Building Confidence in Our Communities

1. Building Confidence in Our Communities • Jeremy Holderness • Chief Executive, NYPA

2. Why? • 2005 General Election – on the doorstep • Accountability • Tripartite relationship – ‘one gets all the power, one gets all the resources, one gets all the blame’ • 2008 Green Paper • Policing Pledge

3. What? • Single Confidence Target ‘The police and local authorities are dealing with the antisocial behaviour and crime issues which matter in this area’ • 12% improvement by 2012 - starting at 54% • NPIA comments that Public Confidence is: • “A broad concept closely associated with trust, legitimacy and perceived effectiveness.” • What contributes to confidence?

4. Some issues Performance will be measured through the BCS, and more locally through the Public Attitude Survey Not high on local authority priorities Public confidence not always reflective of actual Crime and ASB levels – so what does contribute? Lots of studies into what contributes to public confidence Differs according to the circumstances

5. Lets have a go • Trust and confidence – overcoming the cynicism • Major institutional/cultural issues • Statistics – keep it local and simple • Language • Understanding • Openness and transparency • Cut out the own goals • Engage and empower

6. Why engage? • The Partnership has a duty to consult and seek the participation of their communities in their work • The Police Authority separately has a duty to make arrangements to seek the views of communities. Local authorities have a duty to involve • The Police, under the Policing Pledge, has to consult communities on quarterly, local priorities • Other agencies also need to consult and inform members of the public on its work

7. Community Engagement • Not just consultation – much more than that • Its about how institutions which are owned by the public behave towards the public • Honour, integrity, responsibility, humility, service • Explain... ask....listen.... respond....accept blame..... say sorry..... tell it as it is....do the hard things, not the easy ones We need communities to work with us, and they will only do that if they have confidence in us and what we are doing.... So, what are we doing

8. How? – District Level • Increase the positive media coverage that the Partnership receives • Employed through the BCU fund, a graduate to work through a co-ordinated communication strategy - potential to widen the strategy for a coherent approach throughout the county • Altered the structure of the Partnership to allow greater input from those on the ground and vehicle for information to go back to communities – the critical element

9. How? – Even More Local • As part of the re-structure of the Partnership, a monthly Delivery Group has been formed • The old Community and Police Groups have been re-named to Safer Neighbourhoods Groups and now focus on a broader range of crime and disorder issues other than police specific • SNGs now set up or being set up through the SNT Inspectors across the District bringing new people on board • Community led, serviced predominantly by the Police, administratively supported by the Partnership – 6 monthly meeting with all Chairs to evaluate process

10. How? – Even More Local • Issues are reported back to the Delivery Group and assigned to a named person • Progress or inactivity is reported back to the Safer Neighbourhoods Group and reasoned • Delivery Group reports to the bi-monthly Executive Meetings • Feedback is positive so far, more agencies are now involved in the process and confidence in the system is evident and progressing • Bilton Group example

11. Ambition The risks are big... • Decision-makers need to defer • We are no longer the experts • We will be accountable for our actions • We need to really lead....not just dictate but the prize is bigger • The people we serve trust us and value what we do • They want to be part of what we are doing • They will support us when times are hard...and share our achievements We will together control our lives