Community Consultation Co-ordinators

Report: 5
Date: 5 December 2002
By: Clerk

Summary

The purpose of this report is to update members on the progress of the MPA's pilot community consultation project and the specific work programme of the new Community Consultation Co-ordinators.

A. Recommendations

Members note this report

B. Supporting information

1. One of the key proposals of the best value review of consultation was to recruit and deploy Community Consultation Co-ordinators (CCCs) to facilitate borough based consultation.

2. London boroughs were invited to submit proposals to become pilot sites for the new consultation arrangements. Following an assessment of the borough proposals, the former Consultation, Diversity and Outreach Committee agreed to pilot the new arrangements in four boroughs, Greenwich, Harrow, Hackney and Kensington and Chelsea. Recruitment took place during August 2002, and two CCCs were successfully appointed, one CCC covers Hackney, and the second Kensington and Chelsea.

3. Due to budget difficulties, the appointment of a CCC for Harrow has not been progressed and a temporary appointment has been made for Greenwich utilising the under spend in the allocated consultation budget. Members of the Consultation committee have expressed their disappointment at the budget situation and look forward to the matter being resolved in the new financial year.

4. A short term appointment has been made for Greenwich to ensure that a mapping of the consultation arrangements that are already in place is carried out, and the views of the people of Greenwich are sought as a means of deciding on the type of local consultative group required locally. This appointment will cease in January, when the Committee will receive report outlining the key issues identified by the mapping and options for re establishing a local consultative group in the borough. The borough commander and local authority are supportive of this initiative, and Greenwich Council has provided office space in its Community Safety Unit.

5. Having now completed their induction period at the MPA offices, each CCC should be located within their respective boroughs to commence working at a local level. However, in the case of Hackney, some delays are occurring in the local deployment of the post holder. It has been agreed that until these difficulties are resolved, the post holder should remain based at the MPA, but will start to engage in some outreach work within the borough.

Management arrangements

6. Local arrangements have been put in place for the day-to-day supervision of the work programme for the CCCs based in Hackney and Kensington and Chelsea. The Policy and Development Officer (Consultation) will be the project manager for the pilots and will have overall management of them. The Greenwich CCC will work in close liaison with the borough commander and the Community Safety Manager in Greenwich, however line management responsibility will be retained by the MPA.

7. In Hackney and Kensington and Chelsea, a project steering groups have been convened. These groups comprise of local stakeholders, including representatives of the local police, local authority and CPCG. The role of these groups will be to help support and develop the work of the CCC and to ensure that effective monitoring and evaluation of the programme is conducted. The steering groups will meet on a monthly basis to review the work plan and receive regular reports from the CCC on progress.

8. It is proposed that the Consultation, Diversity and Outreach Unit will report on the progress of the project to the Consultation Committee on a quarterly basis.

Project brief and work plans

9. The overall aim of the pilot project is to assist the MPA in achieving a more efficient and effective consultation process. It is hoped that by the end of the pilot period the CCCs will have identified good practice that can be used by the MPA to inform its own consultation processes, at both the strategic level and locally via the CPCGs.

10. A work programme for the CCCs has been developed and is attached as Appendix 1. This outlines the initial phase of the project. As a starting point, each CCC is expected to develop a baseline profile of their respective area, which will be used to identify local priories and develop a strategy for community involvement and engagement. The baseline analysis should be completed by December 2002.

11. The CCCs will then be responsible for producing their own work plans and submitting monthly reports to their respective steering groups. These reports will be used to record the progress of the project, and monitor and evaluate performance. At the end of the year, a final report will be submitted by each CCC to the MPA on the overall outcomes of the project.

Home Office Community Engagement Research Project

12. MPA staff have been in close consultation with the Home Office researchers who are carrying out this project. Copies of the background to the pilot project as well as copies of the CCC job description have been made available to the Home Office project to inform its developments. MPA officers will be continuing to inform and learn from this area of work.

C. Equalities and diversity implications

CCCs will increase levels of consultation and engagement of local groups and communities, including those that have been traditionally excluded from such engagement. The CCCs are aware of the MPA's priority groups and will ensure that any local consultation seeks to engage them.

D. Financial implications

1. The MPA made provision within the initial budget proposal to meet the set up costs associated with this project in Hackney and Kensington and Chelsea. The partners in the project initially agreed to support any additional costs associated with the local pilot and the project is being progressed on this basis.

2. In Hackney the local CPCG have agreed that £5,000 of its allocated budget will be used to offset any costs arising from the pilot.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author: Austen Cutten

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1: Community Consultation Co-ordinators

Objective

• To develop and co ordinate support to existing local consultation mechanisms in relation to local policing matters and priorities e.g. LSPs, CDRPs, CPCGs, and local police sector groups.
• To develop and co ordinate new ways of engaging local people and stakeholders in policing matters and priorities at both a local and strategic level (MPA/MPS).
• To increase the level of public and stakeholder involvement in local policing matters and priorities, especially from those groups who are traditionally excluded.
• To enable local people and stakeholders to have a greater understanding and effective say in the development and implementation of local and pan London wide policing activities and priorities.
• To report to the MPA on forms of good practice, and ways in which value can be added to the consultation process.

Methodology

• To prepare a baseline profile of:
  • Demographic profile of e.g. age, gender, ethnicity, economic status and lifestyle (faith/sexuality).
  • Local crime and community safety data analysis - key patterns and trends.
  • Existing mechanisms for public and stakeholder involvement in policing matters ~ and priorities specifically e.g. partnerships, organisations, forums operating both locally and Pan-London wide.
  • Existing techniques used for public and stakeholder involvement in policing matters and priorities at a local and strategic level e.g. community forums/public meetings, surveys, focus groups.
  • Current levels/patterns of public and stakeholder involvement in existing local consultation mechanisms concerned with policing e.g. demographic data where available, type of organisation, level or type of involvement.
  • Current levels of public and stakeholder awareness in local and strategic policing activities/priorities and satisfaction with policing activities and priorities.
  • Number of community/voluntary organisations funded to provide community services which have a direct relevance to crime prevention and community safety issues.
• To monitor and evaluate performance:
  • Evaluation of the effectiveness of existing consultation mechanisms (range and quality of community representation on partnerships and decision making process).
  • New techniques for involvement type of activity and levels of public and stakeholder involvement, especially from hard to reach groups.
  • Public and stakeholder attitudes to policing activities/services and priorities.
  • Growth in locally funded projects/programmes related to community policing.
  • Changes in crime trends.
• To record and report back on intended and unintended outcomes:
  • Number of local people and stakeholder (type) involved in consultation exercises especially those from hard to reach groups/type of consultation.
  • Membership patterns/levels of public and stakeholder involvement in local partnerships, forums, voluntary/community organisations concerned with crime and community safety.
  • Public and stakeholder attitudes to policing activities/services and priorities and the consultation processes.
  • Organisations funded to provide community services in relation to crime prevention and community safety.
  • Crime trends and reduction.
  • Forms of good practice/ difficulties experienced.

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