Terms of reference and priorities and 2006- 07 work plan of the portfolio member for community engagement

Report: 8b
Date: 28 September 2006
By: Chief Executive and Clerk

Summary

This report proposes the terms of reference and key strategic priorities for the Community Engagement Portfolio Member as well as the work plan objectives for 2006-07 in implementing the MPA/MPS Community Engagement Strategy.

A. Recommendation

That Members agree the terms of reference, key objectives and proposed priority areas and work plan of the Portfolio Member for Community Engagement.

B. Supporting information

1. The statutory obligations of the MPA to engage with Londoners are contained within a number of pieces of recent legislation, most particularly, Section 96 of the GLA Act (1999). Section 96 which requires that the MPA must make arrangements after consulting the Commissioner, to obtain their views of the public about policing and to secure their cooperation with the police in preventing crime.

2. As a result of the recent MPA committee restructuring, the reporting of community engagement issues is now through the Coordination and Policing Committee rather than through a separate Community Engagement Committee. At the same time the Authority also agreed that some areas of the MPA’s activities and oversight of the MPS are of such importance that they require a particular member focus and lead. Cindy Butts was appointed as the Community Engagement Portfolio Holder. Attached as Appendix 1 are the terms of reference for this position. As part of these terms of reference the Portfolio Holder has also established a Members Community Engagement and Citizen Focus Oversight Group that comprises Damien Hockney, John Roberts and Rachael Whittaker who will also assume the lead on major strands of the community engagement workplan.

3. It is proposed, that in her work plan the Community Engagement Portfolio Holder take the lead role in overseeing the implementation of the Community Engagement Strategy. In fulfilling the responsibilities of the MPA as described in the strategy, this will entail pursuing the following objectives.

Objective: Governance and scrutiny and ensuring that the viewpoints of Londoner’s inform the whole of the MPA’s decision-making and planning process

4. The Portfolio Holder will work to ensure the development, piloting and implementation of rigorous standards and performance measures for community engagement to strengthen the MPA's monitoring and scrutiny responsibilities in assessing progress against the strategy.

5. The Portfolio Holder will continue to oversee the consultation processes with Londoners that help to inform the priorities of the annual policing plan process. This includes input from Community Engagement Groups, analysis of surveys undertaken by the GLA, ALG and other relevant recent studies and research as they pertain to policing issues, the results of the Safer London Panel, as well as the results of consultation with equality groups. In addition, in partnership with the MPS, it will include incorporating the results of the on-line consultation, the findings of the Public Attitude Surveys, and increasingly as the Safer Neighbourhood initiative rolls out, the feedback from the Safer Neighbourhood Community Panels.

6. In addition, the Portfolio Holder will work to ensure the resources and structural arrangements are in place in both the MPA and MPS to provide more in-depth and ongoing analysis of the viewpoints of Londoners and that these are fed into the relevant MPA/S decision-making processes on a regular basis.

Objective: Strengthening partnerships and community engagement to help Londoners secure more responsive policing at a local level.

7. This lead role will be pursued along three parallel strands of work. First, it will be pursued through the MPA's direct support, piloting and reform of community engagement groups at the borough level. The Portfolio Holder expects to finalise by December 2007 devolved arrangements in London by which the MPA will support community engagement activities. Up to that date the Portfolio Holder will also work to establish a more equitable distribution and levelling up of all MPA resources dedicated to borough based engagement and partnership work. Allocation would be determined according to the same set of principles, objectives and criteria already set by the MPA in funding borough based community engagement groups.

8. Throughout 2006/07, local pilots directly supported by the MPA in identified boroughs will continue to be supported and evaluated. Other ‘good practice’ models, vis a vis structural arrangements, partnerships and programme activity undertaken by borough based community engagement groups will also be analysed and the results disseminated.

9. The second strand of work the Portfolio Holder will pursue in transforming borough-based community engagement will be through the rigorous scrutiny and monitoring of MPS community engagement activities at the local level, particularly in the context of the roll-out of Safer Neighbourhoods and the establishment of SN Panels.

10. The third strand of work the Portfolio Holder will undertake is to consult and liaise with the MPA's local statutory partners to ensure consistent, joined up structural arrangements for effective community engagement are in place.

11. This strategic direction reinforces the changes that are already underway through such major initiatives as the Safer Neighbourhoods programme. It also supports the Home Office objective of enabling local communities to have much more involvement in local policing decisions within the overall strategic context of citizen focused policing and civil renewal.

12. In devolving greater community engagement responsibilities to the local and BCU level, the Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement will be concerned to ensure that these activities are influencing and having a measurable impact on local policing policies, programmes and priorities. The Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement will expect the development of appropriate standards for police community partnership and engagement arrangements, and thereby increase the MPA's capacity for properly scrutinising using these standards.

The proposed work programme under this objective reflects the principles of:

• Increasing both the capacity and quality of community engagement at the local level.
• Strengthening partnership working.
• Ensuring that the impact of community engagement is responsive to the diversity of local policing needs at the borough level.
• Ensuring that MPA/MPS community engagement activities are inclusive of all sectors of London’s populations and conforms to the MPA Race Equality Scheme.
• Ensuring that community engagement activities are compliant with existing and impending legislation and fulfil existing best value.
• Ensuring that community engagement processes allow for public accountability in the sense that the police provide clear answers to reasonable questions about policy and practice.
• Ensuring that community engagement is transparent, in that the selection of consultees and the outcomes of engagement be a matter of record.
• Ensuring that community engagement processes be designed with a view to being community led.
• Ensuring that the different tiers of engagement have proper linkage and be complementary rather than duplicative, and that they intermesh with the engagement activities of other local partners.
• Supporting the development of innovative models and structures of community police engagement.
• Enabling effective internal and external monitoring of MPA/MPS community engagement activity.

Objective: Enlarge the MPA’s community engagement profile at a pan London level

13. The Portfolio Holder will enlarge and strengthen the MPA's pan London initiatives. Key actions will therefore include:

• Ensuring that the newly established 3,000 member Safer London Panel is effectively used, and its collective viewpoint is widely disseminated and promoted.
• Developing, maintaining and strengthening partnership work with appropriate institutions such as Local Authorities, the Home Office, the GLA, ALG, GOL, APA, etc
• Building partnerships with community based organisations to undertake community engagement with specific target groups.
• Facilitating community engagement on ‘Counter Terrorism: The Debate’ through a series of public hearings, local consultations, focus groups, and publication.

Objective: Serving diverse communities

14. In addition to supporting and working with the Chair of the MPA Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board, the Portfolio Holder will work to ensure MPA/MPS community engagement activities uphold the following equality principles:

• The impact of community engagement activities by both the MPA and MPS recognises and responds to the diversity of policing needs experienced and expressed by different sectors of London’s population.
• MPA/MPS community engagement activities are not only inclusive and representative of all Londoners, but also make proactive efforts to ensure the participation of those disproportionately impacted by crime and safety concerns are disproportionately engaged.
• MPA/MPS community engagement activities conform with the MPA and MPS Race and Equality Scheme and are compliant with the requirements of all existing equality and diversity legislation.

Objective: Strengthening the community voice

15. In strengthening the MPA's relationship with Londoners, the Portfolio Holder will work to increase both the quantity and quality of means by which Londoners are made aware of and informed of policing plans, priorities, and activities as the essential foundation for effective community engagement.

16. In recognising the voluntary efforts and commitment of Londoners in engaging with the police the Portfolio Holder will continue to work in identifying and ensuring the provision of appropriate training, technical assistance and other forms of support by which residents can actively and effectively engage with their police.

17. In summary, the work plan of the Portfolio Holder provides direction and a systematic framework for embedding the Community Engagement Strategy in the practice of policing in London. The work plan objectives to:

• Strengthen the scrutiny and governance responsibilities to ensure that the viewpoints of Londoner’s inform the whole of the MPA's decision-making and planning process.
• Strengthen partnerships and community engagement to help Londoners secure more responsive policing at a local level.
• Enlarge the MPA's community engagement profile at a Pan London level.
• Serving diverse communities, and to
• Strengthen the community voice

Whilst providing an overview of work objectives for this fiscal year, the work plan for 2006-07 (as summarised as Appendix 2) is flexible enough to allow the Portfolio Holder to respond to changing circumstances and events.

C. Race and equality impact

Both the content and process proposed for implementing the Community Engagement Strategy reflects the realities of London’s diversity and more purposively ensures that this work is more inclusive and representative of all sectors of London population.

D. Financial implications

There are no direct financial implications to this report. The resource requirements to implement the various strands of community engagement activity identified in Appendix 2 workplan are contained within the existing and approved budget of the MPA.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Tim Rees, MPA

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Appendix 1

Terms of reference of portfolio member for Community Engagement

• To raise the profile of community engagement as a core and integral function of the MPA and MPS by acting as the Authority’s lead member and spokesperson on community engagement.
• To provide guidance, advice and leadership by liaising closely with the Authority and MPS staff in implementing the community engagement strategy to ensure that the vision and various strands of community engagement work are embedded in the ethos and practices of both the MPA and MPS.
• To promote and monitor the development of effective arrangements by which the MPA and MPS engages with Londoners in the delivery of policing services.
• To ensure that where engagement is carried out, it involves and reflects the views of London’s diverse communities.
• To have due regard to equal opportunities, the MPA Race Equality Standard, the general duty of the Race Relations Amendment Act and the requirements of any other equalities legislation.
• To contribute to national policy development, national events or Association of Police Authority networks or initiatives in relation to community engagement.
• To develop, with the assistance of the policy officer, an annual work plan for approval by Coordination and Policing Committee.

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