Agenda item

To consider and approve standard items for the meetings of the Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Panel.

(Report attached)

Members were presented with suggested standard items which they were asked to consider in order for inclusion on the Panel’s Work Programme.

Minutes from the meetings of the Partnership

It was noted that the minutes of the meetings of the Partnership were confidential and would be considered in private session. Officers informed the meeting that Panel Members would be required to sign a disclosure prior to becoming recipients of this information.

The Redditch Community Safety Plan

Officers were supportive of proposals for the Panel to consider aspects of the Community Safety Plan. The Plan included a large amount of thematic and geographical data and it was considered a useful means by which members might develop an understanding of community safety issues. It was proposed that the draft Plan be submitted to the meeting of the Panel in April.

The Annual Strategic Assessment document

The Annual Strategic Assessment was likened by Officers to the Story of Place equivalent for the Borough and, as such, was considered unwieldy and impractical to present to Members. It was suggested that the Executive Summary would provide the Panel with the degree of detail that might readily be assimilated. Officers were to provide this document to the Panel in due course.

Redditch Community Safety Partnership – Chair’s Annual Report

It was agreed that the Chair of the Partnership be invited to present an annual report to the Panel. The Chair of the Partnership proposed that this report be submitted to the meeting of the Panel each April to coincide with the year end for the Partnership.

Local Area Agreement

Officers noted that reporting on the achievement against the targets for the Local Area Agreement was extensive and was scrutinised at a county level. It was proposed that that the Panel receive feedback on performance against Local Area Agreement targets through the minutes of the Partnership.

Comprehensive Area Assessment

Members were advised that community safety issues addressed through the Comprehensive Area Assessment were not directly scrutinised by any other body and so would be a useful area of activity for the Panel. It was proposed that the last published Comprehensive Area Assessment be provided to Members alongside information provided for all the Key Lines of Enquiry.

Standard Redditch Borough Council Scrutiny items

Members considered and agreed to retain a number of standard scrutiny processes as a regular activities for the Panel.

These were:

(i)                 Receipt of an Action List outlining actions requested at previous meetings of the Panel and progress in the implementation of the actions.

(ii)               Use of the Council’s scrutiny scoping document to scope the terms of reference for Policy reviews.

(iii)             Provision of regular updates on the work of Task and Finish Groups;

(vi)              Contribution to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Annual Report.

General matters

Members were advised that legislative developments were arising in relation to the work of Community Safety Partnership and that these changes and revised expectations needed to be considered alongside the current community safety agenda and guidance. The Panel members were also advised that work might usefully be undertaken in scrutinising how funding streams were allocated in respect of Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. It was suggested that these matters be addressed in the annual report of the Chair of the Partnership.

The Panel was encouraged to identify suitable areas for Task and Finish review. It was noted that a proposal had already been received on the broad theme of perceptions of crime but Members were advised that a distinct, short term piece of work would be a more practical base from which the Panel could commence its activities.

RESOLVED that

1)         the Work Programme be developed in accordance with the preamble, above;

2)         Officers provide Panel members with the information as detailed above; and

3)         Panel members report areas for Task and Finish review to the next meeting of the Panel.