The Corporate & Partnerships Overview & Scrutiny Committee of East Riding of Yorkshire Council convened on Monday, 10 June 2024, to discuss various topics, including updates from the North Yorkshire Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner, community safety initiatives, and property rationalisation efforts. Key decisions were made regarding the future work programme and the ongoing rationalisation of council properties.

Attendance of North Yorkshire Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner

Zoë Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner (PFCC), provided an overview of the progress and improvements against the inspection reports produced by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary & Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS). She highlighted several initiatives:

• Public Accountability Meetings: These were convened and live-streamed to scrutinise the progress of the Chief Officers against their HMICFRS improvement plans.
• Monthly Progress Reports: Received from both Chief Officers at the Joint Executive Board meetings.
• Restructuring of the PFCC Office: To focus on delivery and assurance, including the adoption of a Delivery Plan and a new Assurance Framework.
• Investment in the Force Control Room: Resulting in improved response times for 101 and 999 calls, and safeguarding.
• Safeguarding Improvements: Additional officers and funding led to an increase in frontline police officers.
• Leadership Programmes: Delivered to nearly 300 supervisory personnel, including Diversity, Equality, and Inclusivity training.
• New Police Vehicles and Staff Survey: Investment in over 60 new police vehicles and a staff survey with a 61.8% completion rate.

The PFCC also discussed improvements in the North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (NYFRS), including the appointment of new Chief and Deputy Chief Fire Officers, and the implementation of a Community Risk Profile and Risk & Resource model.

Bi-annual Update on Community Safety Plan Delivery & Partnership Working

Odette Robson, Head of Safer Communities, and Assistant Chief Constable Catherine Clarke presented a bi-annual update on the North Yorkshire Community Safety Partnership's priority areas. Key points included:

• Sexual Orientation Hate Crimes: An increase in reports with no obvious pattern, and steps taken to address this, such as awareness-raising and community engagement.
• Domestic Abuse Reporting: An increase in reporting, particularly during the COVID period, with ongoing efforts to support all victims through organisations like IDAS.
• PREVENT Work: Regular radicalisation referrals and the Channel Panel's activities were discussed, with a request for more detailed information in future updates.

Equalities & Diversity Update

Will Boardman, Head of Policy & Performance, provided an update on the Council’s equality objectives for 2021-2025. The report covered actions undertaken between April 2023 and January 2024, highlighting the Council’s commitment to meeting its Public Sector Equality Duty. Concerns were raised about the potential difficulty in identifying equality issues at a local level following the restructuring of district areas.

Property Services - Update on Property Rationalisation

Councillor Gareth Dadd, Executive Member for Finance & Resources, and Gary Fielding, Corporate Director for Resources, presented an update on property rationalisation. Key points included:

• Quick Wins: Relinquishing leasehold properties and mothballing others, resulting in revenue and CO2 savings.
• Depot Review: Planned to identify efficiencies and future-proof council depots.
• Customer Access Points: The necessity of maintaining customer access points in all areas, potentially including mobile offices.

The committee acknowledged the balance needed between a cautious approach and timely progression of rationalisation efforts.

Draft Work Programme 2024/25

The committee reviewed the draft work programme for the 2024/25 municipal year. Gary Fielding highlighted key pieces of work, including the development of new corporate strategies and regular updates on property rationalisation. The committee agreed to update the work programme to include these items.

For more detailed information, you can refer to the Draft Minutes 5 March 2024 and the Work Programme 2024-25.