Agenda item

 A report was received that provided an overview of progress against agreed actions and projects overseen by the Board.  There had been in year reductions to project funding and ABG grant funding as previously outlined. However, it was important to note that there were no critical projects underachieving.

The Board was advised that the majority of the work outlined within the report was ongoing. The following areas of  particular success were highlighted:

• Q-car operations
• Intensive intervention, support and supervision (triage, Gang Action Group, drug intervention, parenting support)
• Dynamic after school patrols as part of the Youth Crime Action Plan
• Forum established to enable information sharing and actions concerning rogue landlords
• Delivery of seasonal and targeted anti-burglary communications information.
• ASB Summit Plan re early intervention
• Joint problem solving around ASB
• HMO licensing scheme  in Harringay and St Ann’s ward
• A dedicated ASB victims and witnesses service was provided for the first time

In relation to the actions outstanding, it was explained that these were an inevitable consequence of officers being drawn into other pressing priorities.   Learning from this experience, there would in future be fewer objectives chosen to allow for focused work with wider outcomes. The Board were advised that the key losses of staff in the parenting programme would need to be addressed as; following the 13 week course, there were no arrangements for 1-2-1 support.  The lone parent support officer post was only funded until March 2011.

Further emerging issues and priorities to note were the simplification of   ASB powers which were due to be consulted upon in second half of 2011.  The community budgets projects would also be interesting pilot to keep aware of, as it was likely that funding for this would be rolled out nationally in 2013/14. Mental Health would be a key issue for discussion at the next ASB Partnership Board as there were concerns regarding the sharing of information around mental health patients. 

The Board was informed that the Council and partners were bidding for additional Home Office funding to support Independent Domestic Violence advocates which would need to be match funded and therefore would pose a challenge in these current financial times.

The board noted that a new safeguarding policy and process for adult drug treatment workers, when assessing substance misuse clients, who had contact with children, was working well.

It was highlighted to the Board that, withdrawal of funding to COSMIC, meant that services provided by this organisation, were under threat and a needs assessment was understood to be required to understand the impact of the loss.

 The Gang Action Group continued to have an impact on substantially reducing the most serious violence in the borough through its work on family intervention, youth inclusion projects, ensuring intensive support in the community, sharing information and expertise. An appeal was made to Children and Young People’s service to continue to   provide a representative to these meetings as it was important to have the safeguarding context provided to the discussions of this group. A networking event for this group was being organised in February by Ian Kibblewhite of Enfield to promote multi-agency intelligence sharing. Concern was expressed at the level of information circulated about this event as the Chair of the Violent Crime Sub Group, Reverend Nims Obunge, had not been made aware of this event.  It was agreed that the Community Safety Manager look into this matter.  It has subsequently been established that an email was sent out but may have slipped through the net.  Every effort will be made to avoid this in future.

In relation to hate crime, the Board were informed of ongoing work to instigate a London wide reporting telephone number to report this crime. The Metropolitan Police were expected to fund the first year of this service with Partnership Boards in London expected to fund the use of this common telephone number in 2012/13.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.