Transforming joint ‘street level’ services to better identify and respond to risks and vulnerabilities
Mark Pearson, Margate Task Force, Inspector (Police)
Margate Task Force - 30 Staff • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Kent County Council (KCC) Community Wardens KCC Social Services (Children) KCC Trading Standards KCC Public Health Police Kent Fire & Rescue Service (KFRS) Kent Probation Service (KPS) Job Centre Plus and Department of Work & Pensions (DWP) Fraud Thanet District Council (TDC) Housing NHS – GP, Health Trainers, Health Visitor, Community Psychiatric Nurse Family Intervention Workers (Troubled Families) Kent Council for Addiction ( KCA & Turning Point) TDC Enforcement Services & Community Safety Global Generation – Pipeline, Community Action Teams, Community Pastors United Kingdom Border Agency – Home Office Enforcement CXK (16-18 yo NEETS) Thanet Community Networks Oasis – Domestic Abuse County Police Gangs Specialist - Partnerships
Core Strategic Objectives • • • • • •
Achieve Public Service Transformation Drive the localism agenda Improve - effectiveness, cost savings and efficiencies Increase levels of visible ‘front-end’ joint working Better identify and respond to risks and vulnerabilities Radically enhance information sharing: Reducing levels of bureaucracy Improving timeliness Generating increased positive outcomes for all agencies
• Improve the lives and well-being of all people
Operational Objectives (Police) To jointly: • Tackle Drugs (Heroin, Crack Cocaine, Pervitin, MDMA) and Alcohol Related Violent Crime (in dwelling and public) • Identify and reduce Sexual Exploitation (Young Children), Human Trafficking and Bonded Service • Improve effectiveness specific to Intra-European Offenders and other Foreign Nationals • Improve ‘Team Locality’ robust interventions
Key Wards
Mental Health ‘Heat Map’ (based on 1 local Surgery’s data) Ambulance Pick-Ups (1 year period)
Almost 600 Ambulance Pick-Ups (only 4 specific categories): Assault Overdose & Poisoning
Mental Health – Suicide Attempt Stab/Shot/Penetrative Trauma (incl. Arm and Hand Stabbing)
Slovak & Czech Roma – why Margate?
CSE – Migrant Vulnerability • Syphilis and Gonorrhea hotspots • Late pregnancy presentation Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) • Limited access to food – food banks • Poor education and literacy (upon entry into UK) • Impact of organised crime – Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) • Cultural attitudes towards young girls • Domestic Abuse (DA) – Margate Central (1) and Cliftonville West (3) in county. Challenge of encouraging reporting of DA • CRB (DBS) Checks – do not include ‘County of Origin’
Dentistry – Eastern Europeans Attendance of mobile dentist, 2 hours, 30th Sept 2013. (Cliftonville West – 60 persons): • 6 prescriptions issued for the first 10 customers ( max prescriptions that mobile unit can carry) • Serious oral hygiene issues identified in all age groups • Very well attended ( given the short stay) • Appointments were given, but to attend clinics in Broadstairs and Newington – problem of accessibility • Language difficulties, interpreter on site, but dealing with Sexual Health matters as a priority
Gangs’ Co-operative • Russians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Orientals, local white English – Cannabis Cultivation • Czechs, Slovaks, Czech Roma, Slovak Roma, local white English, Local Afro-Caribbeans, London Afro-Caribbeans/Somalis – supply and distribution Heroin, Crack Cocaine, Amphetamines, Pervitin and MDMA • Local and London Borough Polish – organised Shoplifting • Pakistanis and Czech/Slovak Roma – Handling Stolen Goods from drug generated crime and ‘Sham Marriages’ • London Afro-Caribbeans/Somalis and London/Local white English – transportation of Class A Drugs into Thanet from London • Organised Gangs – Child Safeguarding issues
Streetweek - Process Structured action spanning a 3 week period Week 1 Resident Questionnaire and active engagement
Week 2 Implement ‘fast track’ action – warrants, etc.
Week 3 Lay foundation for effective problem solving and achieving sustainable outcomes
UKC Forensic Psychologists Czech and Slovak cohorts (primarily Roma) Exploratory analysis by MSc students • The potential importance of ‘street level’ agency presence to: Increasing positive perceptions about being fair in addressing peoples rights Improving willingness to report and go to authorities Increasing feelings of safety in the neighbourhood
• Reducing individuals’ criminality, the importance of: Health Education & Employment Church Family
Neighbourhood Responsibility Panel
A joint dynamic ‘One Stop’ assessment achieving a synergy between Social Justice and Community Justice
Neighbourhood Responsibility Panel Client responses • “I can get drugs anytime, any place, anywhere, anything!” • 6 Eastern European (EE) clients. 1 weeks Heroin consumption £2,800 • All EE clients incurring costs for drug support treatment, prescribed Methadone; few had visible source of income • EE client 5 months pregnant – in UK 5 months – on Methadone and under Drug Support Treatment • Organised Gang members – operating in groups of three – armed with list of drug abusers – knocking on their doors persistently and ‘sofa surfing’ to enhance drug dealing capacity and reduce the risk of detection • Eastern Europeans working collaboratively with Afro-Caribbean's/Somalis from London – drug dealing, organised theft and prostitution • Drug Dealers on £1200 a day using taxis • “This place is worse than London!”
Positive Experience • Information sharing – reaping the benefits of a slick ‘fast track’ process – proving particularly effective with Child Sexual Exploitation • Knowledge and education hub – now seen as the ‘expert’ joint problem solvers • Standard bearers – recognised as ‘leading’ on setting standards • Professionalising joint working – significantly enhancing ‘professionalised’ integrated services • Dynamic engagement – the profound impact of joint face to face’ interaction (3,500 ‘Your Home, Your Health’ surveys, plus over 1,000 referrals to 46 different entities) • Community Champions – firmly embedded in local communities’ psyche – epitomised as “we are proud of OUR Task Force” • Resonant Leadership – handpicked team – all having a shared purpose, shared vision, social/emotional intelligence and compassion
Positive Activity • Member of European Parliament (MEP) – potentially accessing European Funding, sharing best practice and improving information sharing • Higher risk offenders – preventing 36 from residing in our most deprived areas • Child Sexual Exploitation – effectively identifying and controlling risks to vulnerable young people – Level 1>Level 1.5 Sandwich>Level 2 NIM • Influencing the National Agenda – presentation at Windsor Castle to national policy makers, plus close liaison with Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) and Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion (CESI) • Reform Think Tank – national ‘Integrated Services’ best practice • Education Parliamentary Scrutiny Committee – provided positive feedback on the risks and vulnerabilities to Looked After Children (LAC) • Ending Gang & Youth Violence (EGYV)– Providing enhanced support to gang victims, plus South East Confederation and Registered Children's Homes – strengthening joint Level 1 and 2 working
Positive Comments The town’s Task Force should be copied across the European Union Marta Andreasen MEP The Margate Task Force delivers multi-agency solutions for deprivation in Thanet, and ensures the dissemination of good practice across the county Ann Barnes Policing and Crime Commissioner, Kent Since the co-location of the Task Force on the 4th Floor of Thanet District Council, we have seen a massive improvement in joined up working. As an elected member I am especially pleased with the huge difference this co-operative working has made to the well being of our community and the transformation of local services Cllr Iris Johnston (Leader of Thanet District Council)
MTF Contacts • Jessica Bailey • Tel. 01843 577762 • Email.
[email protected] • Mark Pearson • Mob. 07989 992052 • Email.
[email protected] • Margate Task Force address • 4th Floor Offices, Thanet District Council, Cecil Street, Margate, Kent CT9 1XZ
• Awards Kent Community Safety Award 2013. Excellence in Partnership & Innovation National Collaboration Award 2012. Excellence in Joint Working NHS Alliance Acorn National Award 2013. Effective Joint Working (Runner Up) Department of Health. National Collaboration Award 2014
