Issue - meetings

To make recommendations on the proposed service level agreement, between the Safer Cheshire East Partnership and Cheshire Constabulary, in relation to the funding of 16 Police Community Support Officers.

Consideration was given to the Service Level Agreement, between the Safer Cheshire East Partnership and Cheshire Constabulary in relation to the funding of 16 Police Community Support Officers. The Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities attended the meeting to answer any questions.

The Portfolio Holder informed the Committee that the SLA had not yet been signed as she wanted to consult Scrutiny and ensure that the agreement was the best that could be achieved for the Council.

The following comments and recommendations were made:

• Members stressed the importance of ensuring that double taxation did not apply and raised concerns regarding the PCSO’s not being deployed evenly across the Borough. It was agreed that one way to address this issue would be to deploy them on a LAP basis as this would ensure a fair distribution. The Portfolio Holder commented that this may constrain the deployment of the wardens and therefore not create value for money. She did however agree to consider this issue further.
• Members emphasised that in order for the Service Level Agreement to be successful, the relationship with senior police officers needed to be robust. The Portfolio Holder assured the Committee that the correct level of communication would be in place.
• With regard to paragraph 5 – management of the PCSO’s, it was agreed that the section relating to the Borough Council receiving a refund if vacant positions were not filled within six weeks needed to be strengthened. Members also agreed that the name of each warden should be known by the Borough Council as this would enable the authority to monitor the deployment and work of each PCSO.
• With regard to paragraph 7, it was agreed that the identified point of contact should be the LAP Manager and that the frequency of contact should be decided locally.
• It was noted that it was the Police Authorities responsibility to determine how the PCSO’s were to be deployed and that there should be flexibility to move PCSO’s between LAP’s at times of urgent policing need.
• Deploying the PCSO’s on a LAP basis would enable the Town and Parish Councils to be involved in the process and would prevent the Police Authority from depleting their resources while at the same time continuing to charge the Borough Council for the 16.
• With regard to the duties highlighted in appendix B, the Portfolio Holder agreed to remove bullet points 7 and 10 and agreed to give further consideration to the removal of bullet point 11.

Finally the Portfolio Holder agreed to take into consideration all that was said by the Committee, however she highlighted that she would also need to consider Local Service Delivery and the reconfiguration of the LAP’s.

RESOLVED

That the Portfolio Holder give consideration to comments and recommendations highlighted above.