Decision details

To receive a presentation by the Director of Adult Social Care on the current priority areas for SCEP.

Jill Broomhall, Director of Adult Social Care and Chair of Safer Cheshire East Partnership (SCEP) Board, presented an update to the Committee, it had been 12-months since the last update.  Saliant points included:

·         The SCEP Board (formed under the Crime and Disorder Act), included representation from the Council, Police, Fire, Youth Offending, and received funded by Police and Crime Commissioner (£185k per annum);

·         SCEP produced strategic intelligence assessment and looked at emerging threats and risks;

·         Sandra Murphy, Head of Adult Safeguarding advised the Committee on how safeguarding linked into SCEP and trying to address criminality;

·         The Complex Safeguarding Forum was formed in May 2021, met every 6-weeks  and met those who were reluctant to engage with services.  Learning was taken away from each meeting and there were links to other councils to share best practice;

·         Domestic Abuse Services, was a theme that was cross-cutting across partnership agendas.  SCEP dealt with Domestic Homicide reviews, there had been an unprecedented amount of referrals but also to Adult Safeguarding Board for reviews.  The Partnership understood this could be due to lockdown pressures, understanding of reporting mechanisms but that learning where issues could have been avoided takes place;

·         SCEP had a safeguarding duty under the prevent legislation to those vulnerable to radicalisation.  SCEP recieved referrals from across spectrum, however there were more from schools than adults;

·         The PREVENT Board had been developed.  It had met once and had the aim to raise awareness with agencies who don’t normally sit around the table;

·         SCEP had developed a Multi-Agency operational Group, to improve outcomes for families from Gypsy and Traveller communities;

·         There was a negative perception of the Council by Gypsy and Roma Travellers and the work being done to address that such as updates to the website to focus on access to services to help with illegal encampments;

·         Working in partnership with both children and adult safeguarding board to tackle exploitation;

·         The Priority of County Lines across Liverpool and Manchester;

·         Domestic Abuse had been a big agenda since the death of Sarah Everett, the Home Office were invested in violence against women and girls.  A consultation in Cheshire East had showed women and girls felt unsafe in some areas of the borough;

·         Across Cheshire East four hotels had been stood-up for asylum seekers.  There were risks associated and safeguarding treatment with those families; and

·         The links from the Police and Crime Commissioner Plan the links back to SCEP.

The item was opened up for questions and there was some discussion that included:

·         The plans Cheshire East had to integrate Asylum Seekers at the Chimney House Hotel into the community.  The Committee were advised that whilst there were still people leaving Afghanistan, the hotel is still stood-up, however some people had moved across the country to live with relatives.  Some funding was received to the council from the Home Office.  Many of the Asylum Seekers had worked with the British and needed to be moved out of the country, and also Ukrainians displaced with the war; and

·         The Committee noted that when an Asylum Seeker achieved refugee status, at that point they can work in the UK;

·         the Committee noted the success of a recent Gypsy and Traveller (G&T) Event, it was noted Members requested more information, knowledge and information to help support officers when dealing with the G&T community;

·         The impacts of Domestic Abuse when incidents remained underreported.  Richard Christopherson,  Local Area Partnership Manager noted that sometimes measures were not possible for example Cyber Crime, where this issue was more about raising awareness and warning.  The Prevent agenda (safeguarding and supporting those vulnerable to radicalisation) was measurable.

RESOLVED: That:

a)    the Safer Cheshire East Partnership (SCEP) Update be received and noted; and

b)    the Crime and Disorder items discussed by the Committee be added to the Work Programme.