Archived decisions

Contact: Robert Ormerod Ext: 5122 email: [email protected]

Jon Whale tel: 01962 833691 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report sets out proposals for funding in relation to the work of the statutory County Strategy Group for Crime and Disorder.

Recommendations

On the advice of the County Strategy Group, Cabinet are asked to:

(a) Agree to a further allocation to district Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) of £275,000 in 08/09 conditional upon the implementation of new strategic commissioning arrangements for subsequent years and on the basis that there is no guarantee of funding beyond 2008/9.

(b) Approve the funding of the four countywide projects as follows:

- Youth Inclusion Support Project (Wessex YOT) - £99,000

- Drug Intervention Project (Hampshire DAAT) - £79,423

- Alcohol Co-ordinator post (Hampshire DAAT) - £43,050

- CADDIE (HCC) - £36,656

Cabinet are also asked to approve

(c) a contribution in 08/09 to the Bobby Trust of £31,500 and a contribution to the Hampton Trust of £32,000 subject to further discussion with partners;

(d) further work be undertaken with partners through the County Group to understand how the remaining capital funding can best be applied;

(e) further work with partners to develop the role of the County Strategy Group including the development of the new commissioning arrangements for 2009/10 and beyond;


(f) the Chief Executive bringing forward a review of community safety policy and objectives as part of (e) above.

2. Background

2.1 In 2008/09, the Government introduced the new Area Based Grant (ABG) and abolished the Local Area Agreement Grant. This is part of a move to provide greater flexibility to local authorities with as much funding as possible being channelled through the Revenue Support Grant (RSG). The ABG has been established for that funding which could not be incorporated in the RSG. It is provided as a three year settlement to the County Council and is un-ringfenced. It has no specific conditions of grant attached to it and forms part of the County Council's budget. This is a development from the LAA Grant which had specific conditions and reporting requirements.

2.2 The ABG does contain some monies previously included in the LAA Grant. Most of this has always been directed at County Council services but the Home Office have included in the ABG the Safe and Strong Communities (SSC) funding which was previously paid directly to district councils through the Government Office on behalf of district Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs).

2.3 The Executive Member for Policy and Resources previously approved an early initial allocation to District CDRPs to help those partnerships plan for continued projects and operations. Further approval was given for the new statutory County Strategy Group for Crime and Disorder to be invited to advise the County Council on the allocation of the remainder of the funding.

2.4 Those arrangements were discussed at a meeting of the Group on 26 February: at that meeting, district CDRPs requested that an additional amount of the remaining funding available in 2008/09 be passported to enable continuation of the work formerly funded from the Home Office for anti-social behaviour.

2.5 There was also unanimous support from the partners for the funding of four county wide projects:

- Youth Inclusion Support Project (Wessex Youth Offending Team)

- Drug Intervention Project (Hampshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team)

- Alcohol Co-ordinator post (Hampshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team)

- Crime and Disorder Data and Information Exchange (HCC)

2.6 There is also capital funding which can be used for the CADDIE project. It was also agreed that the County Treasurer would explore the options for the flexible use of the remainder of the capital funding, given the changes in conditions attached to this settlement. This facility has subsequently been confirmed by the County Treasurer which will enable the remainder of the funding to be converted to revenue as necessary to enable its more flexible use.

2.7 The Chief Executive has subsequently sought a commitment from the district CDRPs that, should a further allocation of revenue funds be made to districts for 08/09, that this be on the basis that there be a move towards a strategic approach to the use of these resources, with more activity being supported across partners. This would enable the limited resources to be targeted for maximum added value through an evidence based commissioning process and would drive efficiency across and between CDRPs. The funding should aim to support the objectives identified in the new statutory County Agreement for Community Safety being prepared by the Group. These objectives will in turn be reflected in the Hampshire Local Area Agreement targets for safer communities.

2.8 Such commitments have been received to date from most CDRPs which would enable the County Council to move forward and lead these funding arrangements through the statutory county group. The Chief Executive will be writing to the members of the County Strategy Group to outline how the County Council intends to lead the process. This includes the establishment of commissioning processes which will take into account how existing mainstream partner resources are used and how the Area Based Grant held by the County Council could add most value.

2.9 The detailed funding proposals are as follows:

The revenue element of the SSC funds amounts to £1,069,000

The initial allocation of 50% of the revenue funds is £534,500

The proposed additional allocation to CDRPs for 08/09 is £275,000

The allocation from revenue for the three county projects amounts to £221,473

This would leave £38,000 revenue funds in the current year in addition to the balance of the capital allocation (£321,700).

2.10 Two other county level projects have previously been funded from the SSC These were the Bobby Trust, which received £28,000 in 2007/08 and the Domestic Violence Co-ordinator post (through the Hampton Trust) which following last year's in-year Home Office cuts was part funded by the County Council in 2007/08 on behalf of the local authorities/ CDRPs at £25,000. The continued funding of these projects was not universally supported by the CDRPs. The Bobby Trust are seeking £70,557 and the Hampton Trust is seeking £32,000.

2.11 It would seem appropriate that in moving towards a strategic commissioning process for 2009/10 and beyond, that in spite of the lack of universal support, partners be asked that a contribution of £31,500 towards the Bobby Trust and the costs of the DV Co-ordinator (£32,000) be met from the overall allocation for 2008/09 on the basis that this would also ensure stability of services previously funded, pending the new commissioning arrangements. This would utilise the remainder of the revenue funding and £25,500 of the capital funding.

2.12 The Bobby Trust has also received a grant of £5,000 from the Executive Member for Policy and Resources' budget for grants to voluntary organisations.

.

2.13 The business cases for the Bobby Trust and the DV Co-ordinator are attached as Appendices 1 and 2.

2.14 It is proposed that the remainder of the capital allocation for 2008/9 be discussed further with partners via the county group.

2.15 The last Comprehensive Performance Assessment highlighted that the County Council should develop capacity to lead the new arrangements and consideration is currently being given to how this is should be developed. It is important to demonstrate that progress is being made towards developing the new commissioning arrangements based on a joint commitment from partners. Whilst it may be regarded as disappointing that such processes have taken some time to agree, it is important that the County Council can demonstrate a strong lead in the direction of the new statutory partnership and ensure that it is effective in driving performance and improved community safety outcomes.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB: the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

File FM Exec Member Location: Community planning/committee reports

Appendix 1

The Hampshire Bobby Trust

Business Case for Funding for the Financial year 2008/09

Submitted to the Hampshire County Strategy Group for Crime & Disorder

Appendix 2

Rob Ormerod

Hampshire County Council

The Castle

Winchester

SO23 8UQ

9^th April 2008

Dear Rob

It is now that time of year when I am once again requesting financial assistance for the County Domestic Abuse County Co-ordinator. 

The funding you provided in 07/08 has helped achieve the following:

_ Employment of Jude Ruddock Atcherley as County Domestic Abuse Co-ordinator

_ Accreditation of a domestic abuse training package (Open College Network)

_ Development of a training programme that includes safeguarding children and vulnerable adults

_ Publication of a workplace policy guidance manual on managing domestic abuse in the workplace

_ Research into group work with children exposed to domestic abuse

_ Assistance with the development of a programme for young males committing violent offences who have been exposed to domestic abuse - the Linx programme

_ Assistance with research into male victims/survivors - paper to be disseminated

_ Development of an educational package for schools

_ Extension of community perpetrator programmes across the County

_ Strategic developments enhancing LAA outcomes.

_ Collation of a report on increasing the reporting on domestic abuse

_ Publication of a directory of services for Hampshire

This is in addition to Jude acting as a county wide resource for local coordinators, raising awareness of domestic abuse on various boards/groups, ensuring evidence based standards of practice across Hampshire, and overseeing developments within the MARACs.

It is worth a specific mention that Jude has managed in a short space of time to bring in an extra sixty thousand pounds into Hampshire County that would otherwise not have been available - all of which has been allocated to specific projects.

To illustrate this work there are two documents attached to this letter:

_ A summary of work and achievement for 2007/08

_ An electronic version of the workplace guidance manual which is currently at the printers

As you are aware, last year the Hampton Trust donated our charitable reserves to help preserve the post in recognition of the valuable work we feel the role of the County Co-ordinator provides. However we are unable to commit any further funding this coming year due to financial constraints which is impacting on the voluntary sector. Therefore the amount we are asking you to contribute for 08/09 reflects this shortfall and inflationary uplift.

This year we are requesting a sum of £32,000 towards the continuation of the county wide work to meet LAA targets on domestic abuse. During 08/09 the main focus of Jude's work will be on the feasibility of developing a Family Justice Centre in Hampshire. As you are aware there is only one other such centre in the UK in Croydon which prior to the centre being established saw around 13 domestic abuse murders annually, costed at one million pounds per murder. Since the establishment of such a centre their domestic abuse murder rate is now nil. A saving of 13 million on the previous year.

If you require any further information then please feel free to contact me on [email protected] or 07779 999945

Yours sincerely

Kim Brown

MPhil, MSc RGN RM Cert Ed

Chief Executive

Enc