To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor Taylor.

Members are required to declare any disclosable pecuniary, personal or personal and prejudicial interests they may have and the nature of those interests relating to items on this agenda and/or indicate if S106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.   

Councillor B Place, for openness and transparency, declared that she was employed by Rochdale Connections Trust, an organisation contracted by Rochdale Borough Council to deliver domestic abuse services.

To determine any items on the agenda, if any, where the public are to be excluded from the meeting.

Resolved

That agenda Item Nos. 9, 10 and 11 be considered as exempt reports.

To determine whether there are any additional items of business which, by reason of special circumstances, the Chair decides should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

There were no items of urgent business.

To approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on the 25^th January 2023.

Resolved

That the minutes of the Health and Wellbeing Board held on 25^th January 2023 be approved as a correct record.

Introduction from the Assistant Director, Public Health and Wellbeing.

The Assistant Director (Public Health) welcomed attendees to the meeting and outlined priorities for the Board in relation to serious violence and tackling domestic abuse.

To receive an update from the Safer Communities Manager and the Domestic Abuse Co-Ordinator, Neighbourhoods Directorate.

The Safer Communities Manager provided a presentation that outlined the role of the Rochdale Community Safety Partnership, the partnership working it undertook and its governance structure.

It was explained that Community Safety Partnerships (CSP) had been set up as statutory bodies under Sections 5-7 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. 

Each CSP was made up of responsible authorities from the police, the local council, the fire service, health and probation services.  The role of CSP was to address local issues such as anti-social behaviour, drug and alcohol misuse and criminal re-offending.

Local authorities and the police had a joint responsibility for the formulation of crime and disorder reduction strategies in each local authority area.  There was a legal obligation upon the police, probation and health authorities to co-operate.

The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 required local authorities and the police to draw up and implement strategies for:

•      Reducing Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour

•      Reducing Reoffending

•      Reducing Substance Misuse

•      Serious Violence (2023)

The CSP also had statutory responsibilities relating to:

·         Domestic Abuse Act 2021

·         Undertake Domestic Homicide Reviews

·         Undertake strategic threat assessments

·         Produce a strategic community safety plan – three year rolling plan

·         Implementing an Information Sharing Protocol for the local partnership

·         Undertake a case review for Anti-Social Behaviour – “Community Trigger”

·         Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 – PCCs and CSPs

It was noted that over the next 12 months’ work would continue on the following:

·         Undertake a strategic threat assessment

·         Agree priorities for the Rochdale SCP to accommodate new duties

·         Produce a three year Community Safety Plan

·         Refresh Priority Group Action Plans and Delivery Plans

·         Refresh partnership Information Sharing Agreement (ISA)

·         Produce RSCP Communication Plan

·         Review resourcing of the RSCP and priority groups

·         Establish a Performance and Quality Assurance Framework

It was explained that the Rochdale Domestic Abuse Partnership performed the following functions:

• Assessment or to make arrangements for the assessment of, the need for domestic abuse support for all victims (and their children) who reside in relevant safe accommodation in their area, including those who require cross-border support.

• Prepare and publish a strategy for the provision of such support to cover their area having regard to the needs assessment.

• Give effect to the strategy (through commissioning / de-commissioning decisions).
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy.
• Report back annually to central government. 

Resolved - That the Rochdale Community Safety Partnership update be noted.

To receive an update from the Strategic Lead (Housing) – Neighbourhoods Directorate and Head of Planning and Improvement – Public Health and Wellbeing Directorate (papers attached).

The Strategic Lead, Housing (People) and Head of Planning and Improvement (Public Health) delivered a presentation that provided an overview of the Rochdale Safe Accommodation Strategy and Domestic Abuse Commissioning Model.

Board Members were advised that the introduction of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 required local authorises to have safe accommodation available to support all households at risk of domestic abuse.

Rochdale Borough Council’s Safer Homes Scheme had been launched in February 2022.  The Scheme adopted a holistic and integrated approach and implemented new practices and a housing led approach to domestic abuse.

To date 300 referrals had been received and 255 victims had accessed the Scheme and received support. Equipment installed in homes included: door braces (crisis response and installed same day), vibration sensors, door locks, CCTV and security lights.

It was explained that the Specialist Domestic Abuse Service Model had been developed by incorporating the following:

-  Feedback from three multi-agency stakeholder workshops

-  Requirements within the Domestic Abuse Act 2021

-  Findings from the Domestic Abuse Needs Assessment

-  Feedback from consultation with people with lived experience

-  Findings within the Safe Accommodation Needs Assessment and Strategy

-  Analysis of best practice guidance and sector led improvement

-  Feedback from Rochdale Domestic Abuse Partnership

-  Development overseen by the Domestic Abuse commissioning subgroup

The overarching ambition of the Model was to reduce incidences of domestic abuse and domestic homicides.

Other improvements included:

•      More domestic abuse victims being supported at lower risk levels

•      More victims being supported to remain in their own homes (when safe to do so).

•      To increase the number of people completing behaviour change interventions.

•      Increase the number of children and young people being supported therapeutically, following exposure to domestic abuse.

•      Increase the number of residents benefitting from the Safer Homes Scheme.

•      Implementation of the new safer accommodation model, with increased satisfaction reported from residents.

A procurement process would be undertaken during the summer 2023 and it was anticipated that the new model would be in place from April 2024.

Resolved - That the Safe Accommodation Stratgey and Domestic Abuse Commissoning Model update be noted.

Resolved - That, in accordance with the provisions under Section 100(A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business.

Reason for the Decision: Should the press and public remain during consideration of the items, there may be a disclosure of information that was deemed to be exempt under Part 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

Update from the Safer Communities Manager, Neighbourhoods Directorate (papers attached).

The Safer Communities Manager provided an update regarding the Community Safety Partnership duty to reduce and prevent serious violence.

It was explained that the duty was a key part of the Government’s programme of work to collaborate and plan to prevent and reduce serious violence: by taking a multi-agency approach to understand the causes and consequences of serious violence, focusing on prevention and early intervention and informed by evidence.

Partners with a duty were required to work together to establish the local strategic needs assessment. The local strategy was required to outline the collective actions that would be taken, including (but not limited to):

-          A summary of the local problem profile.

-          How the chosen partnership would work together.

-          Actions including specific interventions / preventative action.

-          Engagement plans with voluntary and community organisations and young people.

-          Identifying funding streams or resources.

Resolved - That the Serious Violence Duty update be noted.

Update from Greater Manchester Police.

Superintendent Faulkner (Greater Manchester Police) provided Board Members with an update regarding Rochdale’s Homicide Prevention Strategy.

It was explained that for the purpose of the Strategy, homicide included offences of murder, manslaughter (including corporate and gross negligence manslaughter) and infanticide. Data also took account of attempted homicide offences.

The Strategy demonstrated a commitment to identifying the causes of homicide; patterns that exist in the method and geographic location; and the importance of existing strategies that had been successful in preventing harm.

Priority areas of the Strategy were:

-          Serious Violence and Knife Crime

-          Serious Organised Crime

-          Domestic Abuse

-          Mental Health Drugs and Alcohol

-          Organisational Learning

-          Data and Intelligence

Rochdale District Delivery Plan aimed to understand the homicide profile at a local Rochdale level, by working with partners and communities to identify local prevention and intervention opportunities to develop an accountable multi agency delivery.

Resolved - That the Homicide Prevention Strategy update be noted.

Update from the Domestic Abuse Co-Ordinator, Neighbourhoods Directorate.

Resolved - That the update from the Domestic Abuse Co-ordinator be deferred until the next Health and Wellbeing Board meeting.