Community Safety Partnership Officer to report.

The Committee received an update from the Service Lead - Community Safety Partnership Officer/Harm Risk regarding an update form the Community Safety Partnership in relation to an Antisocial Behaviour meeting that had been held since the previous meeting of the Licensing and Community Safety Committee.

The Service Lead - Community Safety Partnership Officer/Harm Risk provided the following update to the Committee:

·       Freedom Centre – Update on work undertaken together with the services they provided.

·       Barnstaple was no different to any other town or city across the country with issues such as deprivation, drug use and homelessness.

·       There were multi-discipline officers based at the Freedom Centre, which included housing officers, antisocial behaviour officers together with NHS services with a link to medical services for clients.

·       There was also a drug and alcohol misuse service in operation at the centre to enable people to engage with the service more easily.

·       Substance abuse was identified as the main cause of homelessness.

·       There were day centre volunteers who provided clients with warm meals and support in a caring environment.

·       The centre was seen as a gateway to services allowing clients to have a hot meal and drink whilst offering support mechanisms and services to help them with their addictions together with accommodation. Representatives from the Job Centre also visited the centre on a weekly basis to encourage clients to seek eventual employment.

·       The sleeping pods, which were located at the Salvation Army and Hardaway Head car parks were seen as the first step to getting people into accommodation.

·       There were also three additional sleeping pods located at the Freedom Centre to cater for the more vulnerable of clients.

·       There was on site security present in the building overnight, w which ensured the safety of clients and employees whilst providing a caring and supportive function within the centre.

·       The CCTV service was a vital tool for Barnstaple and could be utilised for evidence gathering and combined with the Street Marshalls had reduced antisocial behaviour by 15% over the previous 12 months.

·       Due to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan there had been an impact upon the supply route for the importation of illegal drugs, which was currently blocked. As a result, gangs were now turning their attention to the use of synthetic drugs as a substitute. However, these modified drugs were often much stronger and in some cases could even lead to death.

·       At the most recent meeting of the Community Safety Partnership Steering Group, there was an offer from various groups to hold a workshop to discuss issues within Barnstaple and the wider North Devon. The purpose of the meeting would be to discuss how all parties could work together to make Barnstaple feel safer for the general public. As part of this workshop, the invitation would be extended to the Licensing and Community Safety Committee to seek their input.

·       The Chair of the Committee had attended the meeting of the steering group where detox beds were discussed and would be speaking with the organisations with regards to the work that they undertook and would keep the Committee updated on progress.

·       The Service Lead - Community Safety Partnership Officer/Harm Risk added that partnership volunteers were really keen to be involved in the process and further information would be presented to the Committee in the coming months.

Following the update, Members agreed the following:

·       That the Active Wellbeing team based in Ilfracombe be invited to take part in the workshop.

·       Acknowledged the important work of the Freedom Centre and the services that it provided.

·       The unfortunate closure of the Link Centres and the involvement of the Freedom Centre with the same clients.

·       The role of elected members in spreading the message with regards to the work of the Freedom Centre to the wider public through sharing of posts on social media.

·       The multitude of issues that required addressing when working with clients with mental health issues together with the importance of centrally locating all of the organisations involved in one place at the Freedom Centre.

·       That the Chair of the Committee be involved in the work of the project.

RESOLVED, that the update from the Service Lead - Community Safety Partnership Officer/Harm Risk be noted.