A Community Safety Conference – Thursday 8th May 2008

Crime and Disorder Reform
Reviewing 2008/11 strategies and preparing for new delivery and inspection frameworks

Tuesday 8th May 2008
Local Government House, Smith Square, Westminster SW1 

The morning programme

Helen Murray, Policy Programme Director, Local Government Association

This address will provide an overview of the Crime and Disorder issues affecting local authorities including the National Community Safety agenda, violent crime, gun and knife crime and disorder related to alcohol. It will also provide a local government perspective on CDRP Reform (outlined in the Police and Justice Act 2006 and the amended version in the Public Involvement in Health and Local Government Act 2007) as well as a local authority view on APACS and the CAA framework. 

Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) representative to be confirmed

This address will provide a view from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) on current national developments and will examine policing objectives that will require support from CDRPs. These will include future neighbourhood policing, the potential impact of the partnership recommendations made in Sir Ronnie Flanagan’s review of policing and APACS (Home Office - Assessments of Policing and Community Safety).

Chief Superintendent Paul Dowell, Lead on APACS Communication, the Home Office
Kathy Robinson, Lead on CDRP Reform, the Home Office

The strategic and technical consultations on APACS closed at the end of February 2008 with implementation scheduled for April 2009. In preparation for this, this presentation will focus on the APACS elements that affect CDRPs as well as joint indicator overlap with policing and national indicator sets.

Zoe Billingham, Director of Environment and Community Safety, the Audit Commission

A new Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) will replace the existing inspection of key local public services. This session will provide an update on the Comprehensive Area Assessment proposals and will focus in particular on the issues around Community Safety. The address will also examine the way CAAs will work with APACS.

The afternoon programme

Stuart Douglass, Sunderland City Council & Chair, LGA Community Safety Advisors

A case study from a leading local authority examining the approach they took to their 2008-2011 strategy and revised LAA. This address will also look at the impact of the recent National Crime Reduction Strategy and National Community Safety Plan on this approach with particular attention given to the increased focus on violent crime and alcohol related crime.

The conference will divide into streams to allow focus on unitary and two-tier issues around the development of recent strategies in the light of CDRP reform and national frameworks such as the National Crime Reduction Strategy as well as approaches to LAAs and performance management frameworks. The streams will allow delegates to share local experience of the key issues and their approach to their Partnership Strategic Intelligence Assessment.

Led by Dawn Hewitt, Head of Community Safety, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Bob Dimmock, Performance and Commissioning Manager, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Kerry Wright, Community Safety Support Officer, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council will provide a unitary perspective on the key issues around the new national frameworks, the development of strategies and their approach to their PSIA. This is a forum for delegates from unitary authorities to share good practise and discuss challenges specific to unitary authorities.

Led by Julia Stephens-Row, Assistant Director (Social Inclusion and Diversity), Suffolk County Council, together with representatives form Suffolk District Councils

Suffolk County Council together with a district representative will provide a two tier perspective on the key issues around the new national frameworks including the development of strategies and PSIAs. This stream is a forum in which delegates from county and district councils can share good practise and discuss key issues specific to two tier areas.