Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

Venue: Maybin Room, One Angel Square, Angel Street, Northampton NN1 1ED

Contact: James Edmunds, Democratic Services 

Note: The meeting will be webcast live at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDyc2cNcl19OvcGOCuZDTBQ 

Items
No. Item

25.

Apologies for Absence and Notification of Substitute Members

Minutes:

Apologies for non-attendance were received from Councillors Gonzalez De Savage, Pritchard and Smith.

26.

Notification of requests from members of the public to address the meeting

Any requests to speak on an item on the agenda should be notified to the Chair (c/o the Committee Manager) by 12 noon two working days before the date of the meeting.

Minutes:

None received.

27.

Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to declare any interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting.

Minutes:

None declared.

28.

Chair's Announcements

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed all those present to the meeting and made the following points:

·         The meeting was being webcast live and participants were asked to use their microphones.

·         The Chair had attended the annual national conference for Police & Crime Panels on 2nd November 2021 and had circulated a summary of proceedings to Panel members.

29.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 367 KB

To confirm the minutes of the Panel meeting held on 9th September 2021.

Decision:

RESOLVED that: the minutes of the Police, Fire & Crime Panel meeting held on 9th September 2021 be approved, subject to the addition of Councillor Russell Roberts to the list of Panel members who gave apologies for non-attendance.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that: the minutes of the Police, Fire & Crime Panel meeting held on 9th September 2021 be approved, subject to the addition of Councillor Russell Roberts to the list of Panel members who gave apologies for non-attendance.

 

Matters arising from the minutes

 

18/21 Police & Crime Plan Delivery Update

 

The Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner (PFCC) confirmed that since the previous Panel meeting the Office of the Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner (OPFCC) had secured £300,000 funding from round three of the Safer
Streets Fund.

 

21-09/09/2021  Joint Independent Audit Committee Annual Report 2020/21

 

In response to a question the PFCC advised that the recent recruitment of two members of the Joint Independent Audit Committee was to fill vacancies resulting from existing appointments coming to an end, not to increase the size of the body.

30.

Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner's Draft Police, Fire & Crime Plan 2021-2026 pdf icon PDF 8 MB

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED that:

a)     The Panel endorses the Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire’s draft Police, Fire & Crime Plan 2021-26.

b)     The Panel welcomes the focus on prevention and partnership working reflected in the draft Police, Fire & Crime Plan 2021-26.

Minutes:

The PFCC presented the draft Police, Fire & Crime Plan, highlighting the following points:

·         This was the first combined Police, Fire & Crime Plan for Northamptonshire but also in the country as a whole.

·         The draft Plan set out his strategic priorities, not an exhaustive list of future actions.

·         The strategic priorities in the draft Plan sought to protect and build on previous work and to give a renewed focus to the core objective of making Northamptonshire a safer place.

·         The draft Plan identified key priorities for Northamptonshire Police, for Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service (NFRS), for joint working between the two services and for work with other partners. This reflected the PFCC’s experience that some of the issues affecting safety in the county could not be solved by a single organisation.

·         He was confident in the level of consultation carried out on the draft Plan and that the feedback obtained supported his proposed priorities.

·         The new Plan would support continuing improvement in local services by challenging the force and NFRS to raise the bar still further. Previous investment had put the force on course to have more than 1,500 officers by 2023, the highest number ever, and had stabilised NFRS. The new Plan would help to use resources more effectively to meet the challenges of the future.

·         He was confident that with effective working between organisations Northamptonshire would be made a safer place.

The Panel considered the draft Police, Fire & Crime Plan.

 

The Panel questioned the PFCC about the level of public support for the priorities set out in the draft Plan. Panel members made the following points:

·         The 1,103 people who responded to the consultation survey on the draft Plan represented approximately 0.2 per cent of the population of Northamptonshire aged 20 years and over. The PFCC was questioned about whether he was confident that this represented an adequate sample size and how it could be increased in future.

·         The PEEL 2021/22 inspection report on Northamptonshire Police had concluded that the force needed to improve its own community engagement.

·         The demographic breakdown of responses to the consultation survey raised concerns about the level of engagement with people living in ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods in areas such as Corby and with people from black and minority ethnic community groups.

The PFCC made the following points in response:

·         There was not a simple answer to improving public engagement. The OPFCC continued to look for new ways to do so and reviewed past consultation exercises to identify opportunities to improve.

·         The priorities in the draft Plan reflected commitments he had made when standing for election in 2021. These had had been supported by over 102,000 voters in addition to the responses to the latest consultation exercise.  

Panel members emphasised the increasing risk of cyber-related crime and fraud. This could be a hidden issue, which some victims were reluctant to report. There was scope to provide more information and support to people who were potentially vulnerable, such as older people living alone or people who were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

31.

Fire & Rescue Plan Delivery Update pdf icon PDF 575 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED that: the Panel notes the report.

Minutes:

The PFCC presented the report, highlighting the following points:

·         NFRS had increased its public-facing activity as the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic had improved. It had increased home fire safety checks four-fold, re-started visits to schools and provided fire safety advice to new students at the University of Northampton (UoN).

·         The force and NFRS performance teams had just jointly purchased a new demographic data system. This was another example of the greater collaboration permitted by co-location at Darby House, which in-turn maximised the resources available for frontline services. 

The Panel considered the report and members made the following points during the course of discussion:

·         The report was very positive and activities detailed such as the provision of advice to students and the introduction of an accredited fire service wellbeing dog were excellent ideas.

·         It was questioned whether there was scope to operate an emergency services cadets scheme for UoN students, given the range of other organisations and activities in which students could participate.

·         The report demonstrated emerging improvements in local services, which were very welcome.

·         The improvement in response times that had been achieved was impressive and those involved should be congratulated. The report also gave a positive picture on appliance availability.

·         The new joint arson reduction strategy between the force and NFRS was impressive. It was questioned whether this would include communication with youth workers to help to address the issue of young people setting fires.

·         It was questioned that NFRS did not seem to have the same level of engagement with the local authority building control function as in the past, which could increase fire safety risk in properties. The emergency services needed to be informed about proposals to avoid this situation.

The PFCC provided additional information in response to points raised by members during the course of discussion as follows:

·         NFRS currently had two high-rise appliances and two more were on-order, although the current world situation would affect when they would be delivered.

·         The provision of fire safety advice to students in conjunction with UoN was a good example of some simple partnership working that produced tangible benefits.

·         Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) would review NFRS performance in detail but it was maintaining performance levels despite the challenges of the pandemic. The PFCC thanked the Northamptonshire MPs who had made representations to the government concerning the need for additional resources. The government now proposed to permit Fire & Rescue authorities in the lowest charging quartile to raise the precept by up to £5 at Band D in 2022/23.

·         He sought to learn from the examples of wider joint working in other areas. He would be visiting Cornwall during the winter to see its tri-service emergency response scheme, which involved police community support officers, Fire & Rescue and ambulance service personnel. He would also be visiting Wales to see examples of well-established joint police and Fire & Rescue control rooms.

·         Members should highlight any specific cases where NFRS had not been engaged in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

32.

Police & Crime Plan Delivery Update pdf icon PDF 744 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED that: the Panel notes the report.

Minutes:

The PFCC presented the report, highlighting the following points:

·         A range of significant work continued to support the delivery of his Police & Crime Plan priorities.

·         The OPFCC had secured £300,000 from the Home Office Safety of Women at Night Fund to support local crime-fighting projects. This was the latest in a series of successful funding bids.

·         The OPFCC had introduced a Safer Nights Out (SNO) van in Northampton in the previous week. The SNOvan provided support to people out at night-time and had engaged with other 100 people on its first night of operation.

·         The breadth of early intervention activity in the county continued to deliver benefits. The Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) team had helped to support 1,800 young people from over 1,000 families since it was established in January 2021. This activity helped to prevent crime and to support young people to make better life choices.

·         Two new neighbourhood Beat Buses now operating in the county were helping to support visible policing, public engagement with and confidence in the force.

·         The OPFCC had obtained nearly £3m funding for Northamptonshire from the Home Office Safer Streets Fund. The resulting projects demonstrated the value of targeted work done in partnership with the force.

The Panel considered the report and members made the following points during the course of discussion:

·         The new retail crime investigator post funded by the OPFCC was a positive development for Northamptonshire. Actions to enhance the local response to people with mental health needs were also welcome.

·         The PFCC should seek to broaden the funding streams providing resources for Northamptonshire as far as possible.

·         The focus on safety for women reflected in the report was supported.

·         It was questioned how the issue of ‘spiking’ was being addressed in Northamptonshire. Brighton was an example of an area that seemed to employ more safety measures, such as metal detectors on the doors of licensed premises and the operation of a safety word scheme. It was questioned whether the PFCC was able to enforce good practice in this regard.

·         Performance against the Police & Crime Plan outcome for victim satisfaction showed a 76.2 per cent overall satisfaction rate for the last 12-month period compared to 76.6 per cent for the same period in the previous year. Reassurance was sought that action was being taken to address this decrease.

·         Reassurance was sought that the PFCC was holding to account the Chief Constable for the quality of court files produced by the force, given concerns on this point connected with the fact that the first-time guilty plea rate at Northampton Magistrates Court in September 2021 had been at the lowest level since 2018.

·         The PEEL 2021/22 inspection report on Northamptonshire Police had raised the need for more investment in digital capability to address delays in investigating devices involved in crimes. It was questioned whether more additional resources were being provided for this purpose.

·         Concern was raised that the PEEL 2021/22 inspection report stated that 42 per cent of Northamptonshire Police officers had left voluntarily  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.

33.

Fire & Rescue Authority Budget Update pdf icon PDF 734 KB

Decision:

RESOLVED that: the Panel notes the report.

Minutes:

The PFCC presented the report setting out the latest forecast outturn position and future financial challenges, highlighting the following points:

·         He continued to work with Northamptonshire MPs and the Home Office to highlight the challenges relating to the Fire & Rescue Authority budget. The fact that the PFCC would be permitted to raise the Fire precept by up to £5 at Band D in 2022/23 demonstrated that this effort was having an effect.

·         Further funding was still being sought for the capital programme. The Home Office had responded positively to the case being made.

The Panel considered the report and members made the following points during the course of discussion:

·         Reassurance was sought about the budget provision for firefighters’ protective equipment in the county. NFRS should be able to provide its personnel with the best possible safety equipment.

·         Further information was sought about the provision in the Fire & Rescue Authority budget for the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme and costs arising from firefighters being injured on duty. It was noted that the Spending Review 2021 did not address the potential future impact of actuarial reviews.

·         Northamptonshire had set a good example as one of the first areas that had implemented the Commissioner Fire & Rescue Authority model.

·         The report gave confidence that a good service was being provided to Northamptonshire even with a low level of funding.

·         It was questioned whether any work was being done in Northamptonshire to remove unsafe cladding using funding announced by the government.

The PFCC made the following points during the course of discussion:

·         The Police and Firefighters’ pension schemes were both very good unfunded schemes. Pensions was a complex and emotive area. Legislation was due in the next year. The implications of this would need to be addressed: pensions contributions represented a significant portion of the police and Fire & Rescue authority budgets.

·         He agreed that NFRS personnel needed to be well-equipped, but he had to operate within finite resources. He was committed to firefighter safety and would like to hear of any specific concerns in this regard.

·         Fire & Rescue services were not responsible for work to remove unsafe cladding. He considered that houses in multiple occupation represented a greater risk area in Northamptonshire than high rise buildings.

In response to questions the Chief Finance Officer advised the Panel that the opportunity to raise the Fire precept by £5 at Band D would make a significant difference to financial challenges in 2022/23 outlined in the report. However, inflation would remain a significant pressure in the medium term.

The PFCC subsequently returned to a point raised earlier in the meeting, clarifying that the reference in the PEEL 2021/22 inspection report on the force to 42 per cent of officers leaving before their expected retirement age related to a particular group of 46 officers, not to officers as a whole.

RESOLVED that: the Panel notes the report.

34.

Policing Budget Update pdf icon PDF 737 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED that: the Panel notes the report.

Minutes:

The PFCC presented the report setting out the latest forecast outturn position and future financial challenges, highlighting the following points:

·         The current forecast outturn was for an underspend of £733,000. If there was an underspend at the end of the financial year he would consider options for using this, including to support the capital programme, investment or one-off pressures.

·         He was underwhelmed by the prospective financial settlement from the government based on current information. He continued to make the case for fairer funding for Northamptonshire that better reflected local population growth.

The Panel considered the report and members made the following points during the course of discussion:

·         Further information was sought about the budget for police vehicles in Northamptonshire, the size of the force’s vehicle fleet and the costs of accidents and maintenance. The number of vehicles available to the force contributed to its ability to identify crime and to carry out visible policing.

·         Auditors would consider that the current forecast outturn effectively represented a balanced position at this point in the financial year.

·         The PFCC was challenged on the relationship between the positive position presented in the report and issues such as the continuing level of knife crime in the county. Residents did not see crime as decreasing but could see examples of it happening widely in the open. Wholesale social change was needed to address this.

The PFCC made the following points during the course of discussion:

·         The current forecast underspend was a one-off underspend relating to the timing of spending in one area. The overall medium term financial position showed a structural deficit in future years.

·         Further information could be provided about the budget for the force’s vehicle fleet if requested. The roll-out of telematics vehicle tracking to the fleet was 50 per cent complete and gave good data about vehicle usage. The force was also able to monitor and manage accidents effectively. The force currently had approximately 450 vehicles but it was essential to ensure that this was the right number to meet future demands. A briefing on the police fleet and the telematics system might be helpful for the Panel.

·         Decisions on vehicle purchasing considered reliability as a key factor. However, this could be a complex and changing area: petrol and diesel vehicles would not be sold from 2030 but it currently took less energy to run Darby House than to charge to full some electric cars.

·         The forecast overspend of £35,000 on the force budget was a fraction of the overall total and represented commendable performance that other forces were challenged to emulate.

·         The forecast underspend on the reducing reoffending budget resulted from government requirements not being implemented when anticipated. This was a case where a saving might be re-used and this would be considered as part of the development of 2022/23 budget proposals.

·         The £351,000 forecast pressure on the force control room budget reflected that budget delivery was affected by any differences between anticipated and actual staff departures. Staffing needed to be managed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34.

35.

Police, Fire & Crime Panel Work Programme 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 393 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED that:

a)     The Panel requests to receive a report to its meeting on 14th April 2022 on priorities in Northamptonshire with regard to managing fire safety risks in residential properties, to include risks associated with houses in multiple occupation.

b)     The Panel agrees that Panel members should be able to make requests for information to the Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner between Panel meetings, on the following basis:

·         Requests should be sent to the Panel Secretariat to forward to the Office of the Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner

·         Requests should be circulated by the Secretariat to all Panel members and substitute members for information.

c)     The Panel identifies the involvement of children and young people in crime and anti-social behaviour in Northamptonshire as a potential topic for scrutiny as part of its future work programme, subject to further consideration of the practicalities involved.

d)     The Panel agrees that its meeting agendas should include guide timings for individual agenda items in future.

Minutes:

The Democratic Services Assistant Manager presented the report setting out the latest version of the Panel’s work programme, highlighting the following points:

·         Briefing sessions with the Chief Constable and Chief Fire Officer and the tour of Darby House originally due to take place on 22nd November 2021 needed to be rescheduled.

·         The Panel had not yet set a date for the requested report on action being taken in Northamptonshire in response to the outcomes of the Kerslake Report and Public Inquiry on the Manchester Arena attack.

The Panel considered the report.

The Chair noted that the PFCC had highlighted fire safety risks connected with HMOs as an area of concern in Northamptonshire. The Panel could consider adding an item on home fire safety risks, including those relating to HMOs, to its work programme.

The Panel considered the potential to request a workshop session with the PFCC on performance against key priorities, to provide more time to raise questions on the latest update reports. It was subsequently highlighted that there was scope for members to request information from, or ask questions to, the PFCC between Panel meetings in order to support scrutiny at formal meetings. This should be centrally co-ordinated appropriately through the Secretariat.

The Chair raised the need for the Panel to take further action regarding the appointment of substitute members by the constituent local authorities. The Chair could play a role in liaising with political groups regarding substitution but had better contacts at North Northamptonshire Council than West Northamptonshire Council. The Democratic Services Assistant Manager subsequently made the following points:

·         The current state of the pandemic did increase practical issues relating to attendance and substitution at committee meetings.

·         The Panel would need to take account of the constituent authorities’ approach to substitution. West Northamptonshire Council did not currently appoint specific substitutes for committees.

·         The Panel’s Rules of Procedure meant that if the Chair and Vice Chair were both councillor members they would each come from a different constituent authority. 

The Panel considered the potential for it to carry out some in-depth scrutiny work on the issue of young people’s involvement in crime and anti-social behaviour in Northamptonshire. Panel members made the following points during discussion:

·         The risk to young people of becoming involved in crime was growing. Vulnerable young people needed to be supported effectively and not fall through the gaps between different services.

·         The Panel could consider holding an information-gathering workshop with young people, youth service representatives and the PFCC. Scrutiny by the Panel could help to ensure that local services were joined-up.

·         Local authorities were primarily responsible for safeguarding young people.
Any work on this topic should reflect that the Panel’s role was to scrutinise and support the PFCC.

·         It could be helpful for members to set out the particular issues that they thought the Panel should scrutinise. These could be raised with the PFCC in the first instance. The Panel might then hold a workshop if it was not satisfied with the response.

·         Some young  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

36.

Urgent Business

The Chair to advise whether they have agreed to any items of urgent business being admitted to the agenda.

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

 

The Chair offered best wishes to Panel members for Christmas and the New Year.