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Swale Community Safety Partnership Community Safety Plan 2008 – 11

Making Swale a Safer Place

Community Safety Partnership SWALE Foreword by the Chairs of Swale Community Safety Partnership Swale Community Safety Partnership is committed, through partnership working, to ensuring that Swale is a safe and enjoyable place to live, work and visit.

The partnership comprises key agencies who serve the local community, including , County Council, and the Police Authority, Kent Fire and Rescue Service and the Primary Care Trust, together with Housing Associations, Youth Offending Service, Prison Service, Probation Service and representatives from the voluntary sector.

As a result of previous community engagement we understand that you want to feel safe and be safe in Swale. This Community Safety Plan shows how we will be working with our partners to address as many key issues as possible in the first year. After further public consultation, this plan will be refreshed and refocused as necessary throughout its life.

We are here to work together to tackle the root causes of crime and antisocial behaviour and thereby improve feelings of safety and well-being for the community. As joint Chairs of Swale Community Safety Partnership we commend this plan as a continuing step along the road towards a safer Swale.

Alasdair Hope and Barbara Thompson

Chairs of Swale Community Safety Partnership

2 Contents

2. Foreword

3. Contents

4. Introduction

5. The Borough of Swale

6. Key Drivers / Priority Areas

7. Priority One: Domestic Abuse

8. Priority Two: Crime & Disorder in the Night Time Economy

9. Priority Three: Reduce Re-Offending

10. Priority Four: Anti-Social Behaviour

11. Priority Five: Working With Young People

12. Priority Six: Tackle Substance Misuse

13. Priority Seven: An Active and Engaged Community

14. Swale CDRP Structure

15. Keeping You Informed

16. Contact Details

3 Introduction Local authorities and the police were first required to work together to produce a crime reduction strategy every three years by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. In 2002, as a result of the Police Reform Act, the requirement to focus jointly on crime and disorder reduction priorities were extended to include the Police Authority, Fire and Rescue Authority and Primary Care Trust, together with much closer liaison with Drug Action Teams to incorporate strategies to combat the misuse of drugs.

This is the fourth strategy produced by Community Safety Partnership, following ten years of experience and sustained success in reducing priority crimes and antisocial behaviour in the Borough. The Home Office recently published their annual report, “Cutting Crime – A New Partnership”, in which tribute was paid to the hard work of partnerships, resulting in a reduction of crime by almost a third from the levels seen ten years ago, effectively reversing the trend of rising crime throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s.

Swale Community Safety Partnership now includes a wide range of statutory and voluntary partners who all contribute their time and expertise for the benefit of residents and visitors to Swale. This Community Safety Plan is the result of consultation to discover what matters most to people in Swale and its successful delivery will make a real difference to the lives of all who live, work or spend their leisure time in the Borough.

4 The Borough of Swale T Swale Borough is situated on the North Kent However, we do not expect the age profile to Coast between the Towns and change significantly as incoming younger people . It has a fast growing population and families will be offset by a growing percentage of approximately 127,000 people and contains of the existing population living longer. New jobs in some 57,000 households within an area of the knowledge and creative sectors are expected 37,387 hectares. Stretching 18 miles (28.8km) to benefit the Swale economy and provide new east to west and 15 miles (24 km) north to opportunities for skilled local people to find south, Swale is part of the . rewarding work in the Borough. London 2012 has It is also one of a small number of English added a further dimension and may bring new Authorities that has a populated island within challenges and opportunities for the borough to its jurisdiction. Swale’s 44-mile (71 kilometres) embrace in the run up towards the Olympics. coastal boundary is longer than that of any other Kent authority. A detailed breakdown of the Swale population shows the following: The Borough comprises four areas: , • The population of Swale is predicted to the , and the rural grow by 5,300 persons (4.3%) between hinterland. Transport links have improved with 2001 and 2011 and by 8,000 persons the opening of the new bridge to Sheppey but (6.5%) between 2001 and 2016. further road linkages are required and some of the rural areas are remote. The chalet and • People with diverse ethnic and religious caravan parks situated on the Isle of Sheppey backgrounds rose from 1.9% of the contribute to significant seasonal variations in total population in 2001 to an estimated population. 3.9% of the population in 2005. This is still considerably lower than in the is a diverse area with urban areas in East (4.9%) and (9.1%) but it is about the East and West being amongst the same as the Kent average (3.5%). most deprived in the south east and some of the rural areas being the most isolated in Kent after • Around 8,200 (0.6%) of the population in Romney Marsh. There are a large number of Kent is from a Gypsy or Traveller conservation areas in Swale and approximately community. one third of the Borough is within a designated • 18% of people living in Swale consider Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Some 75% themselves to have a long term limiting of the land area is covered by environmental illness. This compares to 17% for Kent, designations. 16% for the South East and 18% for England. Recently, Swale has seen significant The age distribution for Swale is very similar to improvements within its economy and its that of the County of Kent, the South East and communities. Through major investment, England. progress against key projects has been accelerated and long-held priorities, in particular the new Sheppey Crossing, have The average age in Swale is 38.2 years; been achieved. Swale is attracting investment 20.7% of the population are aged 1-15 years, as part of the Thames Gateway regeneration 16.1% are aged 16-29 years, area. Housing growth, which is planned to rise 22.1% are aged 30-44 years, to approximately 58,500 households by 2016, will continue to change the character of the 22.8% are aged 45-64 and Borough. 18.2% are aged 65 and over.

5 Key Drivers T In formulating the Community Safety Plan The Strategic Assessment identified the for 2008-11, the Swale Community Safety following four themes to be tackled in Swale: Partnership was guided by a number of key • Reduce the level of anti-social behaviour drivers. These include the Government’s and crime committed by Youth on Youth National Crime Strategy and National groups. Community Safety Plan, which both cover the same three year period • Promoting Educational opportunities across partner agencies The Police and Justice Act 2006 and its • Reducing the use of and harm caused subsequent Regulations have changed the by Alcohol crime and disorder reduction landscape by introducing a range of reform requirements • Reducing the fear of crime and promoting and by identifying six hallmarks of effective feelings of safety partnerships. The success of partnerships Members of the partnership reviewed and will now be measured through a new process discussed the Strategic Assessment along of Assessments of Policing and Community with other key drivers at a strategic away day Safety, which will commence in April 2008. and concluded with the priority areas for the Partnership to tackle in the coming years. At County level, the second Kent Agreement will be published during the first few months of The resulting plan is intended to be easily this plan and this strategy will include actions understood by those responsible for its delivery relating to selected national indicators. These and those who are affected by the success priorities are expected to be reflected in targets or otherwise of the process. The plan is also set for local partnerships to deliver within their designed to have at its heart the wishes of the own plans. community and it seeks to actively engage and involve the people of Swale in both its The most important driver for the priorities implementation and subsequent evaluation. selected in the Swale Community Safety Plan 2008-11 were the local community, whose views were represented through consultations at Priority Areas Partners and Communities Together meetings. The main outcome that we aim to achieve over Further information was also received from the next three years is to make the residents a number of strategic partners including of Swale feel safe and be safe. In order to Swale Housing Association, Hyde Housing achieve this we are targeting seven priority Association, KCC Education, Kent Fire and areas. These priority areas are: Rescue Service, Eastern and Coastal Primary • Domestic abuse Care Trust, Sheppey Prison Cluster, Mid Kent Police and Swale Borough Council. • Crime and disorder in the Night Time Economy The plan was also informed by a detailed • Reduce Re-offending Strategic Assessment, which helped to identify the main issues of concern and emerging • Anti-social Behaviour trends in Swale. There will be further Strategic • Working with Young People Assessments and consultations held, resulting • Substance Misuse in a refreshed and renewed plan in April each year. • Encourage an active and engaged Community.

6 Priority One Domestic Abuse Domestic abuse accounts for 21% of Violent Crime in Swale, and it is known that this is one of the crimes that suffers from under reporting. We are informed by national information that on average, a victim of domestic abuse is abused almost 30 times before reporting an offence. Swale Community Safety Partnership is dedicated to ensure that victims of domestic abuse are able to access the services available and that once they make the step to report it that support and assistance is provided to reduce the risk of them being abused further.

What we intend to do Swale Community Safety Partnership will work with Swale Domestic Violence Forum to tackle domestic abuse in the borough, through; How we will measure success • Assessing priority need for domestic To determine the impact of the work, the abuse services in the borough. partnership will monitor the following indicators. • Work with the domestic violence forum to publicise and improve service provision • Number of individuals accessing across the borough. support services • To explore the introduction of Multi- • Repeat Incidents of Domestic abuse Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (NI 132) (MARAC) in Swale. • Domestic Violence Murder (NI 34) • To continue to support and work with the • % of victims subject to MARAC who specialist domestic violence court. experience repeated violence in • We will review links with local accident 12 months post MARAC. and emergency departments to ensure victims are signposted to relevant services, and information is utilised to improve services.

7 Priority Two – Crime and disorder in the Night Time Economy Swale has a varied night time economy amongst its three town centres, and Swale Community Safety Partnership want the environment to be safe and enjoyable for everyone.

Night Time Economy violence accounts for 46% of total violence within Swale, and Swale also suffers from Criminal Damage related to the night time economy. In the last community safety plan a number of initiatives were implemented to tackle this problem and we want to build on this work to make the town centres safer at night now and ensure that this is taken forward in the regeneration plans in Sittingbourne and Sheerness Town Centres

What we intend to do • We will carry out multi-agency night time How we will measure success economy operations in hotspot areas. To determine the impact of the work, the • Utilise powers made available via the partnership will monitor the following licensing act to control licensed indicators. premises. • Violent Crime in the Night Time Economy. • We will proactively use the Town Centre • Criminal Damage in the Night Time CCTV in the night time economy. Economy. • Maintain and expand Night Time Swale • Kent Ambulance Service Calls to the Night Safe and encourage premises to obtain Time Economy. safer socialising awards. • Encourage safer transport routes. • To incorporate safer town centre design in the new master plan for Sittingbourne Town Centre.

8 Priority Three – Reduce re-offending Home Office research informs us that approximately 10% of the active offender population are responsible for half of all crime that is committed. Therefore tackling priority and prolific offenders is a key responsibility for every community safety partnership. In 2004 the Community Safety Partnership set up the Identified Priority and Prolific Offender group to manage nominated individuals and we are looking to develop this process further over the coming years.

What we intend to do • Work with individuals on the Identified Prolific and Priority Offenders Scheme in the three strands of prevent & deter, catch and convict and resettle and rehabilitate. • Work with HMPS and Probation to offer opportunities for offenders to develop pathways to employment through placements and the ACT Swale scheme. How we will measure success To determine the impact of the work, the • Ensure that the needs of offenders are partnership will monitor the following taken into account in the Swale indicators. Borough Council Housing Strategy. • To support the National Reducing • Adult re-offending rates for those under Re-offending agenda, engaging with local probation supervision (NI 18) partners to engage in activities across the seven pathways to reducing re-offending; • Re-offending rate of prolific and priority offenders (NI 30) ● Accommodation ● Attitudes, Thinking and Behaviour ● Children and Families ● Drugs and Alcohol ● Employment, Training and Education ● Finance, Benefit and Debt ● Mental and Physical Health

9 Priority Four – Anti social behaviour Tackle the environment Anti-social behaviour remains a high priority for • To pilot a multi-agency graffiti removing the Community Safety Partnership. Low level scheme in Swale. incidents of nuisance and disregard for the community can affect resident’s quality of life. • Proactive enforcement in relation to The partnership want to continue to build on littering, dog fouling, fly-tipping and the work that has been developed over the last untaxed vehicles through the problems few years to ensure that residents are able to identified through the Partners report information to the relevant agencies and and Communities Together Process. have their problems dealt with in an effective • Work with communities to keep their areas and efficient way. clean and take pride in their local area.

What we intend to do How we will measure success To monitor the impact of the work, the partnership Work with Perpetrators monitor the following indicators.

• Proactive multi-agency enforcement in • Perceptions of ASB (NI 17) relation to anti social Behaviour. • Understanding of local concerns about • To improve the work of the anti-social anti-social behaviour and crime by the behaviour unit to enable them to better local council and Police (NI 27) utilise the legislation available to deal • Improved Street and environmental with individuals that cause anti-social cleanliness (NI 195) behaviour. • Tackle hotspot areas by utilising resources for high visibility patrols and environmental improvements. • Raise awareness and understanding of mental health issues amongst anti-social behaviour practitioners, to enable them to refer or sign post appropriately.

10 Priority Five – Work with young people Young people are important in every community. We need to ensure that young people get the right start in life. The DCSF has just launched its Youth Task Force Action Plan and it is a commitment to ensure that every area has an effective approach for dealing with young people who are in difficulty. Young people are often thought of as committing crime and anti-social behaviour; although some are, they are not the majority. We will work with those individuals that are offending or at risk of offending to change their behaviour. A high proportion of victims are also young people and we need to ensure • Identify and work with individuals that are that services are available to support them. at risk of offending through the prevent This was also highlighted within the Strategic and deter strand of the Identified Prolific Assessment as an area for the partnership to and Priority Offender Scheme. focus upon. • We will work with Victim Support in promoting the support offered to young What we intend to do people that are victims or witnesses of crime. • We will work with local children’s services partnerships to tackle issues relating to young people such as bullying, truancy, How we will measure success reducing exclusions & substance misuse To determine the impact of the work the education. partnership will carry out and monitor the • We will assess and improve provision of following indicators. parenting skills support and training in the • Perceptions of parents taking borough and link in with the children’s responsibility for the behaviour of their centres across Swale. children in the area. (NI 22) • We will engage with the youth forum and youth strategy to identify gaps in youth • Young people’s participation in positive provision in the borough and assist activities. (NI 110) statutory and voluntary organisations in • First time entrants to the Youth Justice provision and promoting the activities that System aged 10 – 17. (NI 111) are available.

• We will work with Swale Mediation Service on a pilot project in relation to restorative approaches with young people. • Work with youngsters who are at risk of offending through mentoring schemes.

11 Priority Six – Tackle substance misuse Alcohol and drug abuse is a clear driver of offending behaviour ranging from acquisitive crime and violence to anti-social behaviour. Therefore, it is imperative that Swale Community Safety Partnership tackles this issue through enforcement, education and treatment.

What we intend to do • Assess priority need for drug and alcohol services in the borough. • Disrupt the local drug market through police enforcement operations. • Work with Kent DAAT to publicise and improve service provision across the borough. • Work with local children’s service partnerships to promote substance misuse education in schools and youth groups. • Raise awareness and understanding of mental health issues amongst practitioners, to enable them to refer or sign post appropriately. • Work with communities to report drug and alcohol issues in the local community.

How we will measure success To determine the impact of the work, the partnership will monitor the following idicators:

• Drug users in effective treatment (NI 40) • Alcohol harm related hospital admissions (NI 39) • Drug-related (Class A) offending rate (NI 38) • Perceptions of drug use or drug dealing as a problem (NI 42)

12 Priority Seven – An active and engaged community The views of the Community are particular important to Swale Community Safety partnership. We want to ensure that our priorities are what the residents of Swale are most concerned about. We also need the community to join with us to tackle the problem; without the contribution of the voluntary sector many initiatives would not be sustainable.

What we intend to do • Develop and deliver a partnership communication strategy for both the public and partners. • Review and develop the Partners and Communities Together process. • To engage with the local community on tackling their priorities through the Partners and Communities Together process. • Work with Swale Council for Voluntary Services to encourage volunteering in order to sustain community projects. • Work with the Community Cohesion group to address issues relating to tensions amongst different communities.

How we will measure success To determine the impact of the work, the partnership will monitor the following indicators.

• % of people who believe people from different backgrounds get on well together in their local area. (NI 1) • Participation in regular volunteering (NI 6)

13 Swale Community Safety Partnership Structure

Partnership Development Actions: In addition to delivering all the actions 1. Implement the statutory reforms of Crime necessary to progress the priority themes of and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. this plan the Community Safety Partnership is 2. Achieve the six hallmarks of an effective also required to implement statutory reforms of partnership. Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. The Home Office has identified the following six hallmarks of effective partnerships: Structure of the Partnership The partnership will deliver their priorities ● Empowered and Effective Leadership through its action groups with strategic ● Intelligence-led Business Processes direction from the Executive group. ● Effective and Responsive Delivery Structures We will also work closely with the Domestic ● Engaged Communities Violence Forum, Youth Forum and Local ● Visible and Constructive Accountability Children’s Service Partnerships and with ● Appropriate Skills and Knowledge the other sub groups of the Local Strategic Partnership.

Executive

Identified Partnership Tasking & Problem & Co-ordinating Group Prolific Offenders Panel

Priority Young Substance Communication Crime People & Misuse & Engagement Group ASB Group Action Group

14 Keeping you informed Swale Community Safety Partnership is In the early part of 2009 we will be looking to dedicated to keeping you informed, we will consult with the community on progress of provide regular updates to the progress of the plan and emerging issues. This will help this plan through the Swale Borough Council us refresh the plan in April to ensure that we website and Inside Swale publication. remain focused on the priorities throughout the next three years. Over the coming year we will develop a communication strategy to ensure that you are If you require any further information in relation kept informed on community safety matters. to community safety or would like to give us Partners and Communities Together Meeting your views on this strategy then please contact will also receive regular updates on the activity the Community Safety Team on of the partnership. (01795) 417197 or (01795) 417336.

15 Contacting Swale Community Safety Partnership

Copies of this document are available on the Council website www.swale.gov.uk. If you would like further hard copies or alternative versions (i.e. large print, audio, different language) we will do our best to accommodate your request.

Please contact the CSP at: Community Safety Partnership Team, Swale Borough Council Swale House, East Street Sittingbourne Kent, ME10 3HT

Community Safety Partnership Team: ( (01795) 417336 / (01795) 417197