The Public Health and Community Safety Cabinet Panel were scheduled to meet to discuss updates from the Police and Crime Panel, the use of investigatory powers, the public health nursing service, the public health grant, commissioning of advocacy services for victims of violence against women and girls, and the local authority stop smoking services and support grant.

Commissioning of Advocacy Service for Victims of Violence Against Women and Girls

The panel were scheduled to discuss the commissioning of a countywide advocacy service for victims and survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

The report pack included a definition of VAWG, as adopted by the Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse and VAWG Partnership, based on the United Nations definition:

Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life .

The report pack noted that while not all acts of VAWG are violent or criminal, they all share common threads of discrimination, unequal power relations, gender stereotypes, and harmful social norms. Examples of VAWG include domestic abuse, sexual abuse, stalking and harassment, honour-based abuse, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, and exploitation.

The panel were to consider that victims and survivors of VAWG in Hertfordshire have reported that pathways to support are confusing because of the number of different services that exist across the county. The report pack stated that the proposed 'joined-up advocacy service' aims to bring together existing advocacy services under a single contract, so that advocates can work with victims and survivors across different forms of VAWG and levels of risk.

The panel were informed of a consultation with 642 Hertfordshire survivors in 2022, in which 69.5% of respondents stated that they didn't know where they could get support from . Many said there were too many services to choose from, or that they felt that support was only available for those assessed as being at the highest level of risk. The panel were also told that when asked what would make it easier to access support, many survivors reported wanting a 'one front door', through which they could get support regardless of the type or severity of VAWG they had been subjected to.

The panel were also scheduled to consider that the new service would launch between March 2026 and July 2026, and that funding for the service would be pooled from existing services commissioned by Hertfordshire County Council, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, and the Integrated Care Board.

Local Authority Stop Smoking Services and Support Grant

The panel were scheduled to discuss the Local Authority Stop Smoking Services and Support Grant, including the funding allocation, its aims, and key activities and achievements to date.

The report pack noted that in October 2023, the government announced a plan to create a smokefree generation¹, which included additional funding to local authority stop smoking services.

The panel were to consider that in Year 1 (2024-2025), Hertfordshire County Council was allocated £1,283,608. The report pack stated that this funding is ringfenced and can only be used for activity relating to local stop smoking services.

The panel were also scheduled to discuss the aims of the grant, which include:

• Improving outcomes for people who smoke by offering timely advice and support and effective interventions.
• Expanding behavioural support schemes (for example the 'swap to stop' scheme).
• Building capacity and demand for stop smoking services.
• Strengthening partnerships in local healthcare systems.

The panel were informed that the Hertfordshire Health Improvement Service (HHIS) is leading the delivery of the programme, and that the programme is structured around five strategic workstreams:

• Leadership, commissioning, and programme coordination
• Increasing local resources to help people quit.
• Improved referral pathways
• Increased promotion of local support
• Collaborative funding and delivery

The panel were scheduled to discuss that the main focus in Year 1 was on building capacity and laying the groundwork for building demand.

The panel were also scheduled to discuss the overall achievements for 2024-2025, including a 32% increase in the number of referrals into stop smoking services, and an increase in the number of smokers setting a quit date.

Finally, the panel were scheduled to discuss the activity plans for Year 2 (2025-2026), which will build on the activity and lessons learnt from Year 1, and will include an enhanced focus on the communications and marketing of services that are available.

Overview of the Public Health Nursing Service Transformation and Procurement Programme

The panel were scheduled to receive an overview of the public health nursing service in Hertfordshire, the transformation programme that was undertaken in 2024 to redesign the service, and an update on the status of the procurement.

The report pack stated that Public Health Nursing (PHN) comprises the 0-5 years (health visiting) and 5-19 years (school nursing) service, and is one of the most important services commissioned by Public Health. The service focuses on health, wellbeing and development from pregnancy through to early adulthood (0-25 for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)).

The panel were informed that in late 2023 a situation appraisal was undertaken to identify the current challenges experienced by the service and potential opportunities to modernise and refocus the service to ensure it met the needs of the local community. Following this appraisal, it was decided to pause a recommission of the service and to undertake a transformation programme to inform a redesigned service specification.

The panel were scheduled to discuss that the transformation was delivered over a 12-month period, comprising a national benchmarking exercise and a series of stakeholder roundtable events. The output of this process was a redesigned service specification.

The panel were also scheduled to discuss key features of the redesigned service, including resetting the role of PHN in their systemwide contribution to safeguarding, ensuring the service aligns with national policy, and refocusing the school nursing service to be a population-based service and not just available through schools.

The panel were informed that the provision of commissioning health services now fits under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 - known as PSR². Following an options appraisal of procurement options, a competitive tendering process was identified as being the most appropriate route to ensure the selection of the provider for the new service specification.

The panel were scheduled to discuss that recommissioning of the public health nursing service via competitive tender is currently ongoing, and that the outcome will be shared with the Public Health and Community Panel in September 2025.

Public Health Grant 2024/2025 – 2025/2026

The panel were scheduled to receive an update on the spending against the Public Health Grant for the financial year 2024/2025 and an overview of the planned spend for financial year 2025/2026.

The report pack stated that Hertfordshire Public Health receives an annual grant from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) for provision of public health services, and that the grant is ring-fenced, which means that it must be spent on activities that achieve public health outcomes.

The panel were informed that the amount of the Public Health Grant varies from year to year and is normally announced by DHSC in the three months leading up to the new financial year.

The panel were scheduled to discuss that the Public Health team annually runs a service planning exercise to identify how much budget should be allocated to each of the areas in Public Health in the next financial year.

The panel were also scheduled to discuss internal commissioning, which is Hertfordshire's mechanism for contributing towards corporate savings by supporting the continued provision of services delivered or arranged by other Hertfordshire County Council directorates and departments that contribute to Public Health outcomes.

The panel were informed that for 2024/2025, the breakdown of expenditure against the core Public Health Grant was as follows:

• Commissioned services: 53%
• Internal commissioning: 17%
• Salaries: 13%
• Other: 17%

The panel were also scheduled to discuss the financial planning for financial year 2025/26, including the Public Health Grant allocation, planned spending, salaries budget, and the Public Health Prevention Investment Programme.

Approval of Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA): Annual Report (1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025)

The panel were scheduled to discuss the annual report on the use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) ³ and Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA) ⁴ by Hertfordshire County Council during the period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.

The report pack stated that the applicable Home Office code of practice requires that elected members should review the local authority's use of RIPA and IPA and set the policy at least once a year.

The panel were informed that RIPA regulates Directed Surveillance and Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS), and that the IPA regulates the acquisition and disclosure of communications data from communications service providers.

The panel were scheduled to discuss the application processes for Directed Surveillance, Covert Human Intelligence Sources, and Communications Data.

The panel were also scheduled to discuss Hertfordshire County Council's use of RIPA for surveillance purposes in the year April 2024 to March 2025, including the number of directed surveillance authorisations granted, the number of CHIS recruited, and the number of breaches identified.

The panel were informed that in the year April 2024 to March 2025, Hertfordshire County Council's use of IPA for obtaining communications data was as follows:

• Applications for communications data: 66
• Applications rejected: 0

The panel were also scheduled to discuss the benefits of RIPA and IPA to the public, including the detection and prevention of crime, and the assistance in obtaining best evidence to support criminal investigations.

Finally, the panel were scheduled to discuss the County Council RIPA and IPA Policies, and that there are no significant changes proposed in relation to the policies.

Police and Crime Panel Update from the Council's Representative

The panel were scheduled to receive an update from Councillor Matt Fisher, the Council's representative on the Police and Crime Panel (PCP), on the business of the PCP.

The report pack included a summary report from the Police and Crime Panel meeting held on 19th June 2025.

The panel were informed that the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Jonathan Ash-Edwards, addressed the Panel to provide an overview of his first full year in office. The PCC outlined progress against the strategic policing priorities set out in the Police and Crime Plan, detailed improvements in operational delivery, and presented plans for the year ahead.

The panel were scheduled to discuss the five strategic priorities set out in the new Police and Crime Plan:

• Make Hertfordshire safer
• Strengthen local policing and public confidence
• Tackle crime and anti-social behaviour
• Protect people from violence, abuse, and exploitation
• Bring offenders to justice and support victims

The panel were also scheduled to discuss operational performance and improvements, public engagement and youth involvement, resourcing and budget, performance and accountability, crime reduction and enforcement, protecting vulnerable people, criminal justice and equality, and the strategic policing requirement.