A report setting out recommendations to restructure the current model for the Safer Reading Neighbourhood Forum and geographically based Safer Neighbourhood Forums (SNFs).

The Committee received a report which set out recommendations to restructure the current model for the Safer Reading Neighbourhood (Chairs) Forum and geographically based Safer Neighbourhood Forums (SNFs). These changes would then be submitted to the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) on 18 July 2024. The following documents were appended to the report:

Appendix 1 – Existing and Proposed Structure of Safer Neighbourhood Forums;

Appendix 2 – Maps of Safer Neighbourhood Forums (existing and proposed).

The report explained that the review followed on from a review of Reading’s CSP, the introduction of its new strategy at the beginning of January 2023 and was supported by proposals put to the CSP on 14 September 2023. An informal review of the forums had taken place, with fresh impetus provided to support the Safer Reading Neighbourhood (Chairs) Forum.

The report noted that the existing Forums did deliver benefits, including a space for residents to raise current issues and feel supported, gathering of information at the meetings and its dissemination to key stakeholders and the Committee especially emphasised the dedication and support from the Chairs to tackle issues of crime and disorder. However, there were several issues with the current model which needed to be addressed, including lack of forums in some areas, clashes of meetings which made it difficult for some stakeholders to attend, limited participation, lack of clear links to the CSP, insufficient resources from Council officers and the Police to support the forums, inconsistent priorities across the forums and inconsistent and outdated geographical boundaries.

The report stated that to ensure that all residents had an opportunity to feed into our activity to tackle crime and disorder, there was an identified need to:

·        Move from a “one size fits all” approach to working more broadly with our communities on the objectives of the CSP, with other means of gathering feedback such as online surveys, Love Your Neighbourhood sponsored activities, e.g., estate walkabouts etc. to complement the activities of the Forums.

·        Ensure all Council supported Forum meetings were promoted as open to all residents, with awareness-raising and publicity initiatives to maximise attendance.

·        Make more efficient use of resources and tools available across the Community Safety Partnership to engage.

·        Incorporate a wider range of methods used by residents and communities today to connect on issues that impact them.

·        Ensure greater engagement between the CSP and all communities (young people, seldom heard) on matters relating to crime and disorder and support them with the structure to do so, including encouragement to attend the Forums as much as possible.

·        Ensure there was a direct link between officer led problem solving meetings and communities to allow residents to contribute to problem solving issues that were impacting their neighbourhoods.

·        Improve communications about the work happening in local areas to tackle crime and disorder in a way that did not rely solely on Forum meetings.

The report proposed a refresh of the geographically based Forums to address both the structural and logistical challenges identified to ensure that Forums were operating in line with the Council’s Constitution. The aim of the refresh was to expand to an all-encompassing approach to provide all residents in communities across the town with equal opportunity to have their voice heard by being able to meet with problem-solving Police Officers, Council officers and Councillors jointly a minimum of three times a year. The aim was to increase outreach to seldom heard communities through well publicised public meetings, enabling residents to raise issues of concern, and to contribute to finding solutions to tackle crime and disorder and reduce the fear of crime. The following Safer Neighbourhood Forum Principles would be introduced:

·        The Public Forums would be supported from the Council’s Community Partnerships Service, specifically the Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and Safer Public Realm (SPR) Teams, as well as Thames Valley Police and local Councillors;

·        There would be some rationalisation of the current schedule to allow for consistent RBC support;

·        The schedule of meetings needed to support Police attendance which at the latter end of the working week could be more challenging due to shift priorities and it was noted in the meeting that this could also be affected by the move to a five Local Command Unit structure that was being introduced;

·        New Forums would be established in all neighbourhoods currently without one (e.g., South Reading, Town Centre, Amersham Road and Orts Road) over time, starting with South Reading over the summer of 2024;

·        All Public Forums would be held three times a year, once each in Winter, Spring and Autumn Terms avoiding half terms and holidays; and

·        All supported public forums would be genuinely open to all residents in an area.

The report also explained that the following elements were essential features of a public-meeting style of forum, which would engage meaningfully with residents to be able to achieve notable success in problem solving:

·        The scope for residents to participate to be diversified, allowing several channels for engagement, including online and use of social media, for those unable or unwilling to attend in person;

·        Forums to be inclusive with as open an approach to attendance as could be realistically expected;

·        To be simple in format, style of delivery and accessibility;

·        To be utilised to leverage local relationships and conversations, in time allowing local people to lead;

·        That meetings not be rushed, and time to be allowed for resident's contributions;

·        That Police and Council Officers set out clear expectations of what was and was not achievable; and

·        That Officers who attended forums always reported back.

The report requested that existing chairs would continue acting as SNF Chairs and as members of the Safer Reading Neighbourhood Forum, to facilitate the transition to the revised model and to act as a local advocate (volunteer Leader) for the Community Safety Partnership. Representatives of Social Landlords with responsibility for tackling ASB would also be encouraged to attend meetings in areas where they had significant levels of stock, as would other stakeholders in particular Forums such as the University of Reading. The Committee added four resolutions to the report ( numbers 2-5 below) and

Resolved:

(1)        That the proposed refreshed structure for the geographical Safer Neighbourhood Forums be approved to ensure the Forums were operating in line with the Council’s Constitution;

(2)        That the Safer Neighbourhood Forum Chairs be thanked for their dedication and their considerable problem solving skills be acknowledged;

(3)        That the ethos of the report be emphasised by officer focus to prioritise the provision of a functioning Forum in every area. Where such Forums already exist, the emphasis would be not to disrupt these positive works, but to amplify and support such work;

(4)        That the Lead Councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety continue to work with and push for the strongest level of support for the Forums from Thames Valley Police, especially noting the possible impact to that support with the move to a five Local Command Unit structure across the Thames Valley;

(5)        That a one-year review of progress be submitted to the appropriate meeting of the Committee.