Safer West Sussex Partnership
Community Safety Agreement
2015-16
Introduction
Community Safety responsibilities are primarily set out in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998
with specific reference to s17 of the Act: “Responsible Authorities which includes local
Authorities, the Police, the Police Authority, Fire and Rescue Authorities, Primary Care
Trusts, and Probation Trusts are required to develop policy and operational approaches to
prevent crime and disorder, combating the use of drugs, alcohol and other substances, antisocial behaviour and other behaviour likely to adversely affect the local environment and to
reduce reoffending.”
Under this legislation Community Safety Partnerships (formally Crime & Disorder Reduction
Partnerships) set out their approaches to crime reduction and prevention through their
statutorily required community safety strategy, which was informed by a three-yearly audit
of crime and disorder in the local area. Following the introduction of the Crime & Disorder
(Formulation and Implementation of Strategy) Regulations 2007 the audit and strategy were
replaced by an annual strategic intelligence assessment and a published Partnership Plan
supported by robust public consultation. In two-tier areas the legislation created county
strategy groups and the requirement to publish a county community safety agreement.
This County Community Safety Agreement (CCSA) details the Safer West Sussex
Partnership’s commitment to addressing the crime and disorder issues impacting on West
Sussex. The document reflects both national and local priorities and acknowledges the
importance of anticipating and implementing legislative changes that impact upon
community safety, criminal justice and the wider roles and functions of public, private and
voluntary sector agencies.
The 2015-16 CCSA replaces the document from the previous year and incorporates a
number of changes imposed through the SWSP Executive Board relating to the delivery of
work streams under distinctive areas of focus. This is designed to concentrate effort on
where partners can add value rather than simply delivering what may already be the
business of a key agency or organisation, and is in line with the vision of a number of
organisational restructures that have a potential to impact considerably on the Partnership.
As with previous versions of the CCSA this document will be reviewed by the SWSP
performance group in 2016 following analysis of the annual strategic assessment and
feedback from public consultation.
Governance
In West Sussex the strategic coordination of community safety on behalf of the 6 local
Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) and the funding and commissioning of related
activities takes place through the Safer West Sussex Partnership Executive (SWSPE),
comprising representation from each of the statutory and co-operating bodies, including the
Office of the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner.
The Safer West Sussex Partnership Structure
The Executive is supported by a multi-agency group, which is responsible for monitoring
performance and for preparing the annual Strategic Intelligence Assessment and County
Community Safety Agreement. The CSP Chairs group provides a forum for discussion on the
issues affecting District and Borough CSPs and the Partnership’s approach to consultation
and engagement.
The Executive links to a number of other strategic boards that lead on cross-cutting agendas
including the county-wide Health and Wellbeing Board, the Drug and Alcohol Action Team
Board, the Safeguarding Children Board, The Think Family Board, the Domestic & Sexual
Violence Board and the Reducing Offending Board.
The Partnership receives its community safety funding from the Sussex Police and Crime
Commissioner and provides quarterly updates on performance against a range of agreed
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targets. The Police and Crime Commissioner is accountable to the public through the Police
and Crime Panel, which meets four times a year. The SWSP provides information and
support to the panel where this is requested.
In line with the legislative requirements of the Police and Justice Act 2006 West Sussex
County Council’s Environmental & Community Services Select Committee provides the
scrutiny function for the SWSP and its partners.
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Changes and challenges to the community safety landscape
Community Safety Partnerships in West Sussex have continued to adapt and change during
the past few years with the increasing impact of the reduction in budgets, national and local
organisational restructures and additional responsibilities imposed through emerging
legislation. This document acknowledges that there are a number of emerging national
agendas affecting the delivery of the crime and criminal justice agenda in the coming
months.
The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014
The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 received royal assent on the 13th
March 2014 and is designed to introduce simpler,more effective powers to tackle anti-social
behaviour that provide better protection for victims and communities.
Two key pieces of the legislation are the Community Trigger and Community Remedy; both
of which provide victims and communities with a greater say in how agencies respond to
complaints of ASB and in out of court sanctions for offenders.
The purpose of the Community Trigger is to give victims the right to request a review of
their case to ensure relevant agencies are working together to practically resolve the
matter. It also provides a potential safety net to ensure that the most vulnerable have an
opportunity to report and agencies can respond appropriately.
SWSP partners, specifically the District and Borough CSPs and Sussex Police have worked
together with the Office of the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner during the last 12
months to formulate a pan-Sussex approach to the Community Trigger. Local variations are
in place but the approach is broadly the same to ensure that victims receive a consistent
response wherever they are in West Sussex.
The Community Remedy gives communities the option to have a say in how offenders
should face up to their actions and make amends. It provides victims of anti-social
behaviour and low-level crimes with a route for swifter justice, and ensures offenders have
to face immediate consequences for their actions, which could make them less likely to
reoffend in the future.
All police forces in England and Wales are required to publish a Community Remedy
document, which sets out the range of out of court sanctions that victims can choose for
offenders to complete.
Following extensive consultation the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner has now
published the Community Remedy document, which will be subject to a continual review.
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Transforming Rehabilitation
There have been considerable changes as a result of the Transforming Rehabilitation agenda
with the previous Probation Trusts now reorganised into a single National Probation Service
and 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRC).
As of February 1, 2015, ownership of KSS CRC transferred from the Ministry of Justice to the
privately-owned Seetec Group This marks another significant step in the
government’s probation reforms across England and Wales.
At the same time, the new Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014 came into effect. Now, any
offender (whose offence was committed on or after February 1, 2015) sentenced to a
custodial term of more than one day will receive at least 12 months of probation
supervision after release.
The Act also introduces a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, which is a court order that
can be imposed on offenders serving sentences in the community.
Earlier reforms established the National Probation Service, which works with high risk
offenders. Together, these changes are designed to reduce reoffending and create safer
communities for all.
KSS CRC works with individuals who have committed a criminal offence and been given
either a custodial or a community sentence by a court. They work with those classed as
either low or medium risk offenders, who are referred to as 'service users'.
KSS CRC has developed a range of rehabilitation services for service users designed to
address the underlying causes of their offending, ensure they pay back to their communities
and support them to turn away from crime.
All their services sit within the cohesive framework My Solution Rehabilitation Programme
(or MSRP for short). It puts service users at the heart of their own rehabilitation, making it
'my problem, my solution'.
There are two main ways KSS CRC delivers rehabilitation services:
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In the community: helping those sentenced to a community order through
supervision and accredited programmes. Supporting those ordered to do unpaid
work (called Community Payback)
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In custody or released on licence: helping those in prison prepare effectively for
resettlement and on-going rehabilitation in the community. Supporting those
released on licence to serve the rest of their sentence in the community.
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PREVENT
The Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill received Royal Assent in February 2015 with the
Prevent duty commencing from the 1st of July 2015. From the 14th of April 2015 the new Act
also makes the Channel process statutory for the first time.
Compliance with the duty will be monitored by the Home Office, which will scrutinise local
Prevent action plans, project impact and overall performance. Local Authorities must
comply with the duty and work effectively with local partners.
In addition, schools, colleges, universities, prisons, the health sector and the police will be
required by law to put in place measures to stop would-be extremists from being drawn into
terrorism.
The Prevent guidance states that as a starting point all specified authorities must
demonstrate an awareness and understanding of the risk of radicalisation in their area – no
area, institution or body is risk free. The risk will vary across areas and can change rapidly.
The three overarching themes throughout the guidance are:
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Effective Leadership
Working in Partnership
Appropriate Capabilities
In meeting their duty, local authorities must have regard to guidance issued by the Secretary
of State on the 12th of March 2015. As this guidance is so recent some uncertainty remains
regarding the precise interpretation of the responsibilities placed on specified authorities.
However it is clear that local authorities are expected to use a local multi-agency group to
agree risk, coordinate and monitor Prevent activity.
In two-tier areas such as West Sussex the guidance is even less clear, with county and
district/borough councils required to ‘agree proportionate arrangements for sharing the
assessment of risk and for agreeing local Prevent plans’
The detail of the West Sussex approach is currently being considered however the work on
Prevent to date has put partners in a good position to meet the new duty. This includes
mandatory Prevent training for staff from key frontline areas at West Sussex County Council
(WSCC) with more than 750 staff trained since Aug 2013, two operational Channel panels
providing multi-agency support and interventions for individuals at risk of radicalisation, and
training and awareness-raising provided to partners, colleges, schools, voluntary and
community organisations and districts and boroughs.
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Serious & Organised Crime
The Government’s Serious & Organised Crime Strategy published in 2013, focuses on four
key strands designed to tackle serious and organised crime. Using the approach originally
designed for the PREVENT strategy these strands are Pursue, Prevent, Protect and Prepare.
Police & Crime Commissioners have been tasked through the strategy with the coordination
of local activity around Serious & Organised Crime including the identification and
establishment of new local organised crime partnership boards, which bring together a
range of partners, including local authorities and other agencies to ensure that the full range
of information and available powers are used to tackle this crime.
The use of Local Profiles, documents produced by Sussex Police that provide information on
organised crime within a given area will assist partnerships in developing a common
understanding of the threat from serious and organised crime and the impact on local
communities.
In Sussex this work has been underway since December 2014 with the creation of the
Serious & Organised Crime Steering Group, chaired jointly by the offices of the Surrey and
Sussex Police and Crime Commissioners, and attended by the three upper-tier Local
Authorities and a range of agencies engaged in work on serious and organised crime.
The Local Profiles are currently being developed with the anticipation that senior staff from
both the County Council and District & Borough Councils will have had their initial briefings
by May 2015. This will then pave the way for a more structured approach to multi-agency
working on organised crime across West Sussex and its border areas.
Troubled Families
Known as Think Family in West Sussex, and governed by the West Sussex Partnership the
programme achieved its Phase I target of turning 1165 families around by the end of March
2015. Think Family Neighbourhoods have also been established and are making a
substantial contribution to delivering Think Family outcomes.
Following an economic and financial analysis of the Think Family programme evidencing the
savings being made by a range of agencies the challenge is to now identify new partnerships
within the criminal justice system to enable the economic benefits of the approach to be felt
on a wider scale.
Phase II of the National Troubled Families programme commenced on 1st April 2015, the
criteria for which cut across a range of agency ‘business as usual’. This includes Anti-social
Behaviour teams, Youth Offending Teams, Integrated Offender Management (IOM), Child
Sexual Exploitation, Serious & Organised Crime and Domestic & Sexual Violence. The criteria
will be based on a cluster of six headline problems. A combination of any two of these
problems will suffice to establish eligibility.
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The six headline problems will be:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Parents and children involved in crime or anti-social behaviour
Children who have not been attending school regularly
Children who need help
Adults out of work or at risk of financial exclusion and young people at risk of
worklessness
5. Families affected by domestic violence and abuse
6. Parents and children with a range of health problems
Whilst work is already underway as a result of Phase I of the programme, the new and
expanded themes of crime, children needing help, financial exclusion and health provide
considerable opportunities to collaborate on and co-design approaches to supporting
families.
Although this is a very broad agenda, Think Family will continue to progress its key priorities
as part of the general programme. These are: Crime, Anti-social Behaviour and Domestic
Violence; Children attending school regularly; and Supporting Adults back into full-time
Employment.
The Government has already indicated through its Serious & Organised Crime Strategy that
it considers there to be links between the developing work on serious and organised crime
and that of troubled families, given that many of those families are located in identified high
crime areas and may be involved in serious criminality spanning multiple generations.
The Office of the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner and the three upper-tier authorities
in Sussex are already developing a framework around the Pursue strand of the Serious &
Organised Crime Strategy based on multi-agency working in a number of pilot areas in
Sussex. The inclusion of Troubled Families information would enhance this work further,
including data sharing and the development of referral mechanisms and appropriate
interventions.
The mechanisms for the delivery of services to families across West Sussex are currently
subject to a major redesign. The resulting ‘Family Support Solutions’ model will see services
networked on a district basis, including the Think Family keyworker service, and a broad
range of other social care professionals, to form strong local capability.
All casework will pass to these networks through a single Family Support Point, to ensure
that family needs can be swiftly evaluated, and cases allocated to an appropriate service,
first time.
Benefits will include increased efficiency, quality assurance, and a better experience for the
families themselves. Further information about the roll-out of this process will be made
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available, and everyone will be able to see how the changes impact in their own
geographical area, and the timescales involved.
Child Sexual Exploitation
In recent years Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) has received a large amount of national
government and media interest, as well as the implementation of national guidance to
support front line practitioners from both statutory and voluntary agencies to identify,
address and disrupt this issue.
Recent research conducted by the NSPCC indicates that around 5% of UK children suffer
contact sexual abuse at some point during childhood. It is likely that around 190,000 of
these will fall victim to contact sexual abuse by a stranger or an adult relative (other than a
parent or guardian) before turning 18. This represents an average of more than 10,000 new
victims in the UK every year.
In addition, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) receive reports from
around 1,000 children each year concerning online victimisation by adults. A further
unquantifiable number of children overseas suffer contact sexual abuse at the hands of UK
national visiting or living and working abroad.
The publication in November 2014 of the Ofsted thematic inspections of eight local councils
made recommendations to improve local practice. The Communities and Local Government
Select Committee Inquiry into CSE in Rotherham also underlined lessons for local councils,
making a number of recommendations, particularly about the role of council scrutiny.
The recommendations below are not an exhaustive list, but draw together common
findings:
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focus on victims
engaging with all communities
better awareness raising and education for professionals and the wider community
training for all professionals
professional attitudes and use of language
leadership, challenge and scrutiny
coordinated, strategic responses and performance management
disruption and prosecution
A considered strength of the approach to identifying and tackling CSE in Sussex is the
significant level of partnership activity to be found across the three local authority areas.
The Pan Sussex CSE strategy was agreed by the three upper-tier Local Safeguarding Children
Boards (LSCB) in 2013-14. The strategy informs the action or business plans of each steering
group and LSCB which are then scrutinised by them.
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This outlines the key areas of:
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Prevention
Disruption
Protection & Support
Prosecution
Creation of a multi-agency Missing & Child Sexual Exploitation (MaCSE) Group whose remit
is to work together to keep children and young people safe from harm has paved the way
for specialist intervention. Membership is drawn from the statutory, voluntary, community
and faith sectors and their work follows recognised policies to protect the welfare of
children and young people. Aside from the MaCSE, a range of agencies are currently
working within West Sussex to address CSE in terms of raising awareness, promoting
vigilance and personal safety, together with safeguarding those most at risk of harm.
Sussex Police has launched Operation Kite, which is their initiative to tackle CSE across
Sussex. This has been promoted through different leaflets, posters and other forms of
communication. Through their approach Sussex Police have developed more effective
processes for identifying, managing and risk assessing children deemed to be at risk of CSE;
including the pilot of a Missing Person & Child Sexual Exploitation Team on West Sussex
division.
Early work-planning has enabled the partnership to start outlining draft areas of focus.
Based on the premise of Prevent, Protect & Provide SWSP has identified a plethora of
potential work streams. In terms of partnership delivery, it is likely that there will be many
opportunities for community safety partnerships (CSPs) to work together to help raise
awareness of CSE (in particular the risks facing young people and how to be vigilant) which
could be facilitated via JAGs. There is also the partnership’s facilitation of Think Family
Phase2; with particular reference to caseworker support and TF Neighbourhoods.
Sussex Police Local Policing Programme (LPP)
A major factor influencing the delivery of the SWSP actions will be the developing impact of
the new Sussex Police Local Policing Programme (LPP), which was outlined to partners and
the public in early March 2015.
The new model, which will develop over the next five years is designed to create a more
efficient, modern and flexible service that targets its resources on areas of vulnerability,
threat, risk and need.
A key aspect of the plan, and one which will have perhaps the greatest impact on partners
within the SWSP is on reducing demand. Whilst the force has set out its vision to multi-skill
officers to enable them to respond in areas of high demand across Sussex it will also seek to
reduce the draw on resources for what it considers to be ‘non-police’ calls, instead
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signposting people to partners and organisations that have the requisite expertise or indeed
responsibility for the calls for service.
The Safer West Sussex Partnership is mindful of the impact that reducing demand will have
on partners and will therefore work closely with Sussex Police in the coming months to
ensure that victims and witnesses and those who may require specialist support and
assistance from a range of agencies continue to access the help that they require.
Street Community
There are an estimated 800 members of the street community across Sussex (Operation
Packet 2013) of whom approximately half are thought to sleep rough; a term that generally
applies to a range of entrenched / longer term rough sleepers, people new to the streets
and those who move between a range of accommodation: rough sleeping, sofa surfing,
squats, hostels and prison.
Members of the street community generally have significant mental health, drug, alcohol
and physical health problems, but have difficulty engaging with health and support services.
The cost of this exclusion is largely felt by Sussex Police and homelessness services.
Sussex Police receives a call every 30 minutes reporting ASB/street nuisance such as
begging, street drinking or shoplifting by members of the street community, many of whom
have long offending histories. Their response is generally limited to arrest or dispersal;
neither of these approaches is a deterrent or deals with the underlying issues which lead to
the problems on the streets.
There is a considerable amount of work already going on across the county to address rough
sleeping and street nuisance. Sussex Homelessness Outreach Reconnection and
Engagement (SHORE) commissioned St Mungo's Broadway to provide the first Sussex wide
outreach service for rough sleepers and play a lead role in multi-agency Pop-Up Hubs, which
have been in operation for a number of months in West & East Sussex.
Pop-up Hubs are designed to provide rapid identification and intervention to tackle and
prevent rough sleeping. They are delivered through intensive short bursts of activity in
targeted areas, to enable assessment and coordinated follow on action.
An evaluation of the Hubs showed that they provided considerable opportunities for
agencies to work together to address the multiple needs of clients and make significant
service savings. It also, however highlighted an emerging strategic gap and lack of
ownership of the longer term needs of this group.
Going forward this small but significant group will require support and involvement from
other organisations including Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Supported Housing,
Public Health CCGs, KSSCRC, SECAMB, West Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, District and
Borough Councils, SHORE and the voluntary sector.
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Drug & Alcohol Service Redesign
Since April 2013 the lead responsibility for coordinating local efforts to protect the public’s
health and wellbeing, for ensuring health services effectively promote population health
and for addressing health inequalities has rested with the local authorities through their
Public Health directorates. This includes the commissioning of drug and alcohol services.
In West Sussex the County Council’s Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) commissions the
majority of support services for adults and children affected by alcohol and drug use and
misuse.
The existing DAAT contracts for these services are due to end in May 2016, and, in addition
there is a recognised need to remodel services in response to recent developments in
research and in order to comply with changes to national guidance and policy in relation to
drug and alcohol use.
A potential service redesign has been in discussion during the past few months but will aim
to provide a focus on health, wellbeing and recovery to help people overcome their
substance use/misuse within an asset-based community development approach. This will be
facilitated through a whole life span service (from pre-birth to death), which will be
commissioned to work holistically, considering the whole family throughout.
The new service will work across a range of workstreams and with internal and external
partners with key outcomes being:
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Improvement in physical and mental health and wellbeing
Reduction in substance related harms
Increased engagement with education, training, volunteering and employment
Improvement in sustaining suitable accommodation
Improvement in social, family and community networks
Reduction in re-offending
In addition the service will need to address priorities across the 3 CCGs and 7 districts and
boroughs.
Consultation and development of the new design took place between January and April
2015, with the service specification due to be finalised in May. The contract will be awarded
in November with a commencement date of 10th May 2016.
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Safer West Sussex Partnership Areas of Focus 2015-16
The Safer West Sussex Partnership has carried out an extensive Strategic Intelligence
Assessment in order to identify its workstreams for 2015-16. These workstreams are
contained within three key areas of focus and are informed by national, regional and local
intelligence and data. They are also designed to align closely with the Sussex Police & Crime
Plan.
Underpinning all of the workstreams is an emphasis on strengthening the partnership
approach, demonstrating a commitment from the SWSP to continue to develop more
effective methods of working together, particularly where there are identified gaps, scope
to innovate or widen the contribution that agencies and organisations can make and
opportunities to make efficiency savings.
In previous years the SWSP has focused on the delivery of identified priorities with
associated action plans. This year, recognising that for some agencies and organisations
many of the workstreams included in the areas of focus are regarded as ‘business as usual’,
the partnership will seek to clarify the added value that multi-agency working brings. This
added value will be reflected in the action plans attached to each area of focus in order that
partners more clearly understand their role in the delivery of outcomes.
The information provided through the annual public survey will assist in identifying the
areas within the workstreams that residents are most concerned about and will enable
partners to plan and deliver activity that is tailored to need and with an understanding of
the levels of threat, risk and harm rather than simply attempting to provide a ‘one-size-fits’
all model.
Serious & Organised Crime is recognised by Government as a threat to national security,
costing the UK around £24 billion each year. Police & Crime Commissioners have been
tasked with developing the local response to organised crime and this work is well
underway in Sussex in a joint initiative with the Surrey PCC. With the understanding that it
links across all of the SWSP workstreams, and given the potential levels of threat, risk and
harm to communities and individuals in West Sussex SOC is therefore included as an
underpinning principle for the partnership.
The following section provides further information on the areas of focus and the specific
workstreams that sit beneath them including detail on existing and future work for the
SWSP.
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Reduce Crime
Business Crime
Business Crime has been defined by ACPO as ‘any criminal offence that is committed against
a person or property which is associated by the connection of that person or property to a
business. This will also include circumstances, based on the perception of the victim at the
time of reporting of the offence, that it is a business related crime.’
Latest available crime figures published by Sussex Police indicate business crime accounted
for a fifth of all recorded crime across West Sussex in the last 12 months, however it is
acknowledged that this figure is likely to be significantly higher as many businesses currently
under-report.
The Safer West Sussex Partnership (SWSP) recognises the importance of protecting local
businesses from the effects of crime and disorder and promoting economic prosperity
across the county. This will be achieved through multi-agency work with partners and our
business communities, to raise the profile of business crime and the importance of timely
and systematic reporting.
Preventing Offending
Around half of all crime is committed by people who have already been through the criminal
justice system, with the cost to the taxpayer of reoffending estimated to be £9.5 to £13
billion per year.
Despite substantial funding of initiatives aimed at reducing reoffending throughout the last
decade, rates of reoffending remain relatively unchanged. To address this, the Coalition
government proposed a radical reform of offender management under the umbrella of
“Transforming Rehabilitation” focusing on services being delivered in the community to
reduce re-offending.
Transforming Rehabilitation is the name given to the Government's plans to change the way
in which offenders are managed, which has involved the outsourcing of a large portion of
the probation service in England and Wales.
The reforms have replaced the previous 35 individual Probation Trusts with a single National
Probation Service, responsible for the management of high-risk offenders; and 21
Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) responsible for the management of low to
medium risk offenders in their Contract Package Area. The CRCs will also have a new
responsibility for supervising short-sentence prisoners (those sentenced to less than 12
months in prison) after release.
It is recognised that Integrated Offender Management (IOM) plays a vital role in ensuring
the safety of Sussex’s communities. Evaluation of the impact of IOM delivery on Sussex
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reconviction shows a 52.3% percentage reduction over a 12 month period (Sheffield Hallam
University evaluation report July 2013).
Over the previous 12 months, the Pan Sussex IOM task and finish group was commissioned
to review the existing IOM functions in order to prepare for these incremental changes and
to ensure the best of current arrangements could be maintained and work could be
undertaken to build on the Sheffield Hallam findings.
This culminated in the group producing a series of pan-Sussex strategic and operational
guides which were ratified by the Sussex Criminal Justice Board.
The West Sussex Reducing Offending Board was re-launched last year in order to meet the
demands of organisational and legislative change, and provides oversight of the preventing
and reducing offending agenda, supporting victims and witnesses to reduce harm and
vulnerability.
The Board ensures action on those issues that are most effectively tackled collectively,
encouraging key stakeholders to work jointly and collaboratively in order to deliver the
workstreams identified in the Community Safety Agreement.
Restorative Justice
Restorative Justice (RJ) is one of five priorities featured in the Sussex Criminal Justice Board
Delivery Plan 2014-15 and this work will support the Ministry of Justice National RJ Action
Plan and vision to create and offer a complete victim focused Restorative Justice Service at
different stages in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) for all victims of crime.
As RJ is largely a multi-agency activity a pan-Sussex Restorative Justice Partnership Group
(SRJP) has been created which is facilitated by the Strategic Restorative Justice Manager for
the Office of the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner. Accountable to the Surrey & Sussex
Criminal Justice Board the group includes a diverse range of attendees including
practitioners, CJS agencies, community representatives and voluntary and community sector
agencies.
The SJRP was created to expand service delivery and to ensure quality RJ services are
available at a time that is right for those harmed by crime. It aims to provide RJ that meets
national standards and that the police, local people and criminal justice agencies are
confident in using.
The new model for RJ will provide dedicated RJ coordinators managing cases in each of the
three divisions across Sussex. Each coordinator will be supported by RJ delivery officers and
trained facilitators from the statutory, voluntary and charitable sector who will provide a
diverse resource capable of delivering high quality interventions.
The new model will ensure that RJ is embedded across Sussex, using a series of multi-agency
hubs to deliver services to local communities.
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Rural Crime
Rural Crime has received considerable attention in the past few years as the nature and
scale of the problem has become more apparent. The NFU Mutual Crime Survey 2014
indicated that rural theft alone cost the UK around £44.5m in 2013.
Theft of high value items such as tractors, tools and quad bikes can seriously impact on rural
businesses but other crimes such as fly-tipping, criminal damage, anti-social driving and the
myriad of wildlife crime types can also have considerable effects on isolated rural
communities. Much of this crime goes un-reported and it is therefore difficult to get a true
picture of the problem.
West Sussex is defined as ‘significantly rural’ by Defra with evidence indicating that a
number of rural communities across the County experience some form of rural crime.
In February 2015, as part of the Partnership’s commitment to consulting with the public the
SWSP conducted two workshops on rural crime, with attendees from rural parishes across
West Sussex. Both workshops were well attended and have yielded a wealth of qualitative
data on the issues affecting rural communities.
This data will be included in the analysis of the online survey to inform a new action plan for
rural crime, and will be designed to complement and enhance the emerging joint work
between Surrey and Sussex Police on a rural crime strategy. This work includes the
development of an agreed definition for rural crime for both forces, identification of key
partners and the drafting of a joint communications plan.
The SWSP will work closely with Sussex & Surrey Police to develop an action plan that
recognises the impact of the Sussex Police Target Operating Model and of the changing
organisational priorities of key partners as well as the increased focus on communities
working together to address local issues.
Anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a broad term used to describe day to day incidents of crime,
nuisance and disorder that can make many people’s lives a misery. It covers a wide variety
of behaviours including litter, vandalism, drunkenness, and noisy and abusive neighbours.
The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 brings with it a range of new tools
and powers aimed at tackling ASB that are designed to further ensure that victims and the
impact that ASB has on their lives remains the key focus for agencies and practitioners.
In West Sussex services for ASB are delivered at District and Borough level through the
provision of specialist teams, however the new powers, such as the Community Trigger
increase the range of partners required to work together to reduce ASB. Clinical
Commissioning Groups, Housing Providers, Local Authorities and Police are all statutorily
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responsible for working together on case reviews if a victim feels that their issues have not
been addressed through mainstream mechanisms.
The Community Remedy also ensures that victims have a voice in determining the out of
court sanctions that offenders will receive. The Community Remedy document devised and
published by the Office of the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner details the range of
sanctions that victims can now choose for offenders to complete.
Cyber-Crime
The internet has opened up new opportunities for offenders to commit crime and facilitate
different methods of offending. Cyber-crime varies from viruses to hacking or phishing
scams as well as fraud, theft and serious organised crime. The National Audit Office
estimates the effects of cyber-crime to be between £18 billion and £27 billion a year;
compared to £19 billion which the British Chambers of Commerce estimates is the cost of
traditional retail and business crime each year.
Nationally, the government has established the National Cyber Crime Unit to respond to the
threat of cyber-crime. Yet across West Sussex more needs to be done to understand the
nature and extent of the problem and how it impacts upon community safety partnerships
and local communities.
Work is on-going nationally to fully understand the scale of the cyber-crime, which is being
facilitated regionally by a new Cyber Crime team set up by Surrey and Sussex Police. The
team seeks to increase the capacity and ability of the two forces to deal with this type of
crime and to reduce the risks faced by local people.
Sussex Police has now completed three 2-day courses on cyber-crime protect for SME
businesses. This has enabled them to raise the awareness and capability of PCSO resources
across both Surrey and Sussex on basic cyber-crime protect and prevent work including how
to use the government Cyber Essentials scheme so that businesses can be accredited using
the scheme.
The SWSP has been working closely with the joint cyber-crime team to develop a multiagency action plan to tackle cyber-crime in partnership.
Protect Vulnerable People
Domestic & Sexual Abuse
The impact of domestic abuse on families nationally and locally is devastating. One in four
women and one in six men will have experienced some form of domestic abuse, sexual
assault or stalking. On average, two women a week in England and Wales are killed by a
violent partner or ex-partner. 70% of incidents of domestic violence result in injury,
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Domestic abuse is estimated to cost victims, services and the state a total of around £23
billion a year.
Nationally, research has found that fewer than 1 in 4 people who suffer abuse at the hands
of their partner - and only around 1 in 10 women who experience serious sexual assault report it to the police. Nevertheless forces receive one domestic violence call every minute.
West Sussex has a robust system of identifying, assessing and assisting those experiencing
domestic abuse, with a countywide 7 day a week IDVA and Outreach services, well-coordinated MARACs, and many other services designed to reduce the risk of those
experiencing domestic abuse. There is now a single point of access for receiving referrals
from victims of domestic abuse that has been in place since June 2014.
Since December 2012 Victim Support (Surrey & Sussex Division) receive automatic referrals
for 100% of all victims of crime. Referrals are received within 24 hours of the crime being
committed and include all referrals for domestic and sexual abuse where the case has been
crimed. In addition referrals are received from other agencies and victims/witnesses
themselves.
The Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), known as the Saturn Centre, is based at Crawley
Hospital, and provides a range of services to women and men who have been raped or
sexually assaulted. The SARC service provision was commissioned in 2014, Mountain
Healthcare were awarded the contract and have been delivering the service since July 2014.
The Independent Domestic Advisor (IDVA) Service is provided by WORTH IDVA Services. The
IDVA Service is part of WSCC and is not a commissioned service. This is a seven day a week
9am-5pm service. Worth IDVA Services are externally accredited and were the first IDVA
Service to receive SafeLives Leading Lights accreditation in 2008. Anyone can make a referral
to Worth, and victims of domestic violence can self-refer. All referred victims aged 16+ who
are experiencing the effects of domestic violence will be eligible for the service.
In addition, since January 2013 a county-wide domestic abuse Outreach Service has been
provided by Homegroup Stonham. Stonham Outreach Service works collaboratively with
WORTH IDVA Services to provide seamless support to people affected by domestic abuse
and to identify the most appropriate level of support.
There are also 2 Refuge providers within West Sussex; RISE and Safe in Sussex (formerly
Worthing Women’s Aid).
This local charity supports survivors of rape and sexual abuse. Their supporters provide
services for women and men, girls and boys of all ages and backgrounds.
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A MARAC is a single meeting that combines up to date risk information with a timely
assessment of a victim’s needs and links those directly to the provision of appropriate
services for all those involved in a domestic violence case: victim, children and perpetrator.
There are 4 MARACs within West Sussex. Each MARAC meets monthly. The MARACs are cochaired by Sussex Police and the MARAC Co-ordinator. All victims that are assessed as high
risk are referred to MARAC.
Hate Crime
The Hate Incident Support Service (HISS) in West Sussex provides, manages and develops a
casework and support service to members of the public who have experienced a racist,
homophobic, transphobic or disablist incident.
A hate incident or hate crime is any incident where the victim or another person believes
that they/the victim have been targeted because of their actual or perceived race, religion,
sexual orientation, disability or gender identity.
West Sussex County Council commissions Victim Support to operate the HISS. Individuals
and agencies can report any incident they become aware of in West Sussex. Two dedicated
caseworkers are employed to provide free, confidential, emotional and practical support,
which may include advocating on the victim’s behalf during criminal proceedings, liaising
with other agencies to set up a support plan, or maintaining regular contact with a victim to
provide reassurance. The service is offered to all victims, whatever the severity of the
incident.
The service is commissioned in line with recommendations arising from the Macpherson
inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence, in particular:
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Creation of a comprehensive system of reporting and recording of all racist incidents
and crimes;
Police services, local government and other agencies and local communities to
encourage the reporting of racist incidents and crimes, including the ability to report
at locations other than police stations;
Close co-operation between police services and local government and other
agencies to ensure that all information as to racist incidents and crimes is shared and
is readily available to all agencies.
In addition, the HISS works to the government published hate crime action plan in March
2013, ‘Challenge it, Report it, Stop it’. The government acknowledges the profound effect
this type of victimisation holds: “All crime is wrong, but crime that is motivated by hatred of
the victim is particularly corrosive.” The plan is based on 3 key principles:
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Preventing hate crime – by challenging the attitudes that underpin it, and early
intervention to prevent it escalating;
Increasing reporting and access to support – by building victim confidence and
supporting local partnerships;
Improving the operational response to hate crimes – by better identifying and
managing cases, and dealing effectively with offenders.
Repeat Victims
Mechanisms are in place through both the Hate Incident Support Service (HISS) and the
Victims Awareness and Referral Centre (VARC) operated by Victim Support to recognise and
respond to those victims who are persistently targeted.
Experience shows that repeat offending against individuals can have a damaging impact on
them making their capacity to cope and recover much harder, and reducing their faith and
belief in the process of criminal justice.
This is particularly so with those suffering domestic abuse, and Worth Services, works
closely with partner agencies including Victim Support to reduce the number of incidents a
person will suffer before reporting abuse and thereby accessing the support that is
available.
Victims & Witnesses
Across Sussex there is a commitment to place victims and witnesses at the heart of our local
criminal justice system. This includes ensuring there are appropriate systems in place to
support any victim or witness at each stage of the criminal justice process.
The Witness Charter which was introduced in December 2013 sets out the standards of care
that every witness to a crime in England and Wales should expect if they make contact with
service providers within the criminal justice system. The Charter also highlights the special
measures that the police, CPS and courts have in place to support vulnerable and
intimidated witnesses.
The Code for Victims, established as part of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act
2004 entitles victims of crime, and those who close relatives have been killed as a result of a
crime to a range of support. The code also supports businesses and other enterprises such
as charities that have been victims of crime.
The code covers victims from the minute that they report a crime through the whole of the
criminal justice process including trial.
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Key elements of the code include the standards that victims should expect from their
contact with criminal justice agencies, use of Victim Personal Statements (VPS) or Impact
Statements (for businesses) in court, Special Measures for vulnerable victims or intimidated
victims and witnesses, the Victim Contact Scheme (VCS) and access to Restorative Justice
interventions.
The Victims’ Services Commissioning Framework developed by the Ministry of Justice is
designed to provide more personalised services for local people and investment in the
voluntary and community sector.
Following the changes introduced by the MOJ the majority of emotional and practical
support services for victims of crime are now commissioned locally by Police and Crime
Commissioners. At a national level the Ministry of Justice commissions a witness service, a
homicide service, support for victims of human trafficking, support for victims of rape
through rape support centres, some victims’ national telephone help-lines and some other
support for victims of domestic and sexual violence.
As part of the move towards localised victim services the Police & Crime Commissioners for
Sussex, Surrey and Thames Valley jointly commissioned a single service for victims in all
three police areas which has been awarded to Victim Support.
The Service provides a central point for making initial contact with Victims to assess and
offer support in line with the commissioned model of Cope and Recovery. Following initial
assessment, referrals are made to local support services of victim support, including the
provision of trained volunteers to work on a one to one basis with victims. That will include
specialist support for those at particular risk and the most vulnerable, including children and
young people, those suffering domestic abuse, serious sexual crimes and hate crime.
Reducing Repeat Demand
Nationally, evidence indicates that many people in repeated contact with the police,
criminal justice and other statutory agencies face multiple problems, including poor mental
health, substance misuse, homelessness, and a range of other behavioural, emotional,
health and social needs. These needs are complex and overlapping, and when mainstream
community services struggle to respond people can end up caught in a chaotic ‘revolving
door’ cycle of crisis and crime.
In West Sussex it is known that 50 individual people contacted Sussex Police on 5,300
separate occasions during 2014/15. The demand requirement of each caller varied but
consistently reflected individuals suffering multiple issues; in particular mental health,
dementia, substance misuse and many other social problems.
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Sussex Police are piloting work which increases their organisational understanding of repeat
demand with the aim of identifying those who come into repeat contact; in particular those
with multiple needs.
Working with partners, there is an aim is to identify the organisations and resources that
can and should be assigned to individual people to address and target their needs more
effectively.
Taking a ‘whole system’ and pan organisation view, the mapping pathways of people in
repeated contact with Sussex Police, criminal justice and statutory agencies to inform
partnership strategies, better target resources and identify gaps in provision is work has
commenced and will continue during 2015/16.
The development of a Sussex Police Resolution Centre and the implementation on 1 st April
2015 of a multi-agency Family Support Point which will identify, resource and address the
needs of families; reducing demand by ensuring the most appropriate resources are
delivered to those in need at the earliest opportunity evidence how integrated multi agency
working will effectively reduce demand across organisations.
Build Strong, Resilient Communities
Child Sexual Exploitation
The Pan Sussex CSE strategy was agreed by the three upper-tier Local Safeguarding Children
Boards (LSCB) in 2013-14. The strategy informs the action or business plans of each steering
group and LSCB which are then scrutinised by them.
Creation of a multi-agency Missing & Child Sexual Exploitation (MaCSE) Group whose remit
is to work together to keep children and young people safe from harm has paved the way
for specialist intervention. Membership is drawn from the statutory, voluntary, community
and faith sectors and their work follows recognised policies to protect the welfare of
children and young people. Aside from the MaCSE, a range of agencies are currently
working within West Sussex to address CSE in terms of raising awareness, promoting
vigilance and personal safety, together with safeguarding those most at risk of harm.
Mental Health
The area of mental health has seen a great deal of activity in terms of policy over the past
few years, with long-term aims to improve mental health services highlighted in publications
such as Achieving Better Access to Mental Health Services by 2020, published in October
2014 and which set out standards for waiting times and underlined the Government’s aim
for mental health to achieve “parity of esteem” with physical health within the healthcare
system.
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February 2015 marked one year on from the publication of the mental Health Crisis Care
Concordat; A document which arose from a recognition of a number of issues with services
for people experiencing a mental health crisis situation - in particular concerns with the way
health services, social care services and police forces work together to provide support to
individuals experiencing a mental health crisis – especially at the points where services
interact - and the support different professionals provide for each other.
The concordat builds on, rather than replaces, existing guidance and sets out the statutory
requirements of services and a series of core principles of good practice for joint working
between different services with the aim of improving overall standards in mental health
crisis care.
By the 31st March 2015 it is expected that all areas have submitted an action plan. West
Sussex County Council has completed a declaration, but is yet to submit an action plan.
Another area of focus has been on the operation of sections 135 and 136 of the mental
Health Act 1983. A consultation was launched in April 2014 as several areas of concern
which have arisen around mental health crisis care, most notably the over-use of police
stations as a place of safety for people experiencing a mental health crisis, often due to lack
of alternatives
The response to the review was published in December 2014. This made recommendations
for changes in legislation, and for additional non-legislative changes in practices.
In April 2014 the Liaison and Diversion service, which identifies offenders who have mental
health, learning disability or substance misuse issues at first point of contact with the
criminal justice system was piloted in ten areas, including Sussex.
Identified offenders can then either be supported through the criminal system pathway or
diverted into a treatment, social care service or other relevant intervention or support
service. The key aim is to improve health outcomes, reduce re-offending and identify
vulnerabilities earlier, reducing the likelihood that offenders will reach crisis-point.
The programme is currently being rolled out in an additional number of areas across
England and Wales. The initial pilot in Sussex has continued and is making progress
particularly in engaging with the Gypsy and Traveller community.
The continuing impact of the service will cut across other SWSP priority work streams such
as Street Community, Reducing Repeat Demand and Reducing Offending.
Preventing Extremism and Radicalisation
The Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill received Royal Assent in February 2015 with the
Prevent duty commencing from the 1st of July 2015. From the 14th of April 2015 the new Act
also makes the Channel process statutory for the first time.
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Compliance with the duty will be monitored by the Home Office, which will scrutinise local
Prevent action plans, project impact and overall performance. Local Authorities must
comply with the duty and work effectively with local partners.
In two-tier areas such as West Sussex the guidance is even less clear, with county and
district/borough councils required to ‘agree proportionate arrangements for sharing the
assessment of risk and for agreeing local Prevent plans’
The detail of the West Sussex approach is currently being considered however the work on
Prevent to date has put partners in a good position to meet the new duty. This includes
mandatory Prevent training for staff from key frontline areas at West Sussex County Council
(WSCC) with more than 750 staff trained since Aug 2013, two operational Channel panels
providing multi-agency support and interventions for individuals at risk of radicalisation, and
training and awareness-raising provided to partners, colleges, schools, voluntary and
community organisations and districts and boroughs.
Street Community
There are an estimated 800 members of the street community across Sussex (Operation
Packet 2013) of whom approximately half are thought to sleep rough; a term that generally
applies to a range of entrenched / longer term rough sleepers, people new to the streets
and those who move between a range of accommodation: rough sleeping, sofa surfing,
squats, hostels and prison.
There is a considerable amount of work already going on across the county to address rough
sleeping and street nuisance. Sussex Homelessness Outreach Reconnection and
Engagement (SHORE) commissioned St Mungo's Broadway to provide the first Sussex wide
outreach service for rough sleepers and play a lead role in multi-agency Pop-Up Hubs, which
have been in operation for a number of months in West & East Sussex.
An evaluation of the Hubs showed that they provided considerable opportunities for
agencies to work together to address the multiple needs of clients and make significant
service savings. It also, however highlighted an emerging strategic gap and lack of
ownership of the longer term needs of this group.
Going forward this small but significant group will require support and involvement from
other organisations including Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Supported Housing,
Public Health CCGs, KSSCRC, SECAMB, West Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, District and
Borough Councils, SHORE and the voluntary sector.
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Abbreviations
ACPO – Association of Chief Police Officers
ASB – Anti-Social Behaviour
CCG – Clinical Commissioning Group
CCSA – County Community Safety Agreement
C&D Act – Crime & Disorder Act
CEOP – Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre
CLG – Communities and Local Government
CRC – Community Rehabilitation Company
CSE – Child Sexual Exploitation
CSPS – Community Safety Partnerships
DAAT – Drug & Alcohol Action Team
D&BS – Districts & Boroughs
D&SV – Domestic & Sexual Violence
HISS – Hate Incident Support Service
H&WB – Health & Wellbeing Board
IDVA – Independent Domestic Violence Advisor
IOM – Integrated Offender Management
LPP – Local Policing Programme
KSS CRC – Kent, Sussex & Surrey Community Rehabilitation Company
LSCB – Local Safeguarding Children Board
MaCSE – Multi Agency Missing & Child Exploitation Group
MARAC – Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference
NFU – National Farmers Union
NPS – National Probation Service
NSPCC – National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
OSPCC – Office of the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner
RA – Responsible Authority
RJ – Restorative Justice
SARC – Sexual Assault Referral Centre
SECAMB – South East Coast Ambulance Service
SHORE - Sussex Homelessness Outreach Reconnection and Engagement
SOC - Serious & Organised Crime
SWSPE – Safer West Sussex Partnership Executive
SWSP – Safer West Sussex Partnership
TF – Think Family
VARC – Victims Awareness & Referral Centre
VPS – Victim Personal Statements
WSCC – West Sussex County Council
Prepared with contributions and assistance from partners by the West Sussex County
Council Better Communities Team – May 2015
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