Our Approach

The Partnership aims to put in place a Public Health approach to improving the safety of our communities. We believe that the issues we are trying to address are not inevitable. There are strong correlations between deprivation, vulnerability, and crime. We must do no harm, and we must target our resources and energy in line with the evidence of ‘what works.’

Our approach is underpinned by a commitment to responding to people across the entirety of their experience. We will promote diversity and equity of access to service provision. We will target resource at a place-based level. We recognise that there are chronic, long-term hotspots for crime and ASB which tend to be in the most deprived areas.

There are various interdependencies between the Partnership’s workstreams. Actions in one area affect the outcomes in another. Our approach to tackling serious violence for example, will therefore take account of the need to reduce drug and alcohol-related harm, and our work on reducing re-offending will consider the impact of homelessness and worklessness on recidivism. Our actions to tackle public place anti-social behaviour will read across to our commitment to eliminating harassment and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). Running through all our workstreams is a focus on online safety. There is specific attention to individuals who have experienced multiple disadvantage (those with ‘compound’ needs).

The Partnership includes representation from specialist Children’s Services in recognition that communities consist of both adults and children. There is an understanding that upstream interventions which support behaviour change reduce the necessity for future crisis-driven responses.

The implementation of change happens at a local level - where people live, work and access services. It is at a place-based level that the contribution of our Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise partners in enabling a safer East Sussex and as bridges to local communities is most important. The Partnership will work together to create strong networks of support. We will build connections, share values, and improve trust across and between communities. We will empower people in communities to have a sense of control, to support each other and to take collective action. This approach draws on community assets, encouraging participation, influence, and ownership. We will continue to safeguard more vulnerable individuals and find ways to enable their voices to be heard.

Community safety is an outcome rather than a collection of services. The East Sussex Safer Communities Partnership is more than just the sum of its parts. An integrated approach relies on partners taking an active role at a systems level. We will tackle issues through aligning priorities, commissioning, and external income generation. We will share resources, data insights, intelligence, and learning, taking a data and evidence-informed approach to strategic and business planning. The Partnership will continue to evaluate its collective impact. We will develop a shared understanding of ‘what works’ and how best to achieve sustainability.

Our Strategic Objectives

• Build resilience in communities, and co-design services to improve life-outcomes.

• Identify and shape services to anticipate and respond to people and places that experience multiple disadvantage.

• Increase awareness of violence against women and girls, the support available, and the importance of reporting to police.

• Ensure the provision of safe accommodation options for victims of domestic abuse and their children.

• Support victims of domestic abuse, listening to those with lived experience, including early detection and providing for those with multiple compound needs.

• Pursue perpetrators of domestic abuse, improving information sharing and working closely with safeguarding partners.

• Collaborate to tackle Serious Violence, working to address the causes of violence in our communities focussing on the highest harm neighbourhoods.

• Disrupt Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (MSHT) activity. Ensure our supply chains are free from modern slavery.

• Embed better identification and referral of adult victims of violence, exploitation, and abuse.

• Raise public awareness around fraud and scams.

• Provide PREVENT training and engage with the community around preventing violent extremism.

• Support community cohesion initiatives.

• Improve access to high quality, accessible drug, and alcohol treatment services. Increasing numbers in treatment by 20%.

• Reduce drug-related deaths.

• Empower those with lived experience to help design and commission treatment services by developing a Lived Experience Recovery Organisation (LERO).

• Tackle ASB around the street community in our town centres, developing preventative initiatives and encouraging reporting of shoplifting to the police.

Protecting Vulnerable People

Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse

Headline Data

· Nationally, approximately 1 in 25 people experience domestic abuse per year; this is 6 in 100 women, and 3 in 100 men.[1]

· Estimates show that at least 20% of women, and 4% of men have experienced some type of sexual assault since the age of 16.[2]

· Rising cost-of-living is having widespread impact on survivors and services. Nationally, 80% of survivors didn’t have enough money to pay for essentials for them and/or their children. 79% of survivors needed to access foodbanks. 63% of survivors were unable to afford to leave the perpetrator.[3]

· The average high risk domestic abuse case costs almost £20,000 in public money.[4]

· Referrals to multi-agency risk assessment conferences (MARACs) have increased continuously in East Sussex and remain higher than the recommended levels and national average.[5]

· Domestic Abuse crimes have reduced slightly overall in the past three years; with slight increases in Lewes and Wealden.

· Referrals to the commissioned domestic abuse service have remained stable over the past three years.

· Reports of Sexual Offences have increased by 6% over the past three years. ‘Other’ Sexual Offences have also increased by 11% over the three years.

· Reports of Rape Offences, however, have reduced by 4% over the same period.

· Stalking and Harassment Offences have also reduced by 10% over the past three years.

Partnership Objectives

· Progress the East Sussex Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse Partnership Action Plan to prevent and identify abuse early, deliver excellent services and pursue perpetrators.

· Increase lived experience representation on the Domestic Abuse Partnership Board, which reports to the Safer Communities Partnership Board.

· Refresh and produce the domestic abuse needs assessment and Strategy.

· Produce domestic abuse dashboard.

· Invest in additional support and accommodation for victims with multiple, compound needs (MCN). By introducing a small grants funding round. Securing an additional 14 units of safe accommodation. And by procuring a specialist service for victims who have MCN.

· Ensure that training, guidance, and supervision is provided to be able to respond effectively to child-parent abuse.

· Promote early identification of domestic and sexual abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

· Pursue perpetrators by managing interventions for those that cause harm, including serial perpetrators and repeat offenders.

· Secure sustainability of the multi-disciplinary Changing Futures delivery team to work with adults who have experienced domestic abuse in the context of multiple disadvantage.

Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)

· Sussex Police coordinate the VAWG Strategic Board as part of their Control Strategy.

· The Partnership raises awareness of VAWG during the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and White Ribbon Day campaigns.

Partnership Objectives

· Collaborate on the development of a pan-Sussex VAWG Strategy and VAWG dashboard.

· Coordinate multi-agency training for domestic and sexual violence and abuse, stalking and harmful practices.

· Partners that have achieved White Ribbon accreditation to work collaboratively on their Action Plans to engage men and boys in ending violence against women and girls.

Modern slavery, Human trafficking (MSHT) and adult exploitation

Headline Data

· Nationally, MSHT accounted for less than 1 crime per 10,000 population annually in 2023/24. 45% of all victims of MSHT referred to the Home Office were British boys under 17 years old.

· Deprived communities and individuals with vulnerabilities such as substance misuse, family issues, or financial deprivation are at higher risk.[6]

· This form of exploitation is often linked to county lines drug dealing and can involve coercion or grooming into committing crimes such as theft, money laundering, and even begging.

· The National Referral Mechanism is a framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery and ensuring they receive the appropriate support. Referrals have doubled over the past three years in East Sussex.

· Despite this increase, and the links between Serious Organised Crime and MSHT, police reports of modern slavery crimes have reduced by a third over the past three years in East Sussex. The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner has previously highlighted failings in the recording of MHST crime, with many fewer crimes being recorded than NRM referrals made.[7]

Partnership Objectives

· Benchmark East Sussex against the Local Government Association's (LGA) Modern Slavery Maturity Matrix.

· Pilot Modern slavery and Human Trafficking VCSE Forum.

· Increase public awareness of modern slavery in the care sector.

Hate Crime

Headline Data

· Hate Crime is under-reported and reported crimes and incidents are not therefore fully reflective of the experiences of those with protected characteristics in our community.

· Over half the hate crimes in East Sussex over the past three years have been race-related.

· The next most common hate crime type is sexuality, followed by disablist and ‘other.’

· Gender and religion hate crimes account for the smallest proportion. Over the past three years, reports of racist hate crime have increased by 19% in East Sussex; there was a similar increase in West Sussex and Brighton and Hove. All areas within East Sussex experienced this increase.

· In Lewes district hate crime reports doubled in the three years from 2021/22 to 2023/24, albeit a small increase in actual crime figures.

Partnership Objectives

· Partnership action plans for addressing Hate Crime are undertaken at a Pan-Sussex level through the Hate Crime Steering Group, and at a place-based level in the District and Borough Community Safety Partnerships.

· Introduce a programme of engagement within affected communities to better understand community sentiment across East Sussex.

Identifying those at Risk of Harm

Drug and Alcohol Related Harm

Headline Data

· In East Sussex reports of drug offences have slightly increased over the past three years. Eastbourne and Hastings saw the largest increases, and rates remain above the county average.

· Over the past three years there was a 2% reduction in the number of adults in treatment for opiate use, reflecting the national trend. However, there was an 18% increase in non-opiate users and a 15% increase in adults accessing treatment for alcohol use.

· The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities estimate that there is a significant proportion of adults with problematic alcohol use who are not in treatment.

· Females are typically under-represented in both drug and alcohol treatment.

· The majority of those in drug and/or alcohol treatment are in Eastbourne and Hastings.

· The proportion of individuals showing substantial progress in East Sussex is showing a gradual year on year increase, and the county is now performing better in this measure than both the South East and England.[8]

· In East Sussex, Nitazenes are being detected in heroin more often. Nitazenes are a super-strength synthetic opioid, initially developed as a pain killer. National data shows Nitazenes are co-detected alongside heroin in 1/3 of substances where there is positive detection. There have been two confirmed deaths in East Sussex that have a completed inquest with a causation of Isotonitazene toxicity.

· Almost 1/3 of Hastings residents report that they have experienced drug crime in the past two years; this is higher than the county average.[9]

· The latest data from Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the Office of National Statistics shows that there were 77 drug and alcohol related deaths in East Sussex in 2022. This is lower than the 90 deaths reported in 2021. The ONS report that there were 22 drug misuse deaths, and OHID’s alcohol specific mortality shows that there were 55 deaths in 2022. Due to the lag in reporting, 2023 data is expected in December 2024.

Partnership Objectives

· Update needs assessment and redesign drug and alcohol treatment service for reduction in funding from April 2025, and April 2026 re-commissioning.

· Increase numbers in drug and alcohol treatment by 20%.

· Reduce drug and alcohol related deaths.

· Improve treatment pathways for adults with Multiple Compound Needs, those with respiratory and liver disease, and prison leavers.

· Develop the Lived Experience Recovery Organisation (LERO).

· Encourage people to seek help earlier especially in terms of alcohol misuse support in conjunction with Public Health through the implementation of the East Sussex Alcohol Harm Strategy.

Keeping Communities Safe

Violent extremism

Headline Data

· Since February 2022, the national threat level has been Substantial; this means an attack is likely. The last time the national threat level was CRITICAL was in September 2017 following the Parsons Green Train Bombing in London.

· In East Sussex, the vast majority of Prevent referrals were for males, and over half of referrals were for under 18s.

Partnership Objectives

· Implement Partnership Prevent training plan.

· Produce community engagement plan.

Public Place Serious Violence

Headline Data

· Within East Sussex, Hastings (2.4) and Eastbourne (2.1) have higher rates of serious violent crime (SVC) than the Sussex average. Lewes (0.9), Wealden (0.6) and Rother (0.9) all have lower rates than the county average. (Crimes per 1000 population).

· The highest volume of perpetrators and victims reside in Devonshire (Eastbourne).

· In East Sussex, a physical injury was sustained in 71% of SVC, 32% was recorded as serious.

· A knife (or sharp instrument) was used in 42% of all SVC.

· Under 25s account for 39% of SVC in East Sussex, the peak age for offending is 16-17 years.

· Victims are also getting younger, most recent data shows 22% of victims were under 18 (compared to 15% in 2021 and 18% 2022).

· 88% of offenders and 72% of victims were male.[10]

Partnership Objectives

Ø The Safer Communities Partnership will work collaboratively with Sussex Police to share information, encourage more and better quality reporting (including CCTV evidence), prioritising violent and prolific offenders.

Ø Design, develop and co-ordinate a place-based response in neighbourhoods with a high risk of serious violence across East Sussex.

Ø Refresh and implement the Serious Violence needs assessment and Strategy.

Antisocial behaviour (ASB), Retail Theft, and Street Communities

Headline Data

· Partnership structures and action plans for addressing anti-social behaviour and street communities are delivered at a place-based level in the District and Borough Community Safety Partnerships of Eastbourne and Lewes, Wealden, Hastings, and Rother.

· Over the past three years, reports of ASB have decreased by around a third; this trend was also reflected in West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.

· The vast majority of incidents are nuisance-related ASB.

· During 2023 there has been a significant increase in young people stealing motorbikes and mopeds, riding them until they run out of fuel then dumping them. This was initially an issue in Eastbourne and has since moved across East Sussex particularly in the Wealden area. Between March and mid-August 2024 there were 292 offences.

· In East Sussex, the average number of motorbike thefts per month between March and July 2024 was 52. There was a notable increase in May which saw 60 offences. June and July also saw rates above the average, August is predicted to be slightly lower but still above the monthly average of 52.

· Two thirds of East Sussex residents report that they have experienced ASB within the past 2 years. This figure is even higher for residents in Eastbourne.

· Just over a half of Eastbourne residents identified ASB as the issue that made them feel least safe in their community; this is higher than the county average.[11]

· Shoplifting has been a focus at both the local and national level, with police targeting repeat prolific offenders and Organised Crime Groups, and through improving reporting mechanisms and licensing. This has resulted in a sharp increase in the volume of reporting over the past year, particularly in Eastbourne.

· Increases have also been observed in all other districts, although a smaller increase was observed in Hastings.

Partnership Objectives

· Partners to map and understand the prevalence of day-to-day ASB, including escalating ASB and harassment that might not be reported to police, to support the development of strategic preventative initiatives to address local ASB.

· Map street community outreach services to ensure services are aligned and there is no duplication.

· Local CSPs (District and Boroughs) to incorporate activity related to anti-social driving into their local road safety groups.

· Partners to work together to make our streets and businesses safer, encouraging reporting to police of shoplifting, ASB and criminal damage.

· Manage and reduce the high rates of violence associated with the street community in Hastings town centre.

· Work in partnership to divert young people from theft of motor-bikes and anti-social driving.

Fraud and Scams

Headline Data

· Fraud is the most common crime type in the UK. It accounts for over 40% of crime nationally.

· In 2023/24 there were over 2,500 reports to Action Fraud in East Sussex, slightly lower than the previous year.

· In 2023/24 there were just over 1,000 Operation Signature reports to police in East Sussex, slightly higher than last year. Operation Signature ensures all vulnerable fraud victims get reassurance, advice, and support, referring or signposting to partner agencies.

· Just over half of victims were aged over 75 and/or just over half of victims lived alone.

· Most people do not report a loss; however, the most common reported amount lost was between £1,000 and £9,999[12]

Partnership Objectives

· Partners will encourage residents to report any incidence and attempts of fraud and scams to Sussex Police.

Reducing Reoffending

· The Sussex Criminal Justice Partnership brings criminal justice agencies together to deliver the Sussex Reducing Re-offending Strategy via the Reducing Re-Offending Sub-Group.

· The Youth Justice Service Chief Officers’ Group brings together the Home Office, ESCC Safer Communities and Children’s Services with other providers involved in youth justice services to deliver the Youth Justice Plan. This aims to prevent children from entering the criminal justice system and from reoffending, as mandated by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

· Immediate justice (IJ) forms part of the national ASB action plan. Sussex was selected as a trailblazing area and the pilot has been funded until March 2025. IJ holds those who have committed ASB accountable by undertaking visible, practical, and meaningful activities - such as gardening, litter picking and removing graffiti. The main aims are to reduce and deter ASB, improve public perception, deliver visible reparative activities, and reduce the number of ASB cases in court.

APPENDIX 1: National Drivers Influencing Safer Communities Work

Below are the national policy drivers and statutory duties which inform the work of the East Sussex Safer Communities Partnership:

Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and subsequent reviews

The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 aimed to address crime prevention, enhance public safety, and provide legal tools to tackle anti-social behaviour and racially aggravated offenses. The Act created Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, now Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs), one for each local government area, which brought together the police and local authorities to undertake needs assessments and formulate strategies for the reduction of crime, anti-social behaviour, substance misuse, re-offending, and serious violence.

Crime and Policing Bill

Subject to ratification, the partnership will implement the new Crime and Policing Bill. The bill aims to strengthen neighbourhood policing, with greater powers to tackle ASB. It aims to reduce serious violence by half, focusing on knife crime and violence against women and girls. The bill will also create a new law to address assaults on shopworkers.

Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill

Subject to assent, the Partnership will implement the new Act to strengthen support for victims, reducing delays in the criminal courts and ensuring that victims get the support they deserve, including fast-tracking rape cases.

Harm to hope 2021

The From harm to hope: A 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save livesis a 10-year plan aimed at reducing drug-related harm. The strategy seeks to achieve a 30-year low in drug use, focusing on cutting crime and improving public health. The plan has three priorities:

· Breaking drug supply chains: Targeting the operations of organised crime groups to create a challenging environment for drug trafficking.

· Delivering a world-class treatment and recovery system: Funding to end March 2025 to rebuild drug treatment and recovery services, including for young people and offenders.

· Reducing the demand for recreational drugs: Strengthening evidence-based approaches to deter recreational drug use, with interventions to prevent young people from starting to use drugs and imposing new penalties for drug users.

The strategy is a formal response to the Independent Reviews of Drugs led by Dame Carol Black, accepting all of her key recommendations. The strategy has identified the following targets to be achieved by March 2025:

· To increase the number of people accessing treatment by 20%.

· To increase the continuity of care for individuals leaving prison and entering community treatment to 75%; however this has now been amended to 5% above baseline. This equates to 49% locally.

· To contribute to a national reduction in drug related deaths by 1,000.

Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019

The Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 is legislation designed to strengthen the nation's counter-terrorism laws. It does this by updating offences, increasing penalties and enabling local authorities to refer people at risk of being drawn into terrorism to local Channel panels.

Counter-terrorism strategy (CONTEST) 2023

The UK government's counter-terrorism strategy, Counter-terrorism strategy (CONTEST) 2023 aims to reduce the risk from terrorism to the UK, it is based on four themes:

· Prevent: To stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

· Pursue: To stop terrorist attacks from happening in the UK or against UK interests overseas.

· Protect: To strengthen the UK's protection against a terrorist attack.

· Prepare: To minimize the impact of a terrorist attack and reduce the likelihood of further attacks.

The strategy emphasises the importance of partnership across government, police, intelligence services, local authorities, the private sector, communities, and the public. The primary domestic threat comes from Islamist terrorism, accounting for approximately 67% of attacks since 2018. The remainder is largely driven by Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism, which accounts for about 22% of attacks since 2018.

Prevent Duty 2023

Prevent duty guidance: England and Wales (2023) is the UK's strategy for protecting individuals susceptible to being drawn into terrorism. The Independent Review of Prevent review made 34 recommendations to improve the Prevent programme, all of which were accepted by Government.

Protect Duty 2023

The UK government's Protect Duty, also known as ‘Martyn's Law’, is proposed legislation aimed at enhancing security measures to protect the public from terrorist attacks. The duty seeks to scale up preparedness for, and protection from, terrorist attacks in public places.

Modern Slavery Act 2015

The Modern Slavery Act 2015 is legislation that consolidates and simplifies existing offences related to trafficking and slavery. This has resulted in more severe punishments, and more protection for victims.

The Serious Violence Duty 2022

The Serious Violence Duty - Statutory Guidance in the The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act requires councils and local services to work together to share information and target interventions to prevent and reduce serious violence, emphasising collaboration, data-sharing, and evidence-based strategies.

Domestic Abuse Act 2021

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 updated the statutory definition of domestic abuse, including emotional, controlling, coercive and economic abuse and recognises that children can be victims in their own right. The Act set up the Office of Domestic Abuse Commissioner who has specific powers to oversee and improve the response to domestic abuse. It introduces additional legal support and protection for victims and provides guidance supporting the Domestic Violence Disclosure scheme, known as Clare’s Law.

Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan 2022

The Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan focuses on providing victims and survivors with more support, prioritising prevention, supporting victims, pursuing perpetrators, and committing £230 million of investment to deliver the Domestic Abuse act 2021.

Violence Against Women and Girls National Statement of Expectations 2016

This Framework sets out Government expectations for commissioning services to ensure all victims and survivors, including children, get the right help.

Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2021

The Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy aims to prevent violence against women and girls by prioritising prevention, supporting survivors, pursuing perpetrators, and updating legislation.

Violence against Women and Girls Services Commissioning Toolkit 2022

The Toolkit provides commissioning guidance focussing on a whole system approach, to ensure local organisations work collaboratively whilst understanding the needs of victims, emphasising prevention, service provision, prosecution, justice, and ongoing support.

Statutory Guidance for Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) 2016

The main purpose of DHRs (now called Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DARDRs)) is to prevent domestic violence and homicide and enhance service coordination and responses for victims.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Act 2003 and Duty 2015

The Serious Crime Act 2015 makes it illegal to perform FGM in the UK and increases penalties for those involved in FGM. It also criminalises assisting anyone conducting FGM outside the UK on a UK national. The FGM Duty 2015 imposes a duty on health and social care professionals and teachers in England and Wales to report any known cases of FGM in individuals under the age of 18 to the police.

Forced Marriage Act 2007

The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 protects individuals at risk of being forced into marriage or to help remove them from a forced marriage situation. The Act introduced Forced Marriage Protection Orders (FMPOs) which can be applied for by victims or relevant third parties, such as local authorities.

Victims and Prisoners Act 2024

The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 aims to strengthen the rights and support of victims, appointing an Independent Advocate for victims of major incidents. The act also introduced the duty to collaborate, which mandates local authorities and services to work together when commissioning support services for victims.

Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan 2023

The Action Plan introduced stronger punishments, and also introduced Immediate Justice. It also introduced hotspot policing, targeting the most affected areas, it started with 10 pilot areas before being expanded nationwide. The plan also expanded drug testing on arrest. The plan aimed to increase community engagement and improve reporting.

Online Safety Act 2023

The Online Safety Act 2023 places a duty on Social Media companies and online search services to implement systems to reduce illegal activities and remove illegal content. The act also includes protection for children, ensuring they do not see inappropriate content. Ofcom is responsible for enforcing the act, and it applies to both UK based companies and services that are accessible in the UK, but the company is based overseas.

APPENDIX 2: Additional Funding into Community Safety 2024 – 2025

Funding Stream	2024/25
OHID Individual Placement Service – Alcohol and Drugs (IPS-AD)	£156,000
OHID Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant (SSMTRG)	£2,028,218
OHID Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant – Housing Support Grant (SSMTRG HSG)	£596,304
OHID Rough Sleeper Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant (RSDATG)	£419,841
MHCLG Support in Safe Accommodation for victims/ survivors of domestic abuse Duty (ESCC allocation)	£1,114,315
MHCLG Support in Safe Accommodation for victims/ survivors of domestic abuse Duty (District and Borough allocations)	£174,408
Home Office Serious Violence Duty, via the VRP	£58,249
Home Office Youth Justice Service interventions, via the VRP	£226,644
Home Office, Safer in Sussex, VRP – CCTV in Rother	£4,880
Home Office, Safer in Sussex, VRP – secure cycle parking in Seaford	£663
Home Office, Safer in Sussex, VRP – boxing club in Hailsham	£5,000
Home Office, Safer in Sussex, VRP – youth club in Hastings	£4,500
OSPCC - women’s only hubs	£40,000
OSPCC - community domestic abuse case workers	£137,276
OSPCC - counselling for victim/ survivors of domestic and sexual abuse	£35,032
OSPCC – domestic abuse family service	£18,000
OSPCC – groups and activities for domestic abuse victim/ survivors	£8,000
TOTAL	£5,027,330

In addition, the OSPCC funds a further range of pan-Sussex projects, totalling £4,000,000, and the VRP funds a further range of pan-Sussex projects, totalling £9,846.

To note that all of this funding comes to an end at the end of March 2025.

Funder key:

· OHID: Office of Health Improvement and Disparities

· MHCLG: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (formally Levelling Up)

· OSPCC: Office of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner

· VRP – Violence Reduction Partnership

[1]Office of National Statistics (ONS) – Domestic Abuse Victim Characteristics

[2] Sussex Police - Our response to rape and serious sexual offences

[3]Women’s Aid - The Domestic Abuse Report 2024

[6] The Centre for Social Justice – Criminal exploitation: Modern Slavery by another name

[8] National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS)

[9] Office of Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Public Survey 2023

[10] Sussex Serious Violence Strategic Needs Assessment 2024

[11] Office of Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Public Survey 2023

Our Ambition

Our strategic Priorities

Protecting vulnerable people

Identifying those at risk of harm

Keeping communities safe

Key Strategic Messages

Local Strategic Alignment

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Plan

Public Priority 1 – Strengthen local policing, tackle crime, and prevent harm

Public Priority 2 – Relentless disruption of serious and organised crime

Public Priority 3 – Support victims and safeguard the vulnerable

Our Approach

Our Strategic Objectives

Protecting Vulnerable People

Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse

Headline Data

Partnership Objectives

Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)

Partnership Objectives

Modern slavery, Human trafficking (MSHT) and adult exploitation

Headline Data

Partnership Objectives

Hate Crime

Headline Data

Partnership Objectives

Identifying those at Risk of Harm

Drug and Alcohol Related Harm

Headline Data

Partnership Objectives

Keeping Communities Safe

Violent extremism

Headline Data

Partnership Objectives

Public Place Serious Violence

Headline Data

Partnership Objectives

Antisocial behaviour (ASB), Retail Theft, and Street Communities

Headline Data

Partnership Objectives

Fraud and Scams

Headline Data

Partnership Objectives

· Partners will encourage residents to report any incidence and attempts of fraud and scams to Sussex Police.

Reducing Reoffending

APPENDIX 1: National Drivers Influencing Safer Communities Work

Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and subsequent reviews

Crime and Policing Bill

Harm to hope 2021

Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019

Counter-terrorism strategy (CONTEST) 2023

Prevent Duty 2023

Protect Duty 2023

Modern Slavery Act 2015

The Serious Violence Duty 2022

Domestic Abuse Act 2021

Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan 2022

Violence Against Women and Girls National Statement of Expectations 2016

Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2021

Violence against Women and Girls Services Commissioning Toolkit 2022

Statutory Guidance for Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) 2016

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Act 2003 and Duty 2015

Forced Marriage Act 2007

Victims and Prisoners Act 2024

Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan 2023

Online Safety Act 2023

APPENDIX 2: Additional Funding into Community Safety 2024 – 2025