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Maidstone Borough Council

Acting as the Crime and Disorder Committee, Communities, Housing and Environment Committee

Tuesday 25th September 2018

Report of: Matt Roberts, Community Partnerships & Resilience Manager

1             INTRODUCTION

 

1.1       Under Section 19 of the Police and Justice Act 2006 the Communities, Housing & Environment Committee has a statutory role to act as the Crime and Disorder Overview and Scrutiny Committee, meeting at least once per annum in order to scrutinise the work of our Community Safety Partnership (CSP), the Safer Maidstone Partnership and to make reports and recommendations with regard to the discharge of those functions. NB any Councillor may refer such a matter to this Committee. (Appendix 1).

 

1.2       The Safer Maidstone Partnership is comprised of the statutory agencies defined by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (as amended); Maidstone Borough Council; Kent Police; Kent County Council; Kent Fire & Rescue Service; Kent, Surrey & Sussex Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) (formally Kent Probation); Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG); and the Kent Police & Crime Commissioner. But also includes other agencies; Maidstone Mediation; Golding Homes; Choices (DA charity); and One Maidstone.

 

1.3       For 2018/19 the Safer Maidstone Partnership identified the following priorities;

·           Organised Crime Groups (including modern slavery)

·           Gangs and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

·           Substance Misuse

·           Domestic Abuse

·           Mental Health

 

1.4       To address these priorities each subgroup (apart from Mental Health) created an action plan, these were incorporated into the Community Safety Plan Refresh for 2018/19 (included as Appendix 2).

 

1.5       This review seeks to ensure that Members are aware of the current activity being undertaken by the Safer Maidstone Partnership, with particular reference to the Community Safety Partnership Plan for Maidstone, and will therefore concentrate on the following key areas of work:

 

·           Work of the Multi-Agency Gangs group (MAG).

•    Substance Misuse & the links with homelessness and substance misuse.

•    Maidstone Domestic Abuse Forum & the White Ribbon Campaign.

 

1.6       During the meeting the Committee will receive presentations on the following topics:

·           Work of the Multi-Agency Gangs group (MAG), presented by Inspector Mark Hedges, Kent Police and Hema Birdi, Maidstone Early Help Manager, Kent County Council.

·           Substance Misuse & the links with homelessness and substance misuse, presented by Kim Flain of Change, Grow, Live (CGL).

·           Maidstone Domestic Abuse Forum & the White Ribbon Campaign, presented by Matt Roberts, Community Partnerships & Resilience Manager.

 

1.7       These presentations will provide members with an overview of the work of the Safer Maidstone Partnership and allow time for Members to ask questions.

 

2             KEY LINES OF ENQUIRY

2.1       The Committee should consider the evidence submitted by each of the partners and the key lines of enquiry should be focussed around the priorities outlined in the plan.

2.2       Members could ask the following questions:

·         How does the work of the partner organisation help to achieve the priorities identified by the SMP?

·         Which priority does the partner organisation support indirectly?

·         Is there anything the Council could do to assist the partner agency?

·         Is there anything the Council could do to influence other organisations or individuals to assist the partner agency?

·         Are there other organisations that could be invited to assist the partnership?

3             RECOMMENDATION

3.1       That the presentations from the partner agencies of the Safer Maidstone Partnership are noted.

3.2       That recommendations are made to the Safer Maidstone Partnership as appropriate.

 

4             IMPACT ON CORPORATE OBJECTIVES

 

4.1       The remit of the Safer Maidstone Partnership has relevance to many of the Council’s Priorities, but relates specifically to the priority “Providing a Clean, Safe and Green Environment”. The work of the Partnership relates most specifically to ensuring the safety of the community in Maidstone in relation to Crime and Disorder.

 

4.2       There are no risks involved in considering the progress of the Safer Maidstone Partnership.

 

5             APPENDICES

5.1       The following appendices are included as part of this report:

 

Appendix 1: Communities, Housing and Environment Committee Terms of Reference

 

Appendix 2: 2013-18 Community Safety Partnership Plan Refresh