Agenda item

Presentation by Paul Woodcock, Strategic Director, Regeneration and Environment, and Steve Chapman, Temporary Chief Superintendent and District Commander, South Yorkshire Police

Paul Woodcock, Strategic Director, Regeneration and Environment, and Steve Chapman, Temporary Chief Superintendent and District Commander, South Yorkshire Police, gave the following powerpoint presentation on Aim 4:  All Rotherham people live in healthy, safe and resilient communities

Priority 1 – Delivery of a loneliness plan for Rotherham – What’s working well

-        Befriending support continued to be in place for local people via the Rotherham Community Hub and the voluntary and community sector

-        A promotional video was produced and shared via social media sharing positive stores about befriending

-        Work continued to reach out to ‘at risk’ groups

-        The loneliness Making Every Contact Count training had been updated to reflect referral routes and the impact of Covid-19

-        The Board Chair had been asked to present on work taking place around loneliness as an example of good practice

Issues to address

-        There had been an increase in younger people reporting that they were feeling lonely all the time or sometimes (according to the second mental health survey)

-        Parents were reporting their children were suffering from being in the home for too long leading to increased anger, frustration, loneliness and mental health deterioration

-        Carers had reported loneliness, isolation, reduced contact/no contact with other family members and not feeling connected to the outside world

-        There had been an increase in local people requesting support with loneliness through the Rotherham Community Hub

Next Steps

-        Continue to operate the Rotherham Community Hub to provide support to local people

-        Take forward learning from the Rotherham Community Hub and the Rotherham Heroes approach

-        Rollout of Making Every Contact Count training as from March 2021

-        Continue with the Place Communications and Engagement planned activity

-        Evaluate Year 3 Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Small Grants Scheme and take learning forward

Priority 2 – Promote health and wellbeing through arts and cultural activities – What’s working well

-        Around 200,000 people had engaged in online activities and targeted events as part of the Rotherham Together Creative Programme

-        Activities had included:-

Wildflower Park land art commissioned at Clifton Park

Light and Hope projection onto the side of the Rotherham Minster

Two partnerships with Women of the World

‘No Leotards Necessary’ programme of physical activity through guided exercises, self-led walks and activities in parks

Online Story Time with Rotherham libraries

Virtual celebrations for the Chinese New Year

-        The Library Service had actively contacted more vulnerable users and were offering click and collect and e-books/e-magazines etc.

Issues to address

-        The joint workshop between the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Cultural Partnership Board had been delayed due to workforce capacity

-        Library buildings had been mainly closed during the pandemic meaning it had not been possible to hold activities and events as planned

-        Many Culture, Sport and Tourism staff were currently redeployed on essential Covid work i.e. testing

-        Parks and open spaces had been busy particularly during periods of good weather

Next Steps

-        The Rotherham Together Programme would culminate in March 2021 with the opening of a memorial garden at Thrybergh Country Park – Hope Fields

-        Work was ongoing to prepare for the re-opening of libraries (no earlier than 12^th April)

-        The joint workshop for the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Cultural Partnership Board had been rescheduled for the summer

Priority 3 – Ensure Rotherham people are kept safe from harm – What’s working well

-        The Council and South Yorkshire Police were undertaking joint patrols around Covid-19 hotspots and problematic areas

-        A dedicated Mental Health nurse was in place within Community Safety and referrals were increasing

-        Successful partnership working was taking place around domestic abuse

-        There had been investment in Neighbourhood Policing Teams who were leading work to respond to district organised crime

-        A campaign had been launched to encourage everyone to ‘Spot the Signs’ of CSE

-        South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue had had positive engagement with local housing associations regarding the Home Safety Partnership Referral Scheme

Issues to address

-        Continuing to address Covid hotspots and supporting outbreak control work from an enforcement perspective

-        Challenges around the visibility of safeguarding issues

-        Temporary pause to the Victim Perpetrator programme due to CRC being absorbed by the Probation Service

-        Level of acuity and complexity of the referrals made to the Mental Health nurse

-        Current uncertainty relating to the ongoing funding of the Mental Health nurse

Next Steps

-        A joint safeguarding partnership development session would be taking place in March

-        Continuing to enforce the lockdown rules particularly as schools and businesses gradually re-opened

-        Resolving funding options for the Mental Health nurse role

Discussion ensued with the following issues raised/clarified:-

·        Befriending Guidance produced by Public Health and supplied to volunteers and the community as well as information regarding suicide prevention and free online training from Zero Suicide Alliance

·        Rotherham Together Creative Programme specifically developed to respond and support Covid-19 – 3 key themes – Joy, Gratitude and Hope

·        736 Covid-19 Enforcement related actions to date including warnings to business premises and to individuals

·        73 Closure of Prohibition Notices served on premises

·        Over 400 Fixed Penalty Notices served to date

·        A lot of work ongoing around domestic abuse with people and key messages in place around how Covid-19 might have affected demand for services.  Although demand for services may feel reduced, would there be historic domestic abuse reports in the future.  It was known that the referrals going into MARAC were becoming more complex in nature

·        South Yorkshire Police had set up an initiative called Multi-Agency Tactical and Co-ordination Group which focussed on perpetrators.  The top 4 perpetrators based on risk were discussed every month, in a similar way to which victims were discussed at MARAC, with the aim of reducing the risk posed to victims by such

·        Joint Co-Located Teams in the 3 localities had worked on organised crime disruption identifying where crime groups were, the vehicles they used, who was visiting the houses and Gang Injunctions issued where appropriate.  It had resulted in significant arrests and warrants being obtained

·        Although there had not been an increase in CSE referrals, it was acknowledged that there may be a delay in the reporting of/responding to concerns.  It was important that partners and members of the public were able to spot the signs of CSE

·        CRC was now absorbed by the Probation Service and the service was no longer available.  The Safer Rotherham Partnership had the funding to commission the Victim Perpetrator Programme but no service to accept the tender.  The work continued and it was hoped to have an agency in place soon  

·        Work was ongoing to find a funding solution for the Mental Health nurse

Paul and Steve were thanked for their presentation.