Michelle Cunningham, Community Safety Partnership Manager, updated Members on the performance, both qualitative and quantitative, of the Thurrock Community Safety Partnership in 2018/19 and provided an insight into the priorities for the Partnership for 2019/20.

Councillor Mayes queried the funding for Neighbourhood Watch and questioned why the Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator had been told that no further funding would be available. Michelle Cunningham stated that funding of £2800 had been given to the scheme last year for road signs. That a further bid had been made for signs but it had become apparent that not all previously funded signs had been put up so it had now been agreed that funding would be provided for each watch as and when signs were required and this would continue to be scrutinised by the Community Safety Partnership.

Councillor Fletcher referred to the increases in the victim based crime and acknowledged that the Police were doing a great job but asked what the community could be doing to assist. Michelle Cunningham stated that the Police were undertaking stop and search which had increased the possession of weapon figures and stated that the figures for burglary were falling. There was a volunteer community conference being held with workshops on gangs, four evening meetings would be held with CVS across the borough to include local forums and the community, work had been carried out with Grays Riverside, Chafford Hundred Community Church and funds had been provided to the Youth Cabinet as knife crime had been raised by them as a priority.

Councillor Fletcher stated that more work should be undertaken within schools. Michelle Cunningham stated that the uptake with schools had been slow. She had attended a head teachers briefing to discuss the draft protocol development for schools and for exclusions. That there was plenty of work being undertaken that was not costly but required the schools to take up these opportunities.

Councillor J Kent queried with Michelle Cunningham what the community event was. Michelle Cunningham stated it was the Community CVS Conference held at Orsett Hall on the 7 October. Councillor J Kent asked whether any Member were aware of the event.

Councillor Rigby questioned whether the community support officer had been introduced before or after the last figures had been released. Michelle Cunningham stated that the figures were published up to the end of March 2019, the Town Centre Policing Teams started in July 2019 with work underway to look at the impact that they had made. Councillor Rigby asked when these figures would be available which would identify if there had been a decrease in crime. Julie Rogers stated she had met with the Police this week who had agreed to undertake a campaign which would identify the output of their work and this would be released shortly.

Councillor Lawrence questioned whether there was any evidence of offenders having mental health related issues that had been a contributing factor to the crime figures. Michelle Cunningham stated that contact could be made with the Youth Offending Service who would have this information.

Councillor Lawrence stated that more help should be available in schools as there was only so much a teacher could do and questioned whether there could be some form of counselling at schools that pupils could attend. Michelle Cunningham stated that Children Services would deal with the schools needs for mental health concerns and the schools wellbeing service had just started and had come into place. That every school would be completing a Needs Assessment around mental health and action plans would be worked on throughout the year. Michelle Cunningham stated that she had met with POWER who worked across Essex who dealt with referrals from 8 to 13 year olds which was an early offer of help. Also work was being undertaken with the Educational Welfare Officers looking at those children not attending school due to their own or their parent’s mental health and confirmed that a lot of work was being undertaken by Children’s Services.

Councillor J Kent stated that mental health was an important issue and questioned the recommendation that had been asking Members to recognise the links that had been made to the Thurrock Health and Wellbeing Strategy but asked what those links were and where those links had been identified in the report. Michelle Cunningham stated that more links were being made with Julie Rogers now a member on the Health and Wellbeing Board where this report and a report on gangs would be presented. That the Director of Public Health would be preparing an annual report this year focusing on gangs. That work had been undertaken on the cross links and priorities and there had been a lot of cross over especially within the parks to ensure access to all open areas. Julie Rogers stated the report had made reference to the change of objective and stated in her role on the Health and Wellbeing Board had seen similar links, especially around mental health, where these had been picked up and would take this point away to ensure that closer links were referred to in future overview and scrutiny reports.

Councillor Fletcher asked for more evidence that teams were working across departments to ensure that all issues were addressed. Julie Rogers stated that in the work streams undertaken all considerations were taken into account and would ensure that greater references of any conversations between teams were made in future reports.

Councillor Fletcher stated it would be good to see more evidence of teams working together across departmental boundaries that address these issues. Michelle Cunningham stated that this was already happening in the Youth Offending Service.

Councillor J Kent stated that any crime, especially violent crime, would need a public health approach to be undertaken to resolve it. Councillor J Kent referred to the evidence from Glasgow where the public health approach had been undertaken which had driven down crime against the national trend and stated his disappointment that the Council were not moving in the same direction. Councillor J Kent referred to the figures of the Violence against a Person that worked out to 15 a day in Thurrock and questioned what the success would look like next year in regards to the safety partnership.

Michelle Cunningham stated that no target had been set for measuring violent crime with the decrease in the number being the target but would need to be based on like for like measurements which it currently was not. That the Director of Public Health would be writing a report on gangs and looking at plans on going forward.

Councillor J Kent stated he was not confident that links had been made to Thurrock’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy and requested that an update report be presented at the 6 February 2020 committee. Members agreed.

RESOLVED:

1.            That Cleaner, Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee noted the performance of the Thurrock Community Safety Partnership for the year 2018/19

2.            That Cleaner, Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny committee supported the four priorities of the Community Safety Partnership for the year 2019/20, which are:

·                     Tackling Offending 

·                     Violence and Vulnerability

·                     Local Community and Visibility

·                     Counter Extremism and Terrorism

3.            That Cleaner, Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee were not confident that links had been made to Thurrock’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy and requested that an update report be presented at the 6 February 2020 committee.

4.            That Cleaner, Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee recognised the requirement to work collaboratively across Essex on the Police and Fire Crime Commissioners Violence and Vulnerability framework.