Safer Suffolk Terms of Reference
Introduction
The Safer Suffolk Partnership Board (SSPB) is the strategic partnership responsible for working together to deliver the Community Safety outcomes within Transforming Suffolk and any relevant local targets. It is also the County strategy group for the Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs).
The SSPB also encompasses the governance responsibilities of the Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT).
Our mission is for all people in Suffolk to be kept safe from harm, to be able to live healthy lifestyles and to be valued in the community in which they live, work, grow up and grow old.
Specific functions of the SSPB
In respect of Community Safety to:
- Provide officers with a clear and compelling vision and sense of direction
- Agree the annual strategic assessment
- Approve the annual community safety partnership budgets
- Agree high profile budget allocations on major projects
- Allocate resources to community safety partnerships
- Set an appropriate performance monitoring framework
- Have overall accountability for community safety performance and receive performance reports from the CSPs
- Manage county and local political priorities
- Directly commission work where appropriate to deliver local outcomes and targets
- Provide the governance for the Sexual Assault Referral Centre
- Provide the governance for Integrated Offender Management (IOM)
- Provide the governance for the County Domestic Violence Forum
- Provide the governance for the DAAT by:
- Receiving and approving the summary of strategic intentions of the DAAT
- Receiving a summary of the financial spend and the key performance indicators for the DAAT
- Supporting the terms of Reference for the Drug and Alcohol Action Team – Appendix 1
Membership and Chair
Members of the SSPB should be of a sufficiently senior level within their own organisations to make relevant decisions on behalf of their organisation, partnership or interest group where appropriate or to be able to refer these decisions to their respective management structures to ensure prompt decisions can be made.
Core membership of the SSPB should be from the following list. Members are there to represent their organisation or partnership, not to put forward personal views or opinions. Members are also responsible for feeding back information to the partnership or organisation they represent.
- Suffolk County Council Portfolio Holder for Community Safety
- Lead member for Suffolk DAAT
- Assistant Chief Constable Suffolk Police
- Head of Suffolk Youth Offending Service
- Chair of Western CSP; Supported by non voting representatives from Mid Suffolk and Forest Heath District Councils
- Chair of Babergh CSP
- Chair of Ipswich CSP
- Chair of Waveney CSP
- Chair of Suffolk Coastal CSP
- Deputy Director Public Health, Suffolk Primary Care Trust
- Great Yarmouth & Waveney Primary Care Trust
- Chief Fire Officer and Suffolk County Council Director Public Protection
- SCC Head of Trading Standards
- 2 Voluntary Sector Representatives
- Chairman of Police Authority
- Chief Executive of Norfolk and Suffolk Probation Trust
- Chair of Suffolk Criminal Justice Board
- Chair of County Domestic Violence Forum
Individuals should be nominated to the SSPB by the organisations listed above. The Chair of the SSPB will be formally agreed by the standing SSPB members, and be responsible for making all approaches for membership nominations.
If a SSPB member cannot attend then they must nominate an appropriate person to take their place. This is to be agreed with the Nominated Chair. If a SSPB member is unable to attend a meeting, they may contribute through email or telephone. If members miss four consecutive meetings then the SSPB may consider requesting that the organisation or partnership provide another representative.
An individual may stand down from the SSPB at any time but their respective organisation must nominate a replacement with the agreement of the SSPB.
The Chair and Vice Chair are nominated and elected by the SSPB members.
The Chair should be Chair for a period of three years. The Vice Chair can be any member nominated by the SSPB and will remain Vice Chair for not longer than three years.
Community Safety Agreement
In 2007 a review of the Crime and Disorder Act called “Delivering Safer Communities” put forward recommendations for change.
Significantly in a two tier structure, the recommendations included the need for the County Strategy Group (the functions of which are included within the role of the SSPB) to operate to a Community Safety Agreement. This agreement is detailed in Appendix 2 and is required to be signed by all members of the SSPB who are deemed to be the Responsible Authorities for Community Safety Partnerships.
Governance Arrangements
SSPB will be quorate when 50% 9ten) of the membership is in attendance. Decisions of the SSPB, when quorate, will be binding, should decision be made when the SSPB is not quorate then the decisions will be agreed in principle only.
The Chair reserves the right to call exceptional meetings should the circumstances arise.
The Chair shall be responsible for the operation of the meetings and in conducting any voting. Decisions will generally be taken on the basis of consensus and agreement, however failing that a simple majority vote will be used should issues require it.
Each member has a vote on the SSPB which should be made on behalf of the organisation or partnership that they are there to represent. (This could mean that members who are representing a partnership may vote differently to the organisation that they are employed by).
Any voting cannot compel a partner organisation to undertake an action they do not agree to, but should be persuasive upon that organisation.
Minutes and papers from all SSPB meetings will be made available to the public. However in exceptional circumstances some elements of the papers may be withheld and would be decided by the SSPB members.
Organisation of Meetings
The SSPB will meet three times per year.
The Agenda will be prepared by the Suffolk County Council Community Safety Manager and the DAAT Co-ordinator in consultation with SSPB members. Members will be asked for agenda items at least 15 working days before the meeting being held. All papers will be sent out at least 7 working days before the meeting date and posted on the appropriate web site.
Tabling of items will be limited and agreed by the Chair or Vice Chair in advance of the meeting.
The SSPB will be supported by an Executive Group of officers who will meet three times a year and take direction from the SSPB.
Equality and Diversity
The SSPB and any group established under its auspices will strive to deliver all of its strategic aims and objectives with equality and without discrimination, recognising the diversity of the county and within national legislation.
Amendments to the Terms of Reference
These terms of reference will remain in effect until March 2012 when they will be reviewed to take account of any necessary changes. They will be reveiwed annually.
© 2012 Suffolk Strategic Partnership. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy / Dispute and Compliants Procedure / Equality Policy
Accessibility and Site Help / Site Map