Early Intervention Strategy 2018 - 2021 · 2019-07-18 · Early Intervention Strategy 2018 - 2021. Introduction 2 Prevention is better than cure. It’s more sustainable and less

Early Intervention Strategy

2018 - 2021

Introduction

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Prevention is better than cure. It’s more sustainable and less costly. Evidence clearly shows that the most effective way to prevent crime, reduce harm and build public confidence (another Policing Plan priority) is to stop problems arising in the first place.

But it is not something that the police alone can undertake if we are to be successful – it is imperative that we work hand in glove with partners: in local government, housing, health, education and in the voluntary sector, as well as with those service providers commissioned by the Staffordshire Commissioner’s Office (SCO).

It also entails working more closely with communities, to strengthen their resilience and their capacity to help themselves through effective crime prevention, so that we can focus on protecting the most vulnerable, while diverting those most at risk of offending away from the criminal justice system before they offend.

Our new policing model has meant a significant investment in neighbourhood policing, precisely to provide the resources needed to be a more prevention-focused police force. While we will continue to face the challenge of an unprecedented level of calls for service, it will only be through a sustained commitment to problem-solving, to understanding root causes and not just tackling the presenting problems, that will enable us to grip demand and reduce it. We all have a role to play in this.

I recognise that in a time of austerity, focusing on preventative work can be challenging. More effective information sharing and better data quality will be key, but so too will be the commitment on all sides to work together to build stronger, more resilient communities. The Executive and I are committed to this vision and we are working closely with colleagues across Staffordshire to ensure they are too.

I look forward to working with you all to make it happen.

Gareth MorganChief Constable

Analysis by the Early Intervention Foundation has found that dealing with crime and anti-social behaviour costs public services an estimated £5bn annually – of which nearly £2bn falls on policing. On top of this, only 20 per cent of calls for service relate to traditional ‘crime’ – the remainder are broader social problems including domestic abuse, missing children, mental health issues and concerns for welfare.

It’s within this context that Staffordshire Police is committed to building the capacity and capability to be more prevention-focused. By doing so we will reduce the impact of repeat offending and victimisation and through this reduce the harm caused to some of the most vulnerable people within society.

This will require us to adopt new ways of working where we look not only at the presenting factors of our contact with victims and offenders, but at the root cause issues so we can understand and tackle the underlying problems that are present. It will require us to work closely with partners, share knowledge and information effectively so that we can identify and collectively support the most vulnerable and tackle those most at risk of offending, soonest.

It will also require us to support the wider community, building resilience and self-reliance so that the public are better able to help themselves.

These points are summarised in the force’s policing plan under the five outcomes set out below:

1. Root causes are identified and addressed to prevent problems from occurring or escalating.

2. Problems are prevented through police, partners and the public taking a problem solving approach.

3. People are diverted away from and within the criminal justice system.

4. People are protected from individuals and groups that cause harm.

5. People feel better able to help themselves.

To achieve these outcomes, this strategy is aligned across six cross-cutting themes:

1. Identification of vulnerability

2. Early support to those who are vulnerable

3. Problem solving approach

4. Partnership working

5. Building community capacity and resilience

6. Prevention

By working collectively across these areas we will not only protect the most vulnerable today, but help to prevent future generations from becoming victims or perpetrators of crime.

‘We will reduce the impact of repeat offending and victimisation and reduce the harm caused to some of the most vulnerable people within society’

Early Intervention

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Root causes are identified and addressed to prevent problems from occurring or escalating

Problems are prevented through police, partners and the public taking a problem solving approach

People are diverted away from and within the criminal justice system

People are protected from individuals and groups that cause harm

People feel betterable to help themselves

We will increase ourcapability to understandand tackle the rootcauses that result incrime and anti-socialbehaviour as early aspossible, dealingeffectively with theissues before theybecome difficult toreverse.

Prevention is better thana cure. Problem solvingis not the sole preserveof the police and we willwork with partners andthe community to tacklelocal issues effectively.We will co-locate andshare information tosupport this fundamentalapproach.

We will understandbetter the drivers ofcrime and work withagencies to put in placediversionary activities,especially for youngerpeople, to reduce theharm of offending anddivert people away fromthe criminal justicesystem.

Through a betterunderstanding of issuesthat affect communitiesand those who pose arisk to the public, we willsupport communities toprotect themselvesthrough targeted crimeprevention and targethardening, to design outcrime and anti-socialbehaviour.

Through a proactive approach to early intervention, provide vulnerable communities with information to better support and protect themselves, using targeted awareness, active volunteering or through digital channels, like Smart Alert.

Early Intervention‘Tackling root causes before they become a problem’

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Early Intervention

Early Intervention

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Tackling root causes before they become a problem

1.Identification of Vulnerability

6. Prevention of crime and

anti social behaviour

5. Building Community Resilience

and Capacity

4. Partnership Working

3.Problem Solving

2.Early Support to those who

are vulnerable

Our Vision:

Our staff will be able and confident to identify vulnerability where people are unable to protect themselves or others from crime and anti-social behaviour or are at risk of harm.

We will do this through:

• Training our people to understand the personal and environmental factors that may cause vulnerability.

• Developing a culture of professional curiosity to identify the vulnerability of people who are unable to protect themselves.

• Developing tools that help staff to assess the risk to individuals in a meaningful way.

• Developing our systems so that we can identify those who may be at risk of harm by identifying precursor issues.

• Working collaboratively with partners to understand the risk of harm and have clear referral routes to enhance the collective information we hold.

• Simplifying and streamlining the assessment and referral process, ensuring that we do not see vulnerability in isolation and maximising the use of IT to ensure that people obtain the best help and support that they need.

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1. Identification of vulnerability

Our Vision:

We will ensure that early help and support is provided by the most appropriate agency to people who are at risk of becoming a victim or offender and to those communities where there is a high risk of crime and anti-social behaviour.

We will do this through:

• Developing pathways to divert first time offenders from the criminal justice system.

• Developing effective, evidence-based interventions with partners, to divert repeat offenders away from criminality.

• Supporting those who are identified as being at risk of becoming a victim, so that safeguarding measures can be implemented.

• Identifying staff within neighbourhood teams who will have the necessary skills, knowledge and compassion to work with and support the most vulnerable in the community.

• Thinking beyond the presenting issue and exploring what other issues lie behind the call for service or our reason for police contact.

• Working more closely with partners and sharing information effectively so that we can make joint decisions which ensure the right resources are used at the right time to tackle root cause issues and provide seamless, wrap around support and care.

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2. Early support to those who are vulnerable

Our Vision:

We will be effective in our problem solving by dealing with root causes identified by a thorough understanding of the issues.

We will do this through:

• Building a culture of problem solving and increasing the force’s capability to tackle problems effectively using the OSARA model.

• Adopting a place based approach in conjunction with communities and partners to tackle those issues identified as a priority.

• Involving communities in solutions, empowering them to solve problems and keeping them informed of what we are doing to solve local issues.

• Introducing a mechanism to manage and capture problem solving activity effectively, encouraging creativity and innovation.

• Understanding and sharing best practice of ‘what works’ internally and externally with the College of Policing, academia, partners and the community, through an Evidence-based Practice Board.

• Maximising opportunities to use the legislation, tools and tactics available to all agencies to tackle emerging or ongoing issues.

• Identifying, understanding and tackling repeat demand.

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3. Problem solving

Our Vision

We will work more effectively with partners and the community. We will share information, buildings, resources and interventions to be more efficient in our collective approach.

We will do this through:

• Sharing information appropriately to better understand the root causes of issues affecting people or places.

• Being aligned and where appropriate integrated with partners to allow people to work more effectively with each other.

• Establishing methods of operation that allow us to deploy resources effectively with others ensuring that we use the right resources at the right time.

• Integrated working with other agencies in the creative and innovative development of new interventions across a range of areas.

• Maintaining and developing our links in key areas such as Troubled Families, Adult and Chid Safeguarding.

• Ensuring we have effective diversion capability to successfully target those at high risk of a life of crime.

• Providing effective partnership support to victims of crime and anti social behaviour.

• Participating and contributing to partnership activity and meetings to ensure that they are purposeful, productive and have tangible outcomes.

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4. Partnership working

Our Vision:

Understand communities and the context of the issues that are affecting them. We will provide reassurance, advice and support for people and communities to become more empowered and resilient.

We will do this through:

• Work with communities and partners to map the activity that is already present in local areas and understand where the gaps are, so that supportive action can be taken.

• Building individual and community resilience that ensures hostility and intolerance towards crime and anti-social behaviour, effectively reducing the likelihood of becoming a victim.

• Introducing new partnership interventions working with specific groups to increase resilience, sustainability and cohesion within those areas and communities.

• Enhancing volunteer programmes and their integration with neighbourhood teams to increase presence, capability and contribution to provide information and crime prevention awareness to individuals and communities.

• Working with partners to ensure we have a wide range of resources available to support community activity, for example, Community Action work.

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5. Building community resilience and capacity

Our Vision:

We will understand and be prepared for current and future risks allowing us to focus on preventing crime and anti-social behaviour before people suffer harm.

We will do this through:

• A culture where prevention is everyone’s responsibility, developing learning and development to drive preventative policing.

• An enhanced analytical capability, developing teams to respond to future emerging challenges and seasonal trends, reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.

• Move beyond single service based practice to a ‘whole place’ approach to commissioning and delivering preventative services in response to threat, harm, risk and vulnerability, working with public, private and the voluntary sectors.

• Provide relevant and supportive information that allows individuals and communities to better protect themselves from the harm of crime and anti-social behaviour.

• Targeted and effective situational crime prevention, focussing on the ‘problem analysis triangle’ of victim, location and offender.

• Effective crime prevention, working with new developers and partners to design out crime.

• Community engagement, identifying those areas that require additional support and providing this through the effective deployment of teams.

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6. Prevention of crime and anti-social behaviour

EthicalWe always do the right thing

SupportiveWe care about the wellbeing of others

CourageousWe face challenges confidently

CollaborativeWe create solutions with others

AgileWe are smart and efficient with time

DiverseWe value different opinions and ideas

AccountableWe make things happen

EmpoweredWe are proactive problem solvers

AdaptiveWe are always learning and improving

Being Staffordshire Police

We will identify and address the root cause of issues, preventing problems and keeping people safe from harm throughout Staffordshire by developing the following behaviours as outlined within our People First strategy.

We do things properly

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We are modern leaders

We trust and enable our people