SAFER FUTURE COMMUNITIES Clinks | 59 Carter Lane | London | EC4V 5AQ 0207 246 2564

1. SAFER FUTURE COMMUNITIES Clinks |59 Carter Lane |London|EC4V 5AQ 0207 246 2564 www.clinks.org/services/sfc

2. REGIONAL BRIEFING EVENTS Preparing for Police and Crime Commissioners

3. Police and Crime Commissioners • On November 15th 2012 the public in England and Wales (excluding London) will vote for a Police and Crime Commissioner to replace the current Police Authority in their area

4. PCC responsibilities • Appointing the Chief Constable • Producing a 5 year Police and Crime Plan • Setting the annual police force budget • Setting the policing precept in Council Tax • Commissioning community safety activities • Duty to co-operate on • community safety • Criminal justice services

5. Police and crime panels • Local elected councillors + co-opted members • Scrutinise the actions of the PCC (NOT the police force) • Powers of veto over precept and appointment of chief constable • Scrutinise draft police and crime plan • Scrutinise and question PCC’s annual report

6. Implications for the VCSE sector • Need to review current arrangements for delivering community safety services • Understand the new commissioning landscape • Provide evidence to support your “business plan” • Demonstrate how you can help the PCCs to understand the needs of local people • Represent the needs and concerns of the most vulnerable groups, including victims and offenders

7. Safer Future Communities • Led by Clinks, in partnership with NAVCA, NCVYS, Drugscope, Women’s Resource Centre, CWVYS and WCVA • Funded by the Home Office Support and Modernisation Fund to support frontline VCSE organisations to prepare for PCCs and the new commissioning landscape

8. Aims • To secure more effective working between the sector, Community Safety Partnerships, PCCs and other statutory agencies • To support PCC area networks to develop and communicate a convincing case about local community safety needs and how the VCSE can contribute • To ensure the Home Office community safety priorities are represented across the networks

9. Why? • Survey results (December 2011- 850 responses) • 34% had not heard about changes taking place • 74% think the changes will be important to their organisation • 72% think it will be critically important for PCCs to work with local VCSE sector • Of those who were aware of the reforms: • 74% recognise the opportunity to influence policy • 20% think VCSEs will collaborate to influence PCCs

10. Local VCSE networks • A lead organisation in each PCC area will: • Co-ordinate and manage a diverse network • Gather information and evidence around local priorities and influence strategic plans • Build links between the network and other strategic partners • Identify training and support needs of network partners • Provide evidence of the success and impact of the network and of lessons for policy makers and practitioners • Ensure excluded groups and the vulnerable are heard and represented

11. How will Safer Future Communities help? • Provide reasonable expenses to support the creation and development of networks • Keep networks informed of developments • Provide information, support and training • Disseminate learning for policy and practice from the work of the networks • Respond to the needs of the networks

12. More information • www.homeoffice.gov.uk/police/police-crime-commissioners/ • www.clinks.org/services/sfc • Lindapizani.williams@clinks.org (Project Manager) • Jessica.Mullen@clinks.org (Project Co-ordinator) • Annalesha.Edgehill@clinks.org (Project Administrator)

13. SAFER FUTURE COMMUNITIES Clinks |59 Carter Lane |London|YO1 6JH 0207 246 2564 www.clinks.org/services/sfc