Agenda item

The Committee will consider a report providing:

(i)    An overview of the most up to date draft Strategic Intelligence Assessment for Kirklees

(ii)   An overview of the emerging strategic priorities and themes informing the new Communities Partnership Plan

(iii) The opportunity to discuss and contribute to the emerging priorities, informing the new Communities Partnership Plan

(iv) Updates in respect of repeat victims, the approach to violence and the development of a new Domestic Abuse Strategy.

Contact:

Jo Richmond – Head of Service, Communities

Lee Hamilton – Safer Kirklees Manager

Chris Walsh – Performance Manager, Communities

Jill Greenfield – Service Director, Customer and Communities presented a report providing:

(i)    An overview of the most up to date draft Strategic Intelligence Assessment for Kirklees

(ii)   An overview of the emerging strategic priorities and themes informing the new Communities Partnership Plan

(iii) The opportunity to discuss and contribute to the emerging priorities, informing the new Communities Partnership Plan

(iv) Updates in respect of repeat victims, the approach to violence and the development of a new Domestic Abuse Strategy.

Councillor Carole Pattison - Cabinet Member and Portfolio Holder for Learning, Aspiration and Communities, Chief Inspector Alan Travis from West Yorkshire Police (WYP), Chani Mortimer – Service Manager, Domestic Abuse and Safeguarding Partnerships and Chris Walsh – Performance Manager, Communities were also in attendance to hear Members’ comments and answer questions.

It was explained that the 2018-2021 Communities Partnership Plan was due to expire, with a new Plan being developed using insight, data and analysis from the most recent Partnership Strategic Intelligence Assessment (PSIA). The full Draft PSIA had been included at Appendix 1 of the report and an overview was given of the shared themes that had been identified.

The proposed strategic objectives for 2022-25 had been developed by the Community Partnership, taking account of the learning from the pandemic and the importance of these relationships in providing a strategic approach to the Plan. These were:

·       Tackling Violence, Abuse and Exploitation,

·       Reducing Re-offending, Anti-Social Behaviour and Neighbourhood Crime,

·       Building Resilient Communities, and

·       Reducing Risk

The objectives were underpinned by the following principles:

·       Prevention and Early Intervention

·       Partnership Collaboration

·       Lived Experience

·       Tackling Inequality of Outcome

·       Place Based

·       Victim Centred

Beneath each objective there were a number of task groups and workstreams. The a focus was on building on the partnership collaboration to avoid duplication, ensure best use of resources and to establish concrete implementation and action plans supported by strategies.

Councillor Pattison expressed a hope that the new plan would fully reflect the new reinvigorated partnership working and life as experienced by Kirklees’ communities.

She was pleased to see the emphasis on the resilience of communities. She said that there was a need to identify the risks that communities faced and to reduce them. It was also necessary to look at repeat criminality and its fundamental causes and to reduce violence and abuse in society. The consideration of these issues being undertaken in a cross-cutting way was welcomed.

Questions and comments were invited from Committee Members, with the following issues being covered:

·       The focus on early intervention and prevention was very important. As a Ward Councillor there were concerns in respect of the response to incidents of serious violence in terms of communication and being kept informed in the longer term. Currently it was not considered that the early intervention and prevention work was visible and it would be good to to see this progress at grass-roots level. It was explained that the new duty in respect of serious violence was considered to provide an opportunity to embed the grass-roots approach. The concerns about communication and need for Ward Councillors to be kept informed would be taken on board and would be considered when the relevant strategy was developed.

·       In response to a question it was clarified that the Public Health approach to serious violence had been in place for some time and work was being undertaken to consider how this could be further embedded and reinvigorated. The new duty would assist in that. Work was ongoing in terms of establishing what was currently in place in Kirklees and how this could be connected to ensure that the most was being made of the available resources.

·       In terms of the figures for repeat incidences of domestic violence and how changes in operational and partnership working were working to reduce these figures.  It was explained that the data was complex; research indicated that in domestic abuse cases, it was highly likely that the first reported incident was not actually the first incidence. In addition, an increase in repeat numbers did not necessarily indicate that the position was getting worse but could reflect increased confidence on the part of victims in reporting. Local police had received recognition in respect of the efficiency of their crime reporting in that each crime was recorded separately, this could also affect the figures. The local picture reflected a national concern around repeat incidents and it was believed that a strong partnership response was being provided; for example work was being undertaken with the Pennine Abuse Partnership to support victims through the process. This included a new initiative to support victims who may be wavering about continuing with criminal action or to assist them to pursue civil action. The detailed figures in respect of incidents could be provided to the Committee after the meeting.

·       A tension monitoring document was received by Ward Councillors on a weekly basis but this did not provide information on how the data was being used and what actions were being taken to address the identified issues; it was suggested that it would be useful to include such information. Alan Travis explained that a weekly partnership meeting was held, chaired by WYP, which involved a wide range of partners and a standing item was community tensions. Attendees received a full briefing on each issues and discussed approach and actions. He undertook to take on board the comments made.  He stressed that any significant concerns would lead to the setting up of a bespoke partnership meeting to look at on an individual basis and establish an action plan.

·       There appeared to be at theme of Councillors not feeling involved and fully informed and it was questioned whether there was any structure in place to allow them to have an input to action plans for their area. It was explained that this issue had been raised with Jo Richmond – Head of Service, Communities and  ways of increasing the involvement of ward councillors and improving lines of communication were being explored. Councillor Pattison pointed out that the Communities Partnership Board had cross-party representation, albeit that this operated at a strategic level. The former Neighbourhood Management Groups had been very helpful in this respect and the Communities Service was considering what processes might be introduced to be able to take advantage of the valuable area-based knowledge of elected members.

·       It was noted that Place Priorities from Place Standard work were mentioned in the report but some areas had not yet been through this process. The Neighbourhood Management Groups had allowed tasks and priorities to be set for an area as a whole.

·       Quarterly briefings were undertaken with Ward Councillors by the Community Safety Officers and where was intervention and challenge the service did try to involve elected members and their input was always taken into account where it was possible to do so.

·       There was a communications gap in terms of serious incidents and it was considered that, where they were geographically focused, Ward Councillors should be involved at an early stage. Ward Councillors had a good understanding of their communities and strong on-the-ground knowledge. It was known that other areas did undertake partnership meetings that including elected members and community leaders. Alan Travis said that he would feedback the points made.

·       In response to questions, it was explained that the ‘IQUANTA family’ was a national benchmarking system which placed areas together based on socio-economic factors, to provide a like for like comparison (Leeds and Bradford, although direct neighbours, were significantly larger). It was acknowledged that cross-border issues were a key consideration it was critical that the Kirklees partnership worked with surrounding areas to address them. The Committee were assured that cross-border working took place, from an investigative perspective.  The point in relation to how the partnership plan interlinked and correlated with neighbouring district’s plans would be as taken on board.

·       In respect of the ‘Your Views’ survey, which was distributed by the West Yorkshire Mayor’s office on a regular basis to assist in establishing local priorities; this had previously been undertaken by the Police and Crime Commissioner’s (PCC) office. In respect of use of the results for Kirklees, the PCC’s office had sent out a quarterly update which gave an indication of the perceptions of the public and provided intelligence for use at a district level. It was understood that this was to be reintroduced. It was suggested that this should be circulated to elected members so that they were aware of any trends.

·       The figures in the report indicated an increase in the number of deaths related to to alcohol misuse, and it was questioned how drug and alcohol related issues and the links with mental health were to be addressed across partners. It was explained that a multi-agency strategic partnership was currently being pulled together to focus on this issue and there was a wish to adopt the public health approach. The Partnership was acutely aware of need for a focus on these issues post-pandemic and the interdependencies with other priorities. The underlying detail in relation to drugs and alcohol mortality could be provided for the Committee.

·       The point was made that protest should be differentiated from threat from terrorism and it was agreed that this would be re-worded.

·       The numbers related to modern day slavery were very small, and this could result in the figures being skewed. There had been some issues uncovered as a results of visits to businesses associated with covid, but any spike (such as in December 2019) was almost certainly due to a specific planned targeted operation. Operations were undertaken using a partnership approach alongside statutory partners and charities able to provide support to victims and underpinned by a whole package of support via the national referral mechanism.

·       It was suggested that reference to enforcement in respect of fly tipping should be strengthened within the plan.

RESOLVED -

(1) That account be taken of all the points raised by the Committee, in the  development of the Communities Partnership Plan 2022-25, including:

­   The importance of early intervention and prevention.

­   The visibility of partnership working and early intervention and prevention at ward level.

­   The need for improvements in the mechanisms to facilitate the involvement of Ward Councillors, to keep them informed and to engage them in respect of setting local priorities.

­   Improvement in tension monitoring documents and involvement of and feedback to Ward Councillors in respect of incidents of serious violence.

(2) That results of the ‘Your Views’ survey be circulated to Elected Members

(3) That the following further detail be provided to Members:

(i)    Domestic abuse figures

(ii)   Underlying detail in respect of mortality related to alcohol and drugs