MPS joint working with local authorities and the sharing of good practice

31/09
16 November 2009
MPA briefing paper 31/2009

Author: Ch Supt Bloomfield

This briefing paper has been prepared to inform members and staff. It is not a committee report and no decisions are required.

Summary

Partnership working forms an integral part of Local Strategic Partnerships (LSP) and Crime and Reduction Partnerships (CDRP) across the MPS. An examination of all current London Local Area Agreements (LAAs) demonstrates that there are a significant number of ‘police’ type crime targets set across the boroughs, a clear indication that boroughs are working together to tackle these issues.

An examination of Comprehensive Area Assessment self assessment returns gives evidence of partnership working.

In Sutton, for example, they are tackling ASB and youth drinking through joint patrolling i.e. Safer Transport Teams and local authority parks staff supported by youth services outreach programmes. The local authority are also working on the Sutton Life Centre project which, when completed, will provide a centre for vulnerable young people to access training and job opportunities.

In Barking and Dagenham the police and local authority are both working to address the needs of their elderly community. The local authority is making the borough safer by spending £20m on highways and footpath improvements which will make neighbourhoods safer for older people and visually disabled people. The Safer Neighbourhood teams, working with Local Authority Neighbourhood Managers, network with older people’s groups in the area and with those who feel vulnerable in their neighbourhoods to provide reassurance and advice. Victim Support provides the ‘Bobby Van’ home security scheme to those identified as vulnerable to burglary.

In addition to the Borough Commander’s responsibilities at LSP and CDRP level all police boroughs have a Senior Management Lead for partnership working. This officer represents the local borough at a variety of local authority strategic groups such as the Children’s Partnership Board, ASB strategic group, local Drugs Alcohol Action team strategic group, and a variety of other local groups depending on what the local issues are and the priorities contained within the local LAA or community plans.

To help deliver partnership work at the tactical level there are several examples across London where police officers are based within the Local Authority coordinating partnership working for both agencies such as at Hounslow and Southwark. Alternatively in Bexley the local authority community safety team is co located with police in police premises.

Identifying and sharing good practice

The Central Safer Neighbourhoods carries out regular Borough advisory visits in order to provide guidance and advice around improving public confidence and identify areas of effective practice. These areas of effective practice are then incorporated into a Central Best Practice Matrix which is accessible to all Borough SMT Leads.

To support Boroughs in partnership activity, there is a small Central Partnership team headed by a Chief Inspector, who provide advice and promote good practice to colleagues across the MPS. This team is now developing a best practice network for partnership working. Although in its very early stages we are looking to provide people working within a partnership environment an opportunity to publicise and research good practice across the MPS.

Regular partnership leads awareness seminars are held throughout the year where the leads are invited to attend and informed on new developments within partnership working. Good practice is promoted at these events and attendees are able to raise and discuss any local issues for advice and support.

Partnership Funding

The Basic Command Unit Fund has been provided to police for several years by the Home Office via Government Office for London. The Home Office provides guidance on how this fund should be spent.

This fund is intended to:

• Help deliver crime and disorder reduction locally through supporting work with other partners within the Crime Reduction Disorder Partnership or Community Safety Partnership (CDRPs/CSPs).
•  Promote partnership working; for example in supporting the implementation of the recently introduced legislative requirements for partnerships and the introduction of the six ‘Hallmarks’ of an effective partnership for CDRPs/CSPs. This includes providing support for embedding intelligence-led business processes and training and developing staff.
•  Assist in delivery of the objectives set out in the Government’s Public service Agreements for 2008-11.

The fund should be spent as part of an overall strategic plan to deliver partnerships’ priorities and the National Community Safety Plan incorporating the local policing plan.

Boroughs are required to submit spend plans at the start of the financial year to GOL, (until a change announced for the current financial year whereby the MPA will now take over the monitoring responsibilities for this fund) and funds are only released when the spend plan has been approved by the appropriate authority. Boroughs are then required to submit quarterly progress reports on progress with under spends having to be accounted for. Re allocation of such under spends is done only when authorized by the monitoring authority.

The spends plans will be audited annually.

Strategic Partnership working in Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) on a London wide basis

Background to the London ASB Board

• The Board was created through the London Community Safety Partnership (LCSP) in October 2006, and currently chaired by Mike Lockwood, Chief Executive of London Borough of Harrow. It has maintained high-level representation from key pan-London agencies.
•  The Board set up the London ASB Joint Action Group (JAG) comprised of experienced ASB practitioners from agencies across London. It ensures an effective link between the strategic Board and practitioners and brings added value to pan-London ASB issues, encouraging an innovative and creative programme of activity. The response to Halloween period, as discussed below, is just one area of activity.
•  The Board supports the London ASB Practitioners Forum - attended by up to 200 practitioners from, e.g. law, police, and youth services and hosted quarterly at New Scotland Yard or GLA. The Forum is used to encourage discussion around innovation in tackling ASB.

Pan London Examples of Partnership Working

• Not in my Neighbourhood week
  Has been run for the past three or four years & is a good example where police and local authorities work together to tackle ASB in specific areas. In 2009 all boroughs identified small shopping parades where some aspect of ASB was a problem such as graffiti or youths gathering and the local SN team worked with the local authority, local community and in many cases other partners to deal with the identified issue and to produce photographic evidence of the area before partner input and the result of the partnership working.
• Halloween and Fireworks ASB Initiative
  Annually and coordinated from the central safer neighbourhoods team. This will be the 3rd year in which the MPS , along with Partners from GOL ,CPS, LA’s , LFB,BTP and others have formally worked together to deliver a framework/menu of tactics in which Boroughs can tackle Crime and ASB during this period. Activities undertaken across London include Joint Agency Control Rooms, School Visits, Street Briefings, Test Purchasing, Joint Agency Patrols, Range of Posters and Local media campaigns. During this time we have reductions in robbery and disorder.
• Safer London Problem Solving Awards
  We are now currently in the planning stage for 5th Safer London Problem Solving Awards. All 32 Boroughs and Central Units are encouraged to submit their best problem solving initiative that demonstrates partnership working in providing long term sustainable solutions to locally identified issues. The awards are held every February and representatives from Police, MPA, GLA, GOL, HMIC, NPIA and Boroughs (includes partners) are invited to see the short listed finalist present their problem solving initiatives. This is an effective method of not only sharing good practice from across the MPS but also an opportunity to recognise and reward good work.
• Joint Engagement Meetings (JEMS)
  Practical solutions to long-term crime and safety problems on boroughs are being orchestrated through the MPA’s joint engagement meetings (JEMs). Kit Malthouse, vice chair of the MPA, heads the meetings with support from Rose Fitzpatrick, the temporary assistant commissioner for Territorial Policing, and the relevant local authority lead. Each local borough commander attends, along with other key partners, including Transport for London, British Transport Police, the London Criminal Justice Board and Youth Justice Board. The meetings are not made public.
  The focus of the meetings is serious youth violence, a priority which the MPA, Met, local authorities and partner agencies are committed to working on collaboratively. Other topics are brought in to give the subject context, such as deprivation, crime hotspots, school exclusion and truancy, youth services, offender management, youth justice and community confidence.
• Key Performance Review Meetings
  These meetings have replaced the Crime Control Strategic Meetings and are chaired by DAC Lynn Owens. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss high level performance with Borough Commanders with a view to identify areas for improvement, set actions to improve performance and promote and exchange areas of good practice. These meetings are held quarterly.

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