Agenda item

Verbal update.

The Board received an update on the Community Safety and Cohesion Partnership

• The Community Safety and Cohesion Partnership commenced activity at the start of the year to refresh the local CSCP Plan
• A partnership workshop was held which clearly identified:

-       the need to focus upon behaviours causing the most threat, risk and harm and work to strengthen communities, with consideration of all factors which affected cohesion.

-       new CSCP Plan would need to be reflective of the changing world in relation to protecting the most vulnerable, with inclusion of the response to serious and organised, crime, modern slavery, complex safeguarding and serious violence as key priorities

-       a number of themes which impacted on community safety and cohesion were cross cutting with other work areas, for example poverty. It was agreed that some thematic areas would not necessarily be led in the CSCP Plan but that there would be connectivity and reference to these as ongoing in other work streams.

-       the new Plan would need to be aligned with the developing work around the Place-Based working arrangements.

• In addition to the work around the CSCP Plan it was also agreed that the Partnership itself needed to be reviewed, with a refresh of the terms of reference and the membership to ensure the best value from the Partnership was achieved from across all sectors.
• The work on Covid had continued to take up a significant amount of time and this had resulted in this work not being progressed in the timeline originally planned.
• The underlying work of the existing Plan continued, with a commitment to protecting individuals and communities from harm. The operational work had not been impacted and the response to Covid had provided opportunities to work much closer with communities and the voluntary/community/faith sector area, and reinforced how important it was that they were recognised and the contributions they could make, as key stakeholders in the Plan going forward.

Members requested and received clarification on the following:

• The correlation between poverty and inequalities and serious crime – poverty made individuals more susceptible to the criminal world eg loan-sharking. It made families easier to exploit and the Council was working with vulnerable families to find alternative opportunities.
• The enhancement of the ability to support by working in partnership – there was a very strong partnership ethos in Oldham, with a huge benefit from it. Services were able to mobilise quickly because of the excellent working relationships and strong work with communities.
• Social isolation and keeping safe online – there was awareness that isolation could put vulnerable adults at risk, but no specific projects.
• Voluntary and community sector training and resources – the Council was working closely with Action Together and there were funding pots that groups could apply to. Volunteers had to be carefully risk-managed during the pandemic.
• Consultation on the draft Plan - once the draft had been put together, it would be circulated for comments.

RESOLVED that:

1.    The update be noted.

2.    Once the draft Plan had been put together, it would be circulated to Board Members for their comments.