Agenda item

To update the Panel on progress in respect of the Public Protection Partnership including a presentation from Sean Murphy, Public Protection Manager.

The Panel considered a report outlining the progress of the Public Protection Partnership entered into with West Berkshire and Wokingham in January 2017, bringing together all the regulatory services functions.  The proposal had been considered, agreed and implemented within a tight six month schedule, on the understanding that there would be a £150k saving in staff costs.  In setting up the new service  it was recognised that with less staff there had to be a change to how resources are used and in future they were be focussed around the delivery of the Agreed Strategic Priorities determined by a Joint Committee of the three partner Authorities.

Sean Murphy, the Public Protection Manager for the Partnership gave a presentation on the first year of its operation.  The Partnership had been established by an Inter Authority Agreement which included Core Priority themes to guide service delivery.  A Business Plan had been prepared, and a draft Strategic Assessment was due for consideration by the Joint Committee on 19 March 2018.  The Partnership had a written Control Strategy outlining how the service would be delivered.  The nature of the service had evolved to be more information and intelligence led, from which planned work activities and preventative actions were formulated.

The Joint Committee, comprising two elected Members from each Authority, had met three times and considered and agreed a range of issues including:

• Business Plan
• Communications Strategy
• Age Restricted Sales Enforcement Policy
• Asset Recovery Policy
• Food Enforcement Plan
• Performance report
• Trading Standards South East (TSSEL) Directors
• Budget
• Community Fund

The Partnership was considered to have made significant progress in its first year, had delivered services within its rebuilt budget (achieving savings for all Partner Authorities) and was building capacity through more efficient working with partners through a joint case management system.  Nevertheless, there were challenges ahead around such issues as developing a greater understanding of the workings of the new model by Members/Officers particularly in the other councils, revisions to its structure, a rationalisation of the accommodation occupied and ICT.

Arising from questions and discussion the Panel noted:

• The Business Plan for the Partnership had been developed using the activity levels and actions performed by each of the constituent Authorities aimed at ensuring a fair and equitable allocation of the service between the partners.  Clearly there were peaks and troughs in the demands on the service, but activity levels in each area were kept under review.
• The Partnership was virtually fully staffed, currently running at 105 in number; there were only four vacancies at present.
• The Council’ was represented on the Joint Committee by Councillors Allen and McCracken.  It was confirmed that they would be reporting back to the Council in due course.
• Monies recovered through Asset Recovery actions carried out was returned to the Partnership and used to benefit victim support, communications, further asset recovery work etc.
• The Community Fund, having received a crime prevention grant of £50k, had been opened to bids from local organisations that were working in such areas as crime prevention and fighting the fear of crime.  Eight grants were approved in the first round of bids; a further round of bidding would take place in the summer of 2018, and it was proposed to further develop the publicity arrangements for the scheme in order to attract bids from as wide a range of organisations as possible.
• There were new rules coming into force on HMOs which would increase the number of properties that required licensing.  This was largely related to fire safety issues and the close working relationship that had been developed with the Fire Service would be key, using joint inspections wherever appropriate.

The Chairman thanked the Partnership Officers for their presentation.  Although the joint service was still very much in its infancy, it was confirmed that there had been no complaints received or reports from the public of issues not dealt with.  It was noted that the Partnership would shortly issue the first in a series of briefing bulletins for members.