Issue - meetings

Report by the Director of Children’s Services and Director of Adult Social Care and Health

13.1     Samantha Williams, Assistant Director (Planning, Performance and Engagement) introduced the report and highlighted to the Committee some of the specific work streams within the East Sussex Safer Communities Partnership Business Plan for 2016/17 to 2018/19.   Within the ‘Serious Organised Crime’ work stream this included, for example, a Sussex Police led awareness-raising campaign relating to vulnerable young people and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE).  This campaign focused on helping parents and relevant professionals who come into contact with young people (as well as young people themselves) understand both what CSE is and how they can help prevent abuse from happening.  The campaign reached a wide audience with, for example, over a million views by adults and young people of billboards and other material placed in public spaces.

13.2     Lucy Spencer (Strategy and Partnership Officer) updated the Committee about duties introduced in July 2015, which included requirements relating to increased levels of partnership working.   The Committee were also provided with an overview of activities undertaken by the Council in response to these new duties.  This included detail about:

·        the establishment of a Prevent Board in East Sussex.   The Board is made up of specified bodies, including the Probation and Youth Offending services and Borough and District Councils.   On an annual basis the Board considers the recommendations made to it via the Counter Terrorism Local Profile, which is drawn up every year by Sussex Police.  East Sussex is a low priority level area for violent extremism and radicalization.  So whilst a significant work has been undertaken to comply with the new duties, East Sussex County Council has not had to deal with the high number of referrals experienced by some other local authorities.  

·        training has been provided to East Sussex County Council staff, local district and borough council officers and colleagues within Public Health.   Schools have also been provided with significant levels of support as this is a new area for them.

·        Referral mechanisms have been established where there is a concern about extremism.  Referrals are made in accordance with the ‘Channel Programme’ (Channel is a national programme which focuses on providing support at an early stage to people who are identified as being vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism).  For children it has been established that referrals are made via the Council’s Single Point of Advice mechanism (a ‘Single Point of Advice’ team has been put in place by the Council for managing all initial contacts to Children’s Services.  The aim of this being to help the Department respond efficiently so that children and their families are provided with support and interventions quickly). 

·        Resources have been dedicated to ensuring that IT equipment within the Council and in schools have the appropriate filters in place.

·        Over 40 young people have been referred to the Prevent board.   However, none of the young people in this group met the threshold for a ‘Channel’ intervention.

·        A pilot programme called ‘Think, Protect, Connect’ has been developed.  This programme takes young people through a six-part workshop  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13

Report by the Director of Adult Social Care and Health and the Director of Children’s Services

14.1     Louisa Havers, Head of Performance and Engagement (Adult Social Care Department), introduced the report on the current community safety priorities outlined in the East Sussex Safer Communities Partnership Business Plan (appendix 1 of the report).    A Children’s Services Scrutiny Information Pack was provided in Appendix 2 of the report which provided more detail on those issues which are of particular relevance to the Committee (including Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence and Abuse, Preventing Violent Extremism and Youth Offending).  

14.2         After significant reductions over the past 8 years, the Committee were informed that the latest crime figures show a 15.7% increase.   However, it was clarified that the increase was due in part to changes in recording practices.  For example, new guidance issued by Her Majesties Inspectorate of Constabularies has resulted in an increase in recorded instances of public place crime.     There has also been a drive to increase the reporting of Sexual Offences, Hate Crimes and Domestic Abuse which have also contributed toward the increased figure.   

14.3The new priorities identified in the Business Plan were discussed, with the

Committee’s attention drawn in particular to the following priorities:

·        Street Communities.   Research indicates that when compared to the national average, East Sussex has a high proportion of homeless women.   Given this an action plan is being developed to address the specific needs of this group; and

·        White Ribbon.   Since East Sussex County Council was accredited its White Ribbon status last year, a number of awareness raising initiatives have taken place.   These include a raising awareness training event for ambassadors and champions on 1^st July.   The next steps will include raising awareness activities on an ongoing basis with community groups and local sports clubs and engaging with schools and colleges.  

14.4    The Committee welcomed the report.  A debate then ensued with the Committee raising a number of issues which are summarized below, together with responses from the relevant officers present: 

• Targets in the Plan.   It was accepted that the report contained very useful information and set out clear priorities which the Committee welcomed.   However, the Committee felt that the report lacked clear targets against which progress could be effectively measured.   In response Louisa Havers explained that the Business Plan is a strategic document and that work is being undertaken to produce a more detailed action plan.    This action plan will be a working document which will set out clear targets and deadlines.
• Community Policing in relation to children and young people.   The Committee discussed community policing and the positive impact this has had in helping prevent some young people from becoming involved in criminal activity.   There was a general view that savings within the police budget might negatively impact on the gains made in this area.    Given this view, a request was made to invite a representative of Sussex Police to attend a future meeting of the Committee.   This would enable the Committee to ask questions about those aspects of Sussex Police’s plans for community policing which impact more  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14