Minutes of Meeting 

Attendance

Apologies 

• Cllr Peter Barrow (Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority)
• Paul Dempsey (Dorset Council, Children's Services)
• Ian Denness (Dorset Council, Community Safety)
• Chief Superintendent Richard Bell (Dorset Police)
• Andrew Billany (Dorset Council, Adults and Housing)
• John Newcombe (Dorset Council, Place Services)

No 1. 

1. Minutes of Meeting held on 21 December 2023 and Matters Arising

1.1 It was confirmed the purchasing of trauma packs was being discussed as part of partners’ Serious Violence Duty work. John Newcombe felt it could possibly also link to the Safer Streets 5 project ‘Licensing SAVI’

No 2.

2. Progress Against Local Priorities

2.1 Steve Yeoman updated the group on partners’ work to tackle local priorities, which included a summary of the co-ordination, oversight and progress of specific local priorities identified at the area Partnership Co-ordinating Group (PCG) Meetings.

2.2 Key headlines included:

• increase in Anti-social Behaviour incidents reported to Dorset Council Anti-social Behaviour team, mainly around nuisance Anti-social Behaviour
• partnership meetings continued to take place to understand the local Anti-social Behaviour issues and appropriate action taken
• anti-social behaviour team had been proactive in raising awareness across the county including attending Town and Parish Council events. It was thought this could explain some of the increases in referrals
• youth anti-social behaviour remained a concern, however, partners continued to identify solutions and interventions to support young people
• alcohol related anti-social behaviour continued to be a priority for the Weymouth and Portland area but lots of good work was taking place through Safer Streets funded initiatives to tackle issues
• partners were working with local businesses affected by anti-social behaviour
• sexual offences and violent crime continued to be targeted by Dorset Police. There had also been positive developments in relation to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) interventions, using funding from Safer Streets and Serious Violence duty funding
• a Licensed Security and Vulnerability Initiative (SAVI) assessment was being undertaken by local partners in Weymouth & Portland ahead of the summer (SAVI is the updated version of the Purple Flag initiative)
• partners continue to work together to tackle youth related knife crime. This included working with Trading Standards and interventions coming out of the Serious Violence Duty
• further deployment of CCTV was being considered across the county under the Safer Streets work
• summer plans were well underway and Steve highlighted the success of these in previous years

2.3 Partners discussed whether trend information and data obtained from CCTV was available to contribute to the DiiS intelligence dashboard to help triangulate information and identify hot spot areas. Steve Yeoman agreed to look into whether this was possible.

Action - Steve Yeoman

2.4 It was acknowledged that much partnership activity at the local level was well embedded and in effect, business as usual. Partners were keen to understand strategic trends and issues across the area and where the Community Safety Partnership could be called upon to help resolve or address problems. It was agreed to adapt the reporting format to make the top strategic issues and the ‘ask’ of the Community Safety Partnership in helping to resolve them, clear. This approach would be used for all the Community Safety Partnership’s priorities.

Action - John Newcombe / Andy Frost

2.5 There was a general discussion around opportunities to improve community safety visibility within partner organisations including the council. It was agreed Andy would look to move this forward with relevant colleagues

Action - Andy Frost

No 3

3. Progress Against Strategic Priorities

3.1 Andy Frost introduced the item and explained as partners approached the end of the current financial year, they had undertaken a wide range of activity to help address their strategic priorities. This included:

• successful bids under the Home Office Safer Streets fund to drive forward projects and initiatives centred on the safety of women and girls within night-time economy (including additional CCTV and the Pineapple Project)
• additional initiatives including Dorset Walk & Talk, where women can go for a walk with a female Police Officer, sharing their experiences as they walk through a local area they may feel vulnerable in, enabling officers to get a real sense of how women and girls feel when they are out and about, and how they can then provide support going forwards in these areas
• dedicated operations centred on tackling sexual offences and violence against women and girls including ‘Operation Soteria’, which has become the National Operating Model for the investigation and prosecution of rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO NOM), and ‘Operation Focus’, which sees those who cause the most harm to women and girls identified and, when arrested, subjected to enhanced investigation to maximise the opportunities to achieve a positive outcome rate
• extensive awareness raising campaigns around sexual violence, violence against women and girls, domestic abuse and the support services available using blogs, newsletters, specialist articles and merchandise, especially during the 16 Days of Activism in Nov/Dec and Sexual Violence Awareness week in February
• development of the local perpetrator offer including the High Harm Perpetrator Panel (HHPP) which focuses on several crimes including domestic abuse, stalking, and sexual violence
• delivery of workshops on Stalking through the DragonFly project
• good progress in delivering the Dorset Domestic Abuse Strategy including detailed research into domestic abuse to help shape our local response; investing further funds into the local domestic abuse offer so those affected by domestic abuse have access to the right support when they need it and working with Safelives to redesign future domestic abuse services by taking a Public Health Approach
• completion of Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) and ensuring learning drives change and development in a coordinated way across all service areas

3.2 It was noted that a large proportion of work originally initiated by the Community Safety Partnership, had become mainstreamed and was now business as usual for partners.

3.3 Partners had also spent a considerable amount of time in the current financial year co-ordinating their response to the serious violence duty with the final strategy being recently published and work underway to deliver the range of projects and interventions designed to impact on serious violence issues locally.

3.4 Since the last Community Safety Partnership meeting, work had also been undertaken by partners to consider activity against their strategic priorities for the coming year which was captured in the refreshed community safety plan.

3.5 Joint work to commission new domestic abuse services continued to progress well with partners being on track for new services to commence April 2025. Ian Grant provided an update on the work and explained partners had now agreed the services that were in scope and harmonised procurement / commissioning schedules. Service specifications were being designed and market engagement events arranged.

3.6 SafeLives had reported good engagement with their Public Health Approach review including in relation to community survey’s, practitioner interviews and authentic voice workshops. They were now mapping system policy and procedures as well as undertaking local observations and case audits. Safelives intended to produce a final report on their work by the summer.

3.7 Partners acknowledged the benefits of the recommissioning work including taking an evidence led approach to service development, streamlining pathways and developing the market. Partners recognised the work was part of a phased approach that would create further opportunities for collaboration and joint working in the future.

3.8 Cllr Molly Rennie stressed the importance of supporting smaller organisations given the benefits they bring to the local offer. All agreed the importance of trying to help support all providers, including through the Dorset Domestic Abuse Forum, recognising that the funding available to tackle domestic abuse was restricted.

3.9 Lisa Reid highlighted work being led by Children’s Services that impacted on partners’ priorities and explained some of the challenges in securing funding for the work.

No 4

4. Partnership Strategic Assessment (PSA), Community Safety Plan Refresh and Reducing Reoffending Strategy

4.1 Andy Frost introduced the item and explained that Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) were required to produce three-year Community Safety Plans that were revised annually. Revised plans should be informed by partners’ annual Partnership Strategic Assessment (PSA).

4.2 Community Safety Partnership's were also legally required to have in place Reducing Reoffending Strategies.

Partnership Strategic Assessment (PSA)

4.3Partners considered the annual Partnership Strategic Assessment that set out information relating to crime and community safety in the Dorset Community Safety Partnership area based on key information and data.

4.4 As agreed by partners, the Partnership Strategic Assessment focused on the priorities agreed for the 2023-2026 Community Safety Plan, in recognition of the need for such issues to be addressed over a longer time period.

4.5 As well as providing an in depth understanding of priorities, the Partnership Strategic Assessment also highlighted areas for further research over the coming years.

4.6 Members of the group welcomed the more in-depth and comprehensive approach and wished to thank Ian Denness for the work he had done to complete the Partnership Strategic Assessment.

Community Safety Plan 2023-26 (2024-25 Refresh)

4.7 Andy presented partners’ Community Safety Plan that had been refreshed for the 2024-25 financial year.

4.9 The refreshed Plan had been informed by the latest Partnership Strategic Assessment and contained the following priorities:

• Domestic Abuse and Stalking
• Sexual Offences
• Serious Violence
• Anti-social Behaviour
• Rural Crime
• Fraud

These were complimented by the following cross cutting issues:

• Mental health
• Substance misuse
• Complex cases / multiple need
• Violence against women and girls

4.10 Partners had undertaken work to identify broad activity against priorities. This would be supported by detailed work plans developed, assessed and revised over the course of each year.

4.11 The refreshed Plan included specific performance measures that would allow partners to assess the impact of their work more accurately.

4.12 Members of the Community Safety Partnership noted there was a strong correlation between the Community Safety Partnership’s priorities and those set out in the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner’s (PCC’s) Police and Crime Plan 2021/29.

4.13 It was further noted that the refreshed Plan was subject to an Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA).

4.14 Members of the group discussed the importance of having ongoing conversations with the public around community safety issues and noted the intention set out in the refreshed Plan to develop partners’ approach to consultation and engagement over the coming years.

4.15 Cllr Rennie reiterated her previous point concerning funding challenges, explaining the difficulties this caused for perpetrator programmes for example which were often reliant on wider, less secure, funding arrangements.

4.16 Members of the group reiterated their commitment to preventative and early intervention work with the aim of stopping abuse from happening in the first place.

4.17 Following a discussion, it was agreed to amend the performance measure relating to perpetrator programmes to those starting rather than completing a programme.

Action - Andy Frost

4.18 Although more detailed information on activity would be set out in partners’ various work plans, it was agreed to ensure work relating to children and young people was reflected in the plan along with any activity relating to LGBTQ+ communities in relation to domestic abuse.

Action - Andy Frost 

Reducing Reoffending Strategy

4.19 Andy gave an overview of the new three year strategy that had been developed by partners through the Reducing Reoffending Strategy Group helping ensure close links to both Community Safety Partnership's and the pan-Dorset Criminal Justice Board.

4.20 The strategy set out partners’ vision for reducing reoffending: ‘To cut crime, reduce harm and protect victims by reducing re-offending through joint working and rehabilitation’.

4.21 It contained several strategic principles and objectives and included information on the reasons for reoffending and the services and programmes operating in Dorset.

4.22 As with previous versions, the strategy covered the pan-Dorset area and would also need to be agreed by the Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Community Safety Partnership. In addition, it had been arranged for the strategy to be taken to the Dorset Criminal Justice Board for noting.

4.23 It was noted the Reducing Reoffending Strategy was also subject to the completion of an Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA).

Resolved

• The Partnership Strategic Assessment was agreed
• The 2024-25 refresh of the Community Safety Plan 2023-2026 was agreed subject to the changes set out above and any changes required as a result of the Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) process
• The Reducing Reoffending Strategy was agreed subject to any changes proposed by the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Community Safety Partnership and as a result of the Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) process