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Overview and Scrutiny for Crime and Disorder |
13th April 2023 |
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Strategic Assessment 2023/24 and Partnership Plan Update |
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Final Decision-Maker |
Overview and Scrutiny for Crime and Disorder |
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Lead Head of Service |
John Littlemore, Head of Housing and Regulatory Services |
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Lead Officer and Report Author |
Martyn Jeynes, Communities and Strategic Partnerships Manager |
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Classification |
Public |
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Wards affected |
All |
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Executive Summary |
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This report introduces the Strategic Assessment produced for SMP for the period 2022-23. The assessment looks at the efforts of the partnership in relation to the first year of the current CSP Plan 2022-2025. It ensures the work of the partnership remains relevant to the priorities and planned activities for 2023-24. The Strategic Assessment checks for any emerging concerns, trends and or shifts relating to crime, ASB and wider determinants of Community Safety, such as health data. Additionally, the Strategic Assessment provides an update on the work undertaken in delivering the current priorities and cross cutting themes. |
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Purpose of Report
Noting
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This report makes the following recommendations to this Committee: |
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1. That the Committee notes the progress made by the SMP in year 1 of the CSP Plan against current priorities and cross cutting themes, which remain current for the SMP in 2023/24. |
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Timetable |
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Meeting |
Date |
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Overview and Scrutiny for Crime and Disorder |
13th April 2023 |
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Strategic Assessment 2023/24 and Partnership Plan Update |
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1. CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS
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Issue |
Implications |
Sign-off |
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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 will materially improve the Council’s ability to achieve the corporate priority of a ‘safe, clean & green place’. |
Head of Housing & Regulatory Services |
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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 supports the achievement of the cross-cutting objectives. |
Head of Housing & Regulatory Services |
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Risk Management |
Approving the recommendation in the report minimises the risk of the Council and the Maidstone Community Safety Partnership not having an up-to-date Community Safety Plan and ensures compliance with the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. |
Head of Housing & Regulatory Services |
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Financial |
Delivery of the proposed Community Safety Plan can be undertaken within existing resources. The Community Safety Plan 2022- 25 will provide the foundation for the Community Safety Partnership to prioritise and apply partner resources and bid for additional resources to achieve the outcomes · identified |
Head of Housing & Regulatory Services |
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Staffing |
We will deliver the Community Safety Plan · document with our current staffing. |
Head of Housing & Regulatory Services
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Legal |
Accepting the recommendations will fulfil the Council’s duties under Section 6 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. · The Council has a duty under Section 6 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to formulate and implement strategies for the reduction of crime and disorder in the area (including antisocial and other behaviour adversely affecting the local environment); and for combatting the misuse of drugs, alcohol and other substances in the area and for the reduction of re-offending in the area |
Senior Legal Advisor, Corporate Governance |
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Privacy and Data Protection |
· No implications. |
Policy and Information Team |
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Equalities |
The recommendations do not propose a change in service therefore will not require an equalities impact assessment. |
Equalities & Communities Officer |
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Public Health
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By adopting a new Community Safety Plan, we recognise that the recommendations will have a positive impact on population health or that of individuals. |
[Public Health Officer] |
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Crime and Disorder |
The recommendations will have a positive impact on Crime and Disorder. |
Head of Housing & Regulatory Services |
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Procurement |
None |
Head of Housing & Regulatory Services |
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Biodiversity and Climate Change |
There are no implications on biodiversity and climate change. |
Biodiversity and Climate Change Manager |
2. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
2.1 The Maidstone Community Safety Partnership, known locally as the Safer Maidstone Partnership (SMP), has a duty to produce an annual crime and disorder audit, through consultation with key agencies and the wider community with the findings used to identify strategic priorities and set targets and performance measure.
2.2 These measures are used to create priorities and themes for the partnership’s Community Safety Plan. Maidstone’s current Community Safety Partnership Plan 2022-2025, provided as a background document, was adopted in 2022.
2.3 Appendix 1 contains the Strategic Assessment 2023/24 and Partnership Plan update. The Strategic Assessment checks for any emerging concerns, trends and or shifts relating to crime, ASB and wider determinants of Community Safety, such as health, through analysis of quantitative and qualitative data collected from across the partnership.
2.4 Additionally, the Strategic Assessment provides an update on the work undertaken in delivering the current priorities and cross cutting themes.
2.5 The format of the report has been designed to provide a lot of information in a readable format. Reading the left most column provides the reader with the local narrative that has informed the assessments in 2.6. The right hand column provides the reader more detail, should they require it.
2.6 Based on analysis of relevant data and updates from the appropriate working groups, the assessment provides the following in relation to current priorities which remain current:
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Priority status: On track |
The SMP is well placed to continue to deliver work which will prevent and reduce serious violent and organised crime as this area continues to pose a significant risk. Particularly areas where the volume of incidents is likely to be extremely low, but the individual or community harm would be significant. |
Reducing the harm caused by domestic abuse
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Priority status: On track
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Domestic Abuse remains a national priority. Locally, Domestic Abuse makes up nearly a fifth of all crime and over 80% of all crimes involving violence against a person. The MDAF is well placed to continue to support the SMP’s Domestic Abuse duty, continuing to support victims and raise awareness. |
Provide a safe town centre
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Priority status: Exceeding expectations
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The introduction and investment of partners into the TCTF has seen significant improvements into not only how the town centre is policed, but also in the way service providers, such as housing providers, businesses and youth providers have collaborated with the wider SMP in delivering a holistic, public health response to identified challenges. This has led greater than expected levels of crime and ASB reduction. Secondly, the success of obtaining funding from Safer Streets 4 has meant an acceleration of services that would have taken years to fund or may not have been delivered at all. |
Priority status: Keeping children and young people safe
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Priority status: On track
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Alignment to the LCPGs action plan has ensured that, alongside other children services’ priorities, adverse childhood experiences, their impact on decision making and risk taking, continues to be considered when protecting young people across the priorities. It also ensures that services are designed that create spaces where young people feel safe, have a sense of belonging and know that they matter. DCSM continues to work to protect young people in locations where their behaviour, or the behaviour of others puts them or others at risk. |
3. AVAILABLE OPTIONS
3.1 The committee could decide to approve the recommendations made in this report. This will allow for the SMP to continue to deliver the current Community Safety Partnership Plan through the existing subgroups and action plans.
3.2 The committee could decide not to approve the recommendations. This is not recommended as the assessment and analysis therein indicates that the current priorities remain relevant and that the direction of travel for the SMP and its subgroups is positive, accepting that there is still work to be done as part of a three year plan.
4. PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1 The option set out in paragraphs 3.1 is the preferred option, as it will enable the Council, as part of the Safer Maidstone Partnership, to implement a robust and focussed CSP Plan and to fulfil its statutory duties in relation to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
5. RISK
5.1 The recommendation, if adopted, will reduce the risk of the Council not being compliant with its statutory duties and will assist in reducing crime and disorder within the Borough.
6. NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION
6.1 As part of a three-year plan, the SMP will continue to adapt and evolve to meet the challenges of each priority area and the associated cross cutting themes.
7. REPORT APPENDICES
The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:
· Appendix 1: Strategic Assessment 2023/24 and Partnership Plan update
8. BACKGROUND PAPERS
· Maidstone Community Safety Partnership Plan 2022-25