The Public Health and Community Safety Cabinet Panel met on Thursday 09 October 2025. The panel was asked to note and support the refreshed Hertfordshire Public Health Suicide Prevention Strategy for 2025-2030, and to champion mental health and suicide prevention as important local health priorities. The panel was also asked to note the contents of the Prevent update, the Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service Annual Performance Report 2024-25, the HMICFRS Inspection Update – Accelerated Cause of Concern, and the Trading Standards Update.

Hertfordshire Public Health Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025-30 Refresh

The panel was asked to note and support the refreshed Hertfordshire Public Health Suicide Prevention Strategy for 2025-2030. The strategy, developed through extensive consultation with partners, residents, and those with lived experience, aims to reduce suicides and promote mental wellbeing across the county. It focuses on five key areas: suicide attempts, children and young people, groups requiring focused support, addressing common risk factors, and individuals bereaved by suicide. The strategy adopts a missions-based approach, encouraging collaborative action across the system to achieve its goals. Councillors were asked to champion mental health and suicide prevention as important local health priorities, recognising that it is everyone's business and should be given equal priority to physical health.

Prevent Update

The panel was asked to note the contents of the report on Hertfordshire's Prevent programme, which aims to stop people from supporting terrorism or becoming terrorists. The Home Office's annual assessment found that Hertfordshire is exceeding all seven benchmarks for Prevent delivery, with particular commendation for its work in reducing permissive environments. The report also highlighted the publication of the Lord Anderson report, Lessons for Prevent, which reviewed the interactions of two attackers with the Prevent programme and made recommendations for improvement. The Home Secretary has welcomed these findings, and any resulting changes will be considered by the Multi-Agency Prevent Board. The service is also developing a new communications plan to increase suitable referrals, raise awareness, and bolster trust in the Prevent programme.

Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service Annual Performance Report 2024-25

The panel was asked to note the Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service (HFRS) Annual Performance Report for 2024-25. The report detailed the service's performance against a range of indicators, highlighting progress in reducing sickness absence among staff and an increase in volunteer hours. The report also noted a decrease in fire-related fatalities and casualties, and a slight increase in primary and secondary fires. While attendance times for property fires and road traffic collisions fell below target in some areas, the service is actively exploring initiatives to improve response times. The report also detailed successes in youth engagement programmes, the King's Trust Team Programme, and the work of volunteers.

HMICFRS Inspection Update – Accelerated Cause of Concern

The panel was asked to note and comment on the content of the report regarding the HMICFRS inspection updates and the Accelerated Cause of Concern (ACOC) issued by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) in October 2024, relating to how HFRS assesses vulnerability and targets prevention activity. A detailed action plan with 21 actions has been developed and is being overseen by a Strategic Oversight Group. Significant progress has been made, with 11 actions completed and steady work continuing on others. HMICFRS acknowledged the service's commitment and the governance arrangements in place. A verbal update on the findings of a recent HMICFRS revisit in July was provided, with formal published feedback anticipated.

Trading Standards Update

The panel was asked to note the contents of the report on the work of the Trading Standards service, outlining its current priority areas: Doorstep Crime & Rogue Trading, Scams and Scam Prevention, Food Allergens and Food Fraud, Product Safety, Illicit Tobacco and Vapes, and Animal Health & Disease Prevention. The report highlighted recent successes, including the conviction of three defendants in the Operation Bronze wine investment fraud case, a significant Proceeds of Crime Act confiscation order for a counterfeit Air Pods scam, and successful prosecutions related to food safety and roofing fraud. The report also detailed the service's funding levels, noting that while Hertfordshire's spend per head is around the national average, national reductions in Trading Standards funding are a cause for concern. The service is actively working with partners and seeking to increase public awareness of its work.

The next meeting of the Public Health & Community Safety Cabinet Panel was scheduled for 1st December 2025 at 10am at Robertson House in Stevenage.