The panel will consider the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Commissioning Plan as its first topic of proactive scrutiny.

In accordance with its agreed work programme, the panel scrutinised the Police and Crime Commissioner’s commissioning decisions and his future commissioning intentions.  Members heard –

·         from the Panel’s Co-ordinator, who outlined the process to be followed for this item of pro-active scrutiny;

·         from the OPCC’s Chief Executive and Performance Manager who, by way of a presentation –

o   explained the context for the Police and Crime Commissioner’s commissioning;

o   set out key principles for Devon and Cornwall;

o   clarified current and proposed grant allocations;

o   outlined the next steps to be taken

·         that the Police and Commissioner had communicated his commissioning intentions to various external partner agencies, including –

o   the Chairs and Managers of the Community Safety Partnerships and Drug and Alcohol Teams;

o   DV Partnerships;

o   Youth Offending Team Management Board and Managers;

o   the Chief Constable

o   the Leaders of the relevant Local Authorities;

·         from a number of witnesses who set out their thoughts and concerns on the Commissioning Intentions Plan, including –

o   Fiona Flemming, Strategic Commissioning Manager, Plymouth City Council;

o   Nicola Channon, Safer Devon Partnership Manager, Devon County Council;

o   Mark Richardson, Chief Executive, Cornwall Voluntary Sector;

o   Steve Woollett, Chief Executive, South West Forum.

Having taken the opportunity to question the Police and Crime Commissioner and the witnesses, panel members suggested that it would be helpful to have sight of the funding allocation matrix in order to help them understand the demographics in relation to incidents of crime and how this related to the amount allocated to each of the region’s Community Safety Partnerships.

The Chair thanked the Police and Crime Commissioner and his team for their presentation and, in particular, the witnesses for taking the time to attend and add value to the scrutiny process.

Agreed that, having heard from the Police and Crime Commissioner and witnesses, the Police and Crime Panel take the opportunity to comment on and make recommendations to the Police and Crime Commissioner in respect of his future commissioning framework and rationale and ensure this aligns with the priorities identified in local and Peninsula Strategic Assessments as well as the Police and Crime Plan.

Note: A detailed report setting out the findings of this review would be produced and circulated to panel members for their comment prior to submission of any recommendations to the Police and Crime Commissioner who would then have one month to respond.   A copy of that report, together with the PCC’s response will be published on the Police and Crime Panel’s website in due course.

 (Councillors Croad, Excell and Penberthy and Yvonne Atkinson declared personal interests in respect of the above item).