Agenda item - Older People:Keeping Safe; Community Safety

Presentation by Councillor Ben Duncan, Chair, Community Safety Forum and Linda Beanlands, Commissioner Community Safety, Brighton & Hove City Council, and Discussion.

60.1 Councillor Ben Duncan, Chair of the BHCC Community Safety Forum,  said the City Council worked closely with the Older People’s Council. It was a pleasure to speak to the OPC, and he would report back to Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, who had given apologies for this meeting.

60.2  Councillor Duncan pointed out that CSF did not have decision-making powers but it included representatives of a wide range of public services and Community groups including tenants groups and local action teams.

60.3 He reassured the meeting that evidence showed that older people were less likely to be victims than other age groups. However older people did tend to be more fearful of crime. This perception was known to have an impact on older people’s lives; such as feeling less safe when going out alone. Elder abuse was a known area of concern that was being addressed.

60.4 Councillor Duncan was pleased that the CSF acknowledged that the Brighton & Hove Community Safety Strategy took precedence over the Sussex-wide Sussex Policing Plan as it was tailored to local needs.

60.5 Community Safety Commissioner Linda Beanlands outlined the Partnership Community Safety Strategy, first developed in 1998. The Strategy was updated regularly but formerly it had not included a priority to increase the safety or feelings of safety of older people.

60.6 A Scrutiny Review of Older People and Community Safety had been led by Councillors and including John Eyles of OPC as co-optee. Detailed research and analysis from the Review had informed an action plan and Nahida Shaikh of the Partnership Community Safety Team was now leading on this work. Increasing the safety of older people and their perception of safety is now a priority in the current Community Safety, Crime Reduction and Drugs Strategy.

[The strategy is for a three year period starting last year hence covering 2011 – 2014.  It is refreshed every year i.e. this has been updated in 2012 and published in April 2012 on the Partnership  website. www.safeinthecity.info

Those interested can find the full strategy on the website under the subheading ‘documents’ and ‘data’ and then ‘Community Safety Crime Reduction and Drugs Strategy.’  It includes sections relating to all 13 priority areas of crime including Older People.]

60.7 The outcomes from the scrutiny review were circulated. Two unexpected findings were the extent to which older people experienced domestic violence and a link with the safeguarding of older people. Priority areas in the current Community Safety Strategy included Domestic Violence and other areas that were also specific to older people. There was now close working with the Adult Safeguarding Board, of which Linda Beanlands was a member.

60.8 More work was needed for example in providing practical information in an appropriate format for older people (not necessarily on-line). This would include contact details for emergency or advice services, advice on staying safe, and dealing with doorstep callers, and community links.

60.9 Francis Tonks Vice Chair and OPC rep on CSF, gave an update of yesterday’s CSF meeting including: a debate on responsibility for savage dogs; a reduction in overall recorded crime, though a 50% rise in personal theft such as mobile phones and handbags; elections in November for a Sussex Police Commissioner with reservations expressed about accountability and representation of Brighton & Hove within the Sussex policing area; and crime and health implications of alcohol misuse.

60.10 Councillor Duncan had for 5 years been a member of the Sussex Police Authority that sets the annual budget and local policing plan, holding the local police to account. It had sometimes seemed a ‘lone voice’ for Brighton & Hove within Sussex as a whole and Councillor Duncan said he was disappointed that in November, representation of policing issues for the City would be further diluted with the introduction of the Police and Crime Panel that would include one delegate from each District and Borough. However Councillor Duncan and would continue to work to represent Brighton & Hove, in holding the new Police Commissioner to account. A further update was that a second representative had been appointed for the city and that this would be Councillor Warren Morgan.

60.11 Harry Steer served on the Police Informal Advisory Group and was an observer on the Practitioners’ Alliance Against Abuse of Vulnerable Adults.  PAVA was an important group addressing elder abuse that was usually hidden, be it physical, mental or financial.

60.12 Nahida Shaikh pointed out that work was progressing on a joint action plan that included PAVA and the Adult Safeguarding Board, to help recognise elder abuse and know how to respond. Training sessions were provided to frontline staff and procedures were being integrated.

60.13 Janet Wakeling of OPC described an incident involving cold-calling in road where a number of elderly people lived. The Commissioner Community Safety said Trading Standards and the Police would investigate with a view to setting up a ‘no cold calling’ area.

60.14 OPC heard further details of: joint working on community safety between Neighbourhood Care Scheme and Pensioners Association, both of which  were supported by the ‘Impetus’ Brighton & Hove charity. The Pensioners’ Association was in a position to help get community safety information to residents that were more isolated and hard to reach.

60.15 There was further information on a pilot data system that included police recorded crime data and more ‘weight’ given to community intelligence; an extra analyst for the Partnership Community Safety Team; and a reference group on domestic and sexual violence that included older and younger age groups.

60.16 In answer to a question on abuse, OPC heard that statutory services including the City Council all had formal complaints systems that worked well, for example the Police Professional Standards Committee followed up complaints thoroughly. Ward Councillors were also well-placed to progress a  complaint about a public agency; and Age UK Brighton & Hove provided an information and advice, and advocacy service.

60.17 A single non-emergency phone number for the police – 101 – could be used to leave a message with the local neighbourhood policing team. Though if a crime is in progress, or there is fear of a crime, then 999 should be used.

60.18 The meeting discussed pavement access and the use of paved areas outside shops and restaurants. (It was later confirmed that the Access scrutiny review had been completed and no further monitoring was required; suitable policies and procedures were in place. If needed, local Councillors could be contacted regarding pavement obstructions)

60.19 The Environmental Initiatives Team could provide information on their work.

60.20 John Eyles, scrutiny co-ptee, congratulated the officers on progress with older people and community safety.

60.21 OPC welcomed the allocation of lead officer Nahida Shaikh plus  ‘Community Safety and Older People’ updates for future OPC/older people’s organisation meetings. (ACTION: NS)

60.22 OPC Chair Jack Hazelgrove thanked Councillor Duncan and the officers, welcomed the work in progress and looked forward to hearing updates.