/27, including the continuation of the Level Up project, support for a specialist nurse (pending mainstream funding from April 2027), work with young people involved in knife offences through the Youth Justice Service and a joint Police and Children's Services initiative focused on knife crime awareness and behaviour change.

6.3 Di noted that three of the four proposed interventions are mirrored in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP), creating opportunities for shared learning and evaluation. However, approval of the 2026/27 delivery plan and associated funding is still awaited from the Home Office, meaning activity cannot yet commence.

6.4 Di also advised that Serious Violence Duty funding is now aligned with Violence Reduction Unit arrangements, resulting in significantly increased monitoring and reporting requirements.

6.5 Rachel Young highlighted that the new arrangements require more detailed performance reporting, evaluation and quarterly returns. Despite these increased demands, Dorset receives significantly less funding than some neighbouring areas and has no dedicated resource to coordinate this work, meaning much of the additional responsibility will fall to Di.

6.6 Rachel further advised that a grant agreement has not yet been signed, which is likely to result in an underspend during the current financial year. As unspent funding may not be carried forward, consideration will be needed to maximise use of the allocation. She also noted that the shared projects with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole should provide opportunities to collaborate on evaluation activity and reduce duplication.

6.7 Members of the group acknowledged the additional workload arising from the Serious Violence Duty requirements and stressed the importance of recognising the impact on local resources. 

6.8 It was noted that several recent changes and requirements from the Home Office, including those relating to the Serious Violence Duty and Domestic Homicide Reviews, have created challenges for local partnerships. Members of the group agreed it would be helpful to consider these issues collectively and identify opportunities to share feedback with the Home Office to try and influence future developments, including through national and regional networks.

Action - Andy Frost

No 7. Forward Plan

The Forward Plan would be updated following today’s meeting.

No 8. Any Other Business

8.1 Simon Hester advised that this would be his last meeting following him taking up a new role within the NHS. Sarah Ashe would be the new Community Safety Partnership point of contact. Partners thanked Simon for his contributions.

Future Meeting Dates

10am, 10th September 2026
10am, 10th December 2026
10am, 18th March 2027