Agenda item

Decision number:

Decision:

203/2010

The Cabinet agreed to support the recommendations as set out below and agreed to refer the review document, incorporating these recommendations, to the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) and the Kent Police Authority (KPA) for consideration:

a)              That the CSP should be asked to accelerate action to establish a database of Partners and Communities Together (PACTs), the areas they cover and contact details for each should be produced and published ward by ward;

b)              A protocol and guidance for PACTs in Medway should be produced by the CSP in consultation with PACT chairmen, to include a clear statement of purpose, basic operational standards and advice on how to access support and resources;

c)              A toolkit should be developed by the CSP to assist PACT Chairman and neighbourhood teams to run meetings, record priorities, actions and outcomes;

d)              The protocol for PACTs should include a requirement that Councillors are automatically invited to become members of any PACT within their ward and provided with sufficient notice of meetings;

e)              Consideration should be given to facilitating contact between PACT Chairmen by establishing a Medway-wide Forum to enable them to share experience and best practice and to coordinate priorities across wards;

f)                As part of its annual scrutiny of the Community Safety Partnership the Regeneration, Community and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee should be provided by the CSP with an update on PACTs, including the priorities, actions and outcomes from them on a ward by ward basis with some evaluation of effectiveness;

g)              That the CSP should develop some analysis and comparative information to assist in evaluating the impact of PACTs and other forms of public engagement on the incidence of crime and anti social behaviour ward by ward with a view to providing this information in the quarterly news ward profile information provided to Councillors;

h)              That the CSP should recommend the Police to continue to fund support for PACTs and extend this to the development of evaluation and analysis of their effectiveness in line with commitment made in the Sustainable Communities Strategy and Community Safety Plan;

i)                 That the Equalities and Cohesion Group should be asked to support the CSP in developing guidance to encourage and achieve participation by the widest cross section of people;

j)                 In addition to ongoing publication of PACT data there should be an opportunity for local residents to periodically provide feedback on the operation of their local PACT and, in particular, the extent to which they feel able to influence decision-making at meetings;

k)              That the CSP should encourage and support each PACT to hold an ‘open meeting’ (with no issues pre-arranged for discussion) specifically to involve local young people and neighbours of different ages and/or ethnic background in order to gain a real understanding of the issues and priorities for those groups;

l)                 That the CSP should be asked to progress the idea of Youth PACTs with membership invited from every secondary school, and the Youth Parliament;

m)            The CSP is recommended to invite all partners to review their community engagement strategies and the groups and organisations they support to eliminate duplication and maximise the use of, and support for, PACTs where possible and appropriate;

n)              That the CSP should be invited to consider launching a Medway annual PACT recognition award scheme to help raise the public profile of PACTs, particularly in the local press;

o)              That the CSP Media Officer should be asked to develop some guidelines and offer practical support to PACTs with production and publication of advertising material for meetings.