Communities, Housing & Environment Committee

30 March 2022

 

Effective interventions for tackling ASB by the community safety unit - Follow Up

 

Final Decision-Maker

Communities, Housing & Environment Committee

Lead Head of Service

John Littlemore, Head of Housing and Community Services

Lead Officer and Report Author

Martyn Jeynes, Community Protection Team Manager

Classification

Public

Wards affected

All

 

Executive Summary

 

Further to the report provided in February 2022, this report outlines how the Community Protection Team, as part of the wider Community Safety Unit, will utilise the agreed growth budget to continue challenge Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and their Statutory functions in a more visible and enforcement led way. 

 

Purpose of Report

 

Decision

 

 

This report makes the following recommendations to this Committee:

1.   That Committee endorse the use of agreed growth to increase operational resources as set out in section 4 to provide a more visible regulatory service

 

 

 

Timetable

Meeting

Date

Communities, Housing and Environment Committee

30 March 2022



Effective interventions for tackling ASB by the community safety unit-Follow Up

 

1.       CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

Issue

Implications

Sign-off

Impact on Corporate Priorities

The four Strategic Plan objectives are:

 

·         Embracing Growth and Enabling Infrastructure

·         Safe, Clean and Green

·         Homes and Communities

·         A Thriving Place

 

Accepting the recommendations may materially harm the Council’s ability to achieve Safe, Clean and Green

 

Head of Housing & Community Services

 

Cross Cutting Objectives

The four cross-cutting objectives are:

 

·         Heritage is Respected

·         Health Inequalities are Addressed and Reduced

·         Deprivation and Social Mobility is Improved

·         Biodiversity and Environmental Sustainability is respected

 

The report recommendation(s) supports the achievement of Health Inequalities are Addressed and Reduced.

 

Head of Housing & Community Services

 

Risk Management

Already covered in the risk section

 

Head of Housing & Community Services

Financial

The proposals set out in the recommendation are all within the approved budget and so need no new funding is required for implementation.

 

Section 151 Officer & Finance Team

Staffing

There will be Staffing implications and these are set out in section 3

 

Head of Housing & Community Services

Legal

Acting on the recommendations will support the Council’s responsibilities as set out in

the Crime & Reduction Act and other statutory functions already within the service’s remit. 

Interim Team Leader (Contentious and Corporate Governance)

Privacy and Data Protection

Accepting the recommendations will increase the volume of data held by the Council.  We will hold that data in line with our retention schedules.

 

Policy and Information Team

Equalities

The recommendations do not propose a change in service therefore will not require an equalities impact assessment

Equalities & Communities Officer

Public Health

 

 

We recognise that the recommendations will have a positive impact on population health or that of individuals.

 

Public Health Officer

Crime and Disorder

The recommendation will have a negative impact on Crime and Disorder. The Community Protection Team have been consulted and mitigation has been proposed

 

Head of Housing & Community Services

Procurement

Not applicable

Head of Housing & Community Services

Biodiversity and Climate Change

The implications of this report on biodiversity and climate change have been considered and are;

·         There are no implications on biodiversity and climate change.

 

Biodiversity and Climate Change Officer

 

 

2.      INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

 

2.1     In February 2022, the Head of Housing & Community Services provided a report which demonstrated the effectiveness of the Community Protection Team and the wider Community Safety Unit in tackling and challenging ASB alongside a variety of other statutory and non-statutory functions. A second report was also provided which out lined how the approach adopted by the service was seen as in line with the techniques and approaches endorsed as the appropriate approach to be taken on a national and international basis. 

 

2.2     As part of the recommendations from the latter report, it was highlighted that the approach taken by the Maidstone Task Force has been particularly effective and that a Task Force approach to the Town Centre would be considered.  This review has been undertaken and work is in progress to implement a new Town Centre Task Force within the next couple of months.

 

2.3     As described in the draft Community Safety Partnership Plan 2022-25, under a new priority centred on providing a safe town centre, SMP Partners will:

·           develop a multi-agency task force to address concerns, such as:

o  anti-social behaviour

o  violence, particularly in the night-time economy

o  substance misuse and illegal supply of drugs and alcohol, particularly to children

o   vulnerable people who live in the town, including domestic abuse

·           ensure businesses develop a culture in the town that keeps people safe in both day-time and night-time economies

·           protect young people by challenging behaviour and ensuring safeguarding opportunities are provided for those in need of support

·           work to improve the reputation of the town by sharing successes and publicising initiatives that make people feel safe when in the town

 

2.4     It has been agreed that rather than move the original Task Force to the Town Centre, a new focused Task Force will be created to deliver the overall objective to Provide a Safe Town Centre. 

 

2.5     As outlined to the Committee in the February reports, the Community Protection Team is an integral part of the Safer Maidstone Partnership, not only undertaking enforcement and engagement across their broad remit, but as facilitators and enablers who ensure the partnership works collaboratively with a high level of synergy.

 

2.6     Increases in service demand, driven by changes in licensing legislation (Animal and Caravan) and the pandemic itself means that the existing resource is unable to sustain the level of demand, particularly with the additional requirements of two task forces. 

 

2.7     As agreed at the February meeting, section 4 outlines how the team plans to evolve to:

·           meet service demand and maintain customer service standards

·           better support two task forces

·           and increase visibility of the team in the community

 

 

 

3.   AVAILABLE OPTIONS

 

 

3.1        The Committee could choose to do nothing but this option is not recommended as the Committee has previously expressed a desire to be more interventionist in tackling ASB.

 

3.2        The Committee could choose to endorse the use of resources has set out in section 4 to ensure the Community Protection Team is resourced to ensure Community Safety is delivered in an effective, high profile and efficient way.

 

3.3        The Committee could ask officers to deploy resources in a different way, however, reports provided in February 2022 highlighted to members the approach outlined in section 4 not only reflects local successes but also is recognised as following good practice as part of an evolving partnership. 

 

 

4.        PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

4.1     The preferred option is for the Community Protection Team to utilise the agreed growth budget to increase its operational resources with one new Community Protection Officer and one new Assistant Community Protection Officer.  These increases are at an operational level to ensure services are adequately resourced, so as to allow a more visible, sustainable and robust service. 

 

Ensuring Service Delivery

 

4.2     The proposed changes to the Community Protection Team will be ensure specific statutory functions are prioritised, including but not limited to:

·           Tackling ASB and nuisance

·           Increasing community liaison, particularly rural areas

·           Regulating Animal Licensing/Welfare and Strays

·           Public Health and the Pest Control contract

·           Caravan Licensing and Safety Advisory Group

 

4.3     Service demand in each of these areas has continued to grow owing to the pandemic.  The intense demand on the service means that in addition to service delivery, work is needed to improve processes which have not been improved for a number of years, but have been put on hold whilst the team coped with unprecedented service demand.  

 

4.4     Our Community Protection Officers undertake a number of roles for the team.  They are authorised enforcement officers, technical specialists/ subject matter experts and are also project leads.  They challenge behaviour and ensure that action is taken where offences are committed, they raise awareness and facilitate services to support the most vulnerable in our communities.

 

4.5     Assistant Community Protection Officers are investigating officers who support customers in gathering evidence and providing advice where necessary.  The help them to amicably resolve neighbour disputes or where matters that do not reach evidential thresholds for enforcement. Where cases do require enforcement action, our assistants pull together case files for the Community Protection Officers to act upon.  Our assistants also maintaining core processes, including but not limited to service financial processes such as grant management, processing service requests and administration of partnership meetings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Support for the two Task Forces

 

4.6     The proposed changes to increase operational staffing will also enable the CPT to dedicate resources into the two task force areas.  Officers will therefore be positioned to better utilise and influence the delivery of a multi-agency approach to deliver high profile and visible enforcement in both the Town Centre and within the selected focus areas.

 

 

 

5.       RISK

5.1     The officer recommendation is within the Council’s agreed risk appetite for the intended purpose of reducing anti-social behaviour.


6.       CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

 

6.1     Feedback from the Committee at the previous meeting indicated that the approach outlined in this report would be welcomed as it provides an opportunity to provide a more visible response to ASB, particularly in the town centre, utilising a multi-agency approach.

 

 

 

7.        BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

CHE Committee report, February 2022- Effective interventions for tackling ASB by the community safety unit

 

CHE Committee report, February 2022-
Review of the use of anti-social behaviour measures.

Draft Community Safety Plan 2022-2025