Working Together for Safer Communities Project
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The Welsh Government Working Together for Safer Communities Oversight Group Working Together for Safer Communities Project Working Together for Safer Communities (Community Safety Partnerships) Review 2017 Professor Colin Rogers and Dr Garry Thomas The International Centre for Policing and Security, University of South Wales. Working Together for Safer Communities Project Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge those The authors would also like to take this opportunity individuals who have been instrumental in to thank all the Community Safety Managers/ commissioning and assisting with the production Coordinators and staff from the Community Safety of this research, including members of the Welsh Partnerships across Wales who responded and Government Working Together for Safer assisted in the formulation of this research, in the Communities Oversight Group. In particular, Mr hope that the identification of community safety Steve Carr, Sustainable Funding and Delivery issues, the services necessary to address those Lead, Community Safety Division, Welsh issues and the ‘enablers’ and ‘barriers’ to Government for his patience and understanding in effectively identify and address those issues will developing this research and for his guidance and lead to the development of a strategic vision for support. community safety in Wales, which will be beneficial to all the communities in Wales in the future. Contents Acknowledgements 2 Contents 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 10 Aims and Objectives 12 Contextual Information 13 Methodology 27 Results and Analysis 31 Findings from the Questionnaire 33 Additional Information and Reports 56 Contacts and Additional Information 57 Conclusions and Recommendations 58 References 69 Appendices 74 2 The Welsh Government Working Together for Safer Communities Oversight Group Executive Summary Introduction Methodology During 2015 and 2016 staff at the Wales Audit Having considered the quantitative, qualitative and Office, on behalf of the Auditor General for Wales mixed methods research methodologies and the examined whether the Welsh Government, the four rationale for using such research methodologies, Police and Crime Commissioners and the 22 Local this research will use a qualitative methodology. Authorities were working together effectively to The qualitative research method used was a postal tackle community safety issues in Wales (Thomas, survey self-completion questionnaire. 2016). The Auditor General concluded that there was no coordinated strategic approach to The Postal Survey Self-Completion community safety in Wales due to a number of Questionnaire complex reasons related to organisational A postal survey self-completion questionnaire was responsibilities, which weakened leadership and believed to be the most efficient and effective accountability, and could undermine the potential method of systematically collecting qualitative data for people to stay safe (Thomas, 2016). from a population of 22 Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) (coterminous with the 22 In response to the recommendations made by the Unitary Authorities), spread across the Auditor General (Thomas, 2016: 12), the Welsh geographical area of Wales. Government commissioned the Working Together for Safer Communities Project and set up the For the purpose of the postal survey self- Working Together for Safer Communities Oversight completion questionnaire component of this Group to oversee the response to the research, the unit of analysis was specified as recommendations made. each individual respondent involved in the management of community safety and/or in the Aim and Objectives provision of VAWDASV services to women and girls across Wales from the 22 CSPs. The total The main aim of this Research is to assist the number of self-completion questionnaires returned ‘Working Together for Safer Communities was 14. However, the total number of CSPs Oversight Group’ in achieving its main purpose of (including merged CSPs) to return a completed establishing a sustainable approach to partnership Questionnaire was 13 (out of 19 CSPs), providing working in Wales to deliver safer communities for an overall response rate of 68.42 percent. future generations, by utilising the four agreed key lines of enquiry (Carr, 2017: 9) described above. Findings, Conclusions and This may be achieved by meeting the following Recommendations three objectives: 1. To develop a Baseline Assessment of Respondents Community Safety Partnership (CSP) service The titles (and roles) of the respondents provision across Wales. (Community Safety Managers) from CSPs across 2. To review how community safety issues are Wales, were found to be quite varied. identified and addressed from the Baseline Assessment. Recommendation 1: The title and role of each 3. To recognise the ‘enablers’ and ‘barriers’ to individual who is responsible for community safety identifying, preventing and resolving community within a CSP be standardised to ensure corporacy safety issues and to delivering appropriate and across Wales. For example; the title of Community effective community safety services. Safety Manager may be appropriate, with the role of the manager being determined by a central governing board for community safety in Wales. 3 Working Together for Safer Communities Project Community Safety Issues/Problems services that were provided by CSPs five to 10 The findings indicated that the importance of years ago, which are no longer provided today. community engagement in identifying community safety issues/problems is being underestimated, Recommendation 5: Consideration should be which may be for a number of reasons, including a given to raising the status of community safety reduction in funding and resources. within all partner agencies that form CSPs, which may be achieved by a central governing board for The findings suggest that there is a lack of community safety in Wales. knowledge and understanding of the National Intelligence Model (NIM) within CSPs and in Enablers and Barriers particular, community intelligence. There appeared A number of common themes emerged when to be a greater understanding of problem-solving considering what enablers and barriers there were amongst respondents. However, only one for service providers to establish, maximise and respondent mentioned ‘evaluation’ in the problem- sustain their services and for the processes solving process and one respondent mentioned necessary to establish effective, responsive and the police use of the NIM in problem-solving. collaborative delivery structures; the integration of community safety strategic assessments and the Recommendation 2: Consideration should be provision of visible and constructive accountability given to the implementation of further learning and for community safety issues and problems. development for all CSP staff and their managers, in relation to the importance of community The most consistently recurring themes that engagement and the various engagement enable the processes highlighted above to reach techniques available. positive outcomes were: Good Leadership, Management and Accountability; Funding and Recommendation 3: Consideration should be Resources and Effective Partnership Working. given to the implementation of further learning and Other enablers across these processes include: development for all CSP staff and their managers, Learning and Development; Professional Expertise; in relation to the NIM in general and to strategic Statutory Requirements; Engagement and assessments, control strategies, the tasking and Communication; Effective Community coordinating process, and community intelligence Engagement and Planning and Accountability. in particular. Similarly, the most consistently recurring themes Recommendation 4: Consideration should be that provided barriers to the processes highlighted given to the implementation of further learning and above from reaching positive outcomes were the development for all CSP staff and their managers, converse of the enablers above: Poor Leadership, in relation to problem-solving and in particular the Management and Accountability; Lack of Funding use of members of the community in problem- and Resources and Ineffective Partnership solving, through community engagement and Working. Other barriers to these processes community intelligence. include: Poor Performance Management; Lack of Analytical Capacity and Lack of Community Community Safety Services Engagement. The main services provided by CSPs to address any identified issues/problems were found to include; ASB services, VAWDASV services, substance misuse services and Channel Project services. Respondents identified a plethora of 4 The Welsh Government Working Together for Safer Communities Oversight Group Recommendation 6: A central governing board Recommendation 11: A central governing board for community safety in Wales, should ensure that for community safety in Wales, should address the they support the positive enablers and address the disparity in service provision and the processes to negative barriers to service provision and the establish effective, responsive and collaborative processes to establish effective, responsive and delivery structures; the integration of community collaborative delivery structures; the integration of safety strategic assessments and the provision of community safety strategic assessments and the visible and constructive accountability for provision of visible and constructive accountability community safety issues and problems.