Microsoft word - operation fortress partnership planning day december 2012 notes.doc

Partnership Planning Day notes
This was the second partnership day organised by the Operation Fortress (OF) team with the aim of furthering the knowledge of and feedback on the partnership’s work with drug dealing violent offenders. Assistant Chief Constable, Laura Nicholson, highlighted the strategic aims of Operation Fortress as a different type of intervention to deal with the scale of drug related violence. She commented that the skills, investment and energy of all agencies that would sustain the work at the end of the police funding period. The work will be evaluated the results of which will be presented to the Police and Crime Commissioner. Speakers as per below; o Kath Barnes, D/Superintendent of Operation Fortress o Colin McAllister (DAT) and Mike Taylor (Society of St James) with a personal o Andy Newsam of the Youth Justice Board o Chief Inspector Mat Shaer of the Metropolitan Police Service o Derek Stevens of the Local Authority o DS Darren Ford and DS Justin Torgout Operation Fortress o Elizabeth Burton-Phillips and Gail Pitts DRUGFAM
Acronyms used are spelt out at the end of the notes.

Questions addressed to the panel of speakers from the morning included:
• What is the panel’s view of the NHS prescribing Naltrexone to drug addicts?
The local DAT pro-actively prescribes the drug and encourages GPs continuing to
prescribe after DAT intervention. There is concern of those who have been in custody
who could be prone to relapse/overdose when resuming the drug. It was added there
are new delivery methods of Naltrexone and it can be used for those with alcohol
problems.
2. There are issues not just in the timely sharing of information but also
sharing evidence

Kath Barnes of Operation Fortress agreed this needs to be addressed and any
identified barriers to effective action removed.
3. The perception given by the media is that all action is geared more to the
vulnerable people on the streets and not the ‘big fish’

Mat Shaer of the Metropolitan Police Service said there were 2 aspects: a) the police
need to take action against those offending on the streets as they are the ones using
weapons and pose the immediate risk and b) significant investment is required to get
to those higher up.
Kath Barnes added that tackling serious organised crime was by necessity under the
radar with only the end result in the public eye. She gave an example of a successful
piece of work which is likely to lead to some of the money from criminals feeding into
cash back local schemes (grants of up to £2k).
The Daily Echo journalist said the paper tends to focus on the local story.
Derek Stevens of the Local Authority said they were now getting calls from other
agencies which could be passed either onto OF team or warrant a multi-agency
meeting.
4. Observation that there should be a dedicated Crime Prevention Design
Advisor rather than have it added onto existing functions.

Everybody agreed

5. View from staff at the YMCA, YOT and other similar providers that there is a
gang culture in the city such that young people will not go to some
locations.

Kath Barnes accepted the concerns expressed and said it was important in design to
ensure that services were in the right location and safe. It is the policy of the City to
focus on prevention to ensure that Southampton does not get the entrenched gang
cultures as exists in other cities. She acknowledged sensitivities in publically using
the term `anti-gang strategies’ in that, without explanation, it may incorrectly suggest
Southampton suffers the level of gang problems seen in some metropolitan police
areas.
6. A staff member of a local College suggested that there be more joint working
with the Local Authority with faith leads beyond street pastors
Agreed that the Local Authority and Colleges could work together
7. Concern expressed with vitriolic language used by some members of the
public after a drug related story in the Daily Echo and the need for the
newspaper to be tackle the stigma such language feeds into.

It was said that the paper has no powers to deal with the actual letters but could act
on complaints and sought to cover positive individual stories.

8. YOT asked Andy Newsam how to deal with running groups where young
people are scared to attend and of issues relating to safe-guarding in
information sharing protocols.

Andy was of the view that the group work service may have to be take place
elsewhere. He also thought the YOT’s case management system could help in the
co-ordination of information sharing.


Workshop sessions - 6 groups worked on the question:
‘What are the action plan points for your organisation/group in
supporting the delivery of Operation Fortress (OF) over the next 6
months’.

The following categorises the feedback which came in the form of common themes
and where identified by agency.44
This area needs to be improved both within each agency/internal department and across OF as it underpins everything. Question posed as to whether one ‘information medium’ could be developed e.g. When Youth Services are looking to re-house young/vulnerable people it would help for risk purposes to have knowledge of others on the premises (when justified and proportionate). Useful tips available on: www.informationsharing.co.uk all agencies/Colleges to support individuals to be able to share intelligence Came up as a separate theme but also as an area to address by - Attendees share OF’s work with own work colleagues - use College Facebook pages - show facts and figures on College premises e.g. corridors and - add links on College websites/via Moodle - College radio - Use opportunities of an OF stall at events - Need to maintain stability of other projects where OF issues - need to link up interventions - ensure there is a focus on prevention across all projects - training on brief interventions that can be used by educational staff - OF team to assist in driving this forward - require more training for College counsellors - awareness raising within educational establishments (e.g. - consider sniffer dogs on College premises the role of street pastors to be explained to other faiths. - Continue involvement of voluntary groups including within schools (school and individual risk assessments) - Explore better joint working e.g. those addresses where vulnerable individuals may be living - how could OF contribute to more effective intervention, recognising that joint working is a 2 way process - schools could provide more information/report better - Police departments will continue to engage around OCGM and will also liaise with the Police on their gang matrix to enhance our joint knowledge of intent and capability of OCG members. Rebuilding clients’ lives following vulnerability issues in their lifestyle which has led them to being ‘taken over’. Up skill advisors - need education in the workplace Concerned to know how they get to know about other agencies, how they can become involved in their work and understand their processes. Thought this could be taken forward by better use of the police intranet, training of key staff and e-learning as well as general communications. - Run girl only groups - Working in prevention/early engagement in the Criminal Justice Education of staff and peers in early signs; undertake targeted ‘healthy relationship’ work with girls/young women. Raise staff awareness of young people’s vulnerability. - advocacy for more multi-agency teams working together in one - Clearer knowledge prior to or at time of arrests so that DART can attend whilst person is in police custody. There are missed opportunities in engaging with those who would benefit from DART services. Would operational security issues prevent this? - look at Somerset’s rewind project (interest of the College - request Elizabeth Burton Phillips and her colleague Gail Pitts to Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (free source e-learning software platform). Download moodle.org

Source: http://www.hampshire.police.uk/internet/asset/47e9f784-f414-4526-b436-c6be72d0266I/operation-fortress-partnership-planning-day-december-2012-notes.pdf