The Chair welcomed everyone present and asked for introductions round the table.

It was suggested and agreed that, in light of the number of apologies submitted, the agenda is reorganised as follows –

·         Item 3 : Sexual Predators – deferred

·         Item 6 : Strategic Assessment 2015/16 – move item forward to immediately after consideration of the minutes

·         Item 7 : In Plain Sight - information only paper to be read in own time

·         New Item – CSE and link to Safeguarding Board – to be added for consideration after Item 8 : Quality Hotel

Agreed the notes of the meeting held on Thursday 23 July 2015.

The Board considered the strategic assessment which aimed to provide an accurate and realistic evaluation of the significant crime, disorder and substance misuse issues that may impact the partnership over the next 12 months as well as taking account of the areas which had impacted on the partnership over the last 12 months.  Its key role was to inform the Safer Plymouth Partnership of the key areas of community safety that it should be focussing on for the coming year.

The emerging areas of focus were highlighted as –

·         Child sexual exploitation

·         Modern slavery

·         Impact of mental health on community safety issues

·         Cyber crime

The paper set out a number of recommendations which were discussed by the Board and agreed as follows –

(This item was brought forward and taken immediately after the minutes).

Item deferred (minute 29 above refers).

The Board received an update on the latest situation with regard to the Quality Hotel site following the most recent fire.  Members were advised that –

·         since the hotel closed and security moved off site there had been numerous incidents of vandalism, arson and anti-social behaviour;

·         there was asbestos in the building and whilst this was of no risk to anyone living nearby it was a danger to anyone entering the building (urban explorers / rough sleepers);

·         in order to try and address concerns raised by residents and concerned citizens, a public meeting was held involving a number of partner agencies such as public health, planning, police and fire;

·         under S215 of the Town and Country Planning Act the owner had been served with an enforcement notice to board up the hotel and tidy the site.  Whilst this had been done, the site was still being accessed putting trespassers and the property at risk;

·         consideration was being given to Public Space Protection Orders and Defaulter’s Work but both of those had cost implications;

·         whilst everything legislatively possible was being done to ensure the current owners were maintaining their responsibility for the site, the Council was conscious of the fact that it did not want to upset the owner nor deter any potential buyers from working with the authority.

The following issues were highlighted during the discussion –

With regard to (b) above, it was suggested that the ‘empty buildings’ register would be a useful document for agencies to share, particularly the Community Safety Partnership with regards anti-social behaviour.

Members were asked to give consideration to how the Board (or individual partners) could help address the Quality Hotel site or other similar sites in the City and contact either the Chair or Sarah with any suggestions.

The Chair tabled a position paper on Domestic Abuse and the role of the Plymouth Domestic Abuse Partnership.  The aim of the Plymouth Domestic Abuse Partnership was to improve the range and quality of services for people affected by domestic abuse.  The report set out the Partnership’s current service delivery and performance position against targets. 

Concerns were raised in regard to –

·         only one performance target had been set;

·         the low number of convictions;

·         the lack of a perpetrator programme;

·         the number of incidents witnessed by children and subsequent costs incurred from bringing those children into care;

·         correlation between DA incidents and alcohol/substance misuse.

It was suggested that there were opportunities for some quick wins within Domestic Abuse and that it should therefore be looked at as a ‘wicked issue’.

Agreed that a sub-group comprising the Chair, Judith Harwood and Heather Welch is formed to look at Domestic Abuse, to include –

·         visits with members of the Plymouth Domestic Abuse Partnership / attend a meeting;

·         talk to key individuals working in that field;

·         look at relevant documents / data / funding;

·         visiting a DA refuge;

·         offender perspective.

The briefing paper was noted (minute 29 above refers).

Further to previous discussions on this item and Minute 27, Judith Harwood proposed that, as she sat on both the Safer Plymouth Partnership Board and the Safeguarding Children’s Board, she act as a link between the two.  Working with Charlie Pitman, who had been appointed Chair of the SCB sub-group looking at CSE, with whom links were already well established, the two could review the strategy and liaise on how and where the Partnership could add value. 

The Board agreed –

Item deferred to next meeting.

·         Thursday 21 January 2016

·         Thursday 14 April 2016

All meetings commence at 10 am.