Minutes of the Dorset Community Safety Partnership - 16 June 2025

Attendance

Apologies 

• Lewis Gool (Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner)
• Molly Rennie (Dorset Domestic Abuse Forum)
• Julia Ingram (Dorset Council)

Item 

No 1. Confirmation of Vice Chair

1.1 Chief Superintendent Julie Howe was nominated and agreed as Vice Chair. 

No 2. Minutes of Meeting held on 19 December 2024 and Matters Arising

2.1 9.2 Strategy for Drug and Alcohol Prevention - it was agreed Rachel Young would arrange a meeting between the Police and Crime Commissioner (in their role as Chair of Combatting Drugs Partnership), Chair of the Safeguarding Adults Board and Directors of Public Health, to agree a way forward. Rachel agreed to feedback at the next Community Safety Partnership. 

Action - Rachel Young

No 3. Performance Measures Report

3.1 Two reports were circulated prior to the meeting. One outlined recent developments in the refining of the existing performance measurement metrics, the other provided the latest quarterly update of these measures.

3.2 Ian Denness highlighted four areas of progress regarding the development of the measures:

1. Hotspot localities for the monitoring of Anti Social Behaviour and Serious Violence

3.3 Ten police beats had earlier been identified as priority areas for the monitoring of both Anti Social Behaviour and Serious Violence. The Community Safety Partnership was asked to confirm these twenty areas as the hotspot locations for incorporation to the performance management framework.

3.4 Questions were raised as to the relationship between these areas and those identified by the Home Office as part of its Op-Track project, for which funding has been received to develop Anti Social Behaviour and violence responses locally. 

3.5 A further question was asked about changing the locations of hotspots over time.

3.6 It was agreed that further work would be undertaken to explore the potential for dynamic ‘mobile’ hotspots, plus an investigation of the hotspot identification processes adopted by the Home Office. In the meantime, monitoring of the current hotspots would continue.

Action - Ian Denness / Julie Howe

2. Anti Social Behaviour with drink and drugs

3.7 A discussion was held regarding the comprehensiveness, accuracy and usability of data from the Police’s STORM database when linking Anti Social Behaviour events with the misuse of drink and drugs. Most the of data is derived from complaints registered by the public and is not subject to any quality control or checking.

3.8 For this reason, it was decided not to use STORM for these purposes and to abandon the provisional performance measures 3.5a, 3.5b and 3.5c.

3. Overlap with Partner strategies and plans
 
3.9 A range of plans were studied, but the only potential overlap was seen with the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan which contains three relevant success measures:

• total Anti Social Behaviour incidents
• number of crimes involving most serious violence
• total rural crime

4. Three proposed new performance measures
 
3.10 The Home Office had identified three key measures of success for the Serious Violence Duty:

• a reduction in hospital admissions for assaults with a knife or sharp object
• a reduction in knife and sharp object enabled serious violence recorded by the police
• and homicides recorded by the police

3.11 It was demonstrated that it was currently possible to generate information in support of b) and c), but not a) due to the quality and comprehensiveness of data received in support of the Cardiff Model. It was hoped that the work being undertaken by DiiS might address this, but it has been intimated that its data is likely only to include details of injuries sustained by Dorset residents and not holidaymakers.

3.12 It was questioned whether the Home Office’s understanding of ‘knife and sharp object enabled serious violence’ was the same as that used within Dorset Police. This is to be investigated: Julie Howe to enquire within Dorset Police to identify any variance in understanding

Action - Julie Howe

3.13 It was agreed that the proposed performance indicators should be incorporated to the Community Safety Partnership’s performance management framework.

No 4. Progress Against Local Priorities

4.1 John Newcome ran through partners’ work to tackle local priorities. Headlines included:

• new Op Track in place for policing anti-social behaviour hot spot areas. This has been funded by the Home Office. 
• ongoing issue of Ketamine use amongst younger people although good partnership work was taking place to address this locally. 
• good safe summer plans in place, which have been developed in consultation with partners.  
• good engagement from the local housing providers to support tackling anti-social behaviour. 
• enforcement of Community Protection Warnings/Notices on individual offenders continues through the Safer Streets Partnership, alongside wider education and prevention work, which is working well. 

4.2 Cllr Gill Taylor asked whether the spending review would support additional resources into the local policing teams, however, it was noted it was too early to know as finer details were yet to be published. 

No 5. Summer Safety Plan

5.1 John Newcombe provided an update on partners’ summer safety plan, which he had supplied to the Home Office. John noted that the plan is still in its early stages and will require further changes as evidence comes to light. This will include hot spot areas and how they plan to tackle issues, alongside partners’ feedback via the Partnership Coordinating Groups. 

5.2 It was noted that it seemed unusual for the Home Office to direct action on local priority areas and something to be mindful of as we go forward, as we need to ensure and national instruction reflects the local needs. 

No 6. Serious Violence Duty Progress Report

6.1 Di Evans gave an update on partners’ response to the Serious Violence Duty. 

6.2 Di noted that in March, the Home Office announced a further year of funding, for the same amount and administered in the same way (through Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner's), for the financial year 2025/26. 

6.3 Before concluding the Task and Finish Group, the Community Safety Partnership had agreed a new delivery plan using the 2025/26 funding based on consideration of a number of project proposals. 

6.4 Di explained that six project proposals were received, totalling in excess of the funding available. After consideration of each, it was agreed to fund four of these, three as continuation and further development activity from interventions funded in 2024/25. This was to maximise future potential through building on momentum gained to date. With the remaining funding available a new intervention was agreed, with match funding from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. 

6.5 Interventions being delivered this year are as follows:

• Specialist Nurse: Targeted and tailored approaches to prevent highly vulnerable young people being drawn into or becoming a victim of serious violence
• Health Relationships and Mentors in Violence Prevention Programme: Universal to focused activity delivered through schools, dealing with relationship and behaviour management, deploying bystander and mentoring approaches.
• Level-Up Project: Targeted and focused school-based project targeting those at high risk of exclusion, which is proven to raise vulnerability to being drawn into or becoming a victim of serious violence.
• High Harm Perpetrator Tool: Next stage development of a purpose-built tool to identify and secure most appropriate interventions for High Harm Perpetrators. 

6.6 Monitoring and reporting progress against partners’ Serious Violence Strategy, including monitoring performance targets, is the responsibility of the Community Safety Partnership.

6.7 Di noted that despite the task and finish group ending, the financial reporting will continue in the same way as for 2024/25 i.e. to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for the combined Dorset and BCP Community Safety Partnership’s finance data, before forwarding to the Home Office. Di explained she would keep the Community Safety Partnership updated on progress including in relation to finances. 

6.8 Cllr Gill Taylor highlighted the challenges with responding to annual funding grants, although it was hoped longer term funding would be given in future. 

6.9 Katie Sorrell asked for clarity of the high harm perpetrator tool as this was a proposal that was rejected by BCP Community Safety Partnership. Di confirmed this initiative would only operate in the Dorset Community Safety Partnership area. 

6.10 It was agreed Di would meet with Cllr Gill Taylor to discuss the proposals in more detail, particularly those that were rejected. 

Action - Di Evans

No 7. Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHR) update

7.1 Di Evans gave an update the on the current status of Domestic Homicide Review’s including those that were marked complete, those currently with the Home Office Quality Assurance Panel, those that were ongoing, and those that did not meet the Domestic Homicide Review criteria or had been passed to other Community Safety Partnership’s to deliver.

7.2 Di highlighted some of the work that has taken place since the last Community Safety Partnership on specific DHRs. This includes engaging with families, via AFFDA (Action After Fatal Domestic Abuse), linking in with the local HM Coroner; ongoing meetings with Independent Chairs and Authors, and implementing action plans. 

7.3 Di noted that the revised Statutory Guidance for undertaking Domestic Homicide Reviews has still yet to be published by the Home Office. Di noted the risk register will be updated once the new guidance is issued. 

7.4 Cllr Gill Taylor raised a question regarding the process followed in cases involving suicides, specifically the interaction between the HM Coroner's investigation and the Domestic Homicide Review (DHR), and which of these processes should take precedence. Di gave an update on the process, explaining that the timeline for which goes first (i.e. Coroner inquest or Domestic Homicide Review) is very much on a case-by-case basis, and this has been agreed by the local Coroner. 

No 8. Community Safety Partnership Development Plan

8.1 Andy presented the Community Safety Partnership development plan that had been written following the Community Safety Partnership development day earlier in May. 

The plan outlined work in response to the following key issues:

• lack of public awareness of the Community Safety Partnership’s work.
• lack of awareness of the Community Safety Partnership’s work amongst partner organisations.
• lack of clarity around the role and function of partnership groups.
• lack of clarity about the Community Safety Partnership’s and other partnerships’ priorities and how they link with each other.
• over reliance on Police data.
• engaging and working with wider partners especially those in the voluntary and community sector
• lack of co-ordination of locality based working arrangements

8.2 Andy noted he would update the plan to reflect the discussions from today’s meeting including linking the Chair of the Combatting Drugs Partnership to the work to bring partnership chairs together. Updates on progress against the plan will be brought to future Community Safety Partnership meetings. 

8.3 Julie Howe thanked Andy for pulling the development plan together and asked if we can strengthen the governance to ensure the Community Safety Partnership can deliver on the plan. Julie also felt activity needed to be shared out equally, so it is delivered collectively as a partnership.

8.4 Cllr Gill Taylor stressed the importance of the plan and ensuring it is delivered. Julie Howe suggested whether task and finish groups need to be stood up to initiate the activity of the plan, with other key functions in each of our organisations to deliver the activity i.e. communications. 

8.5 It was agreed further work would be carried out to clarity the roles and responsibilities within the plan and who will lead activity. 

Action - Andy Frost

No 9. Forward Plan

9.1 The forward plan was agreed, including items from today. 

No 10. Any Other Business 

10.1 Simon Hester updated partners on the NHS Transformation, which is a significant piece of work. Simon explained that NHS Dorset, and NHS England will no longer exist in the future, Integrated Care Boards will be introduced and cover wider areas with a much more strategic focus. 

10.2 Simon agreed to keep the Community Safety Partnership updated and sought partners’ patience as things progressed. Andrew Billany requested that any future updates include how the changes impact integrated neighbourhood teams and partners work. 

Action - Simon Hester

10.3 Rachel Young highlighted that the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner currently have a youth consultation open for serious crime and knife crime and would welcome a boost in engagement from partners. 

Action - All

Future Meeting Dates

• 10am, 16th October 2025 – Committee Room 1, County Hall
• 10.30am, 15th December 2025 – Online
• 10am, 25th March 2026 – In person – location to be confirmed