Last week I visited Parkfield Equine Solutions, a West Sussex-based charity who deliver the world-renowned work of The Horse Course. Their programme welcomes young people who are facing a variety of issues including mental health difficulties, ADHD or those who are at risk of offending.

I was delighted to award them £4,750 from the latest tranche of my Safer in Sussex Community Fund and it was wonderful to see, first-hand, how the funding is making a difference and to watch how effective their innovative support programmes are.

Parkfield Equine Solutions say they’re there for ‘when talking isn’t working’. They usually work with participants who have been referred to them by partners such as social services, schools, youth charities or police early intervention programmes and, often, the participants have previously struggled with talk-based therapies like counselling.

On my visit, I met young people who were taking part in the charity’s flagship course ‘Restart’. It’s a 5 day, 1-to-1 equine-assisted intervention and includes children and young people working with the horses through a variety of agility type obstacles. Participants are guided by trained staff members and volunteers to practice 8 core skills including calmness, focus, communication and empathy.

Terri Martinus, the CEO of Parkfield Equine Solutions, told me that 8 out of every 10 young people they work with will perform better in school and foster better relationships with friends and family as a result. It is vital we have services providing less conventional options for those who are struggling. We know if people can’t access support that works for them, they face a higher chance of experiencing social isolation and this can lead to them being more vulnerable to becoming a victim of crime.

I established my Safe Space Sussex Funding Network in 2018, inviting eligible services to apply for a grant of up to £20,000. The grants can be used to build on their existing work, increase training programmes, advance their technology, hire additional staff or buy essential equipment needed to provide the best support possible for those who need their services.

A large part of their funding application asks how they work with partners to provide support to victims who may have multiple vulnerabilities and how they exchange knowledge across specialisms. This includes how services work with Sussex Police as well as mental health services and our county councils.

I have now awarded my most recent round of funding within the Network. Over £250,000 has been given to a range of organisations offering tailored support in Sussex including: LGBTQ+ services; stalking awareness organisations; programmes that deliver support for victims of sexual assault and domestic abuse; as well as support for elderly survivors of crime; and development of training for staff focusing on child sexual exploitation.

All the services that have been awarded funding display dynamic and innovative approaches, thereby strengthening the effective support we are able to offer across the county and reaching people most in need of help.

You can read more about my Safe Space Funding Network and the organisations who have received financial grants on my website.

Finally, 1-7 June is Volunteers Week. We’ll be highlighting the work of our Independent Custody Volunteers, our Restorative Justice volunteers and mediation services on our social media throughout next week. You will be able to read more about the week and how important volunteers are to the work of my office and Sussex Police in my next newsletter.

Katy Bourne OBE

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner

Chief executive’s bulletin

1 June 2023

A new online event on empowering young voices in your community

This week we launched a new online event on empowering young voices in your community, taking place on 25 October 2023. Young people’s voices, views, and ideas are essential for local (parish and town) councils and shouldn’t be overlooked! The event provides practical tips and guidance on new ways to engage with young people in your community, understand their needs, and gather their views on crucial topics. Register your place today and visit our website to learn more about our other online events.

NALC urges government to retain local council green planning role

We have urged the government to retain local councils’ central green planning role. In our response to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities consultation, Environmental Outcomes Report: a new approach to environmental assessment, we argued that any attempt to replace the current system of Strategic Environmental Assessment in the planning system with Environmental Outcomes Reports must not result in a weakening of environmental protection or a reduced opportunity for local councils to be able to comment on environmental issues.

Local councils benefit from Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme

It was great to see many local councils benefit from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme, which invests funding to level up facilities across the United Kingdom. The programme will invest over £300 million between 2021 and 2025 to make essential facility improvements so communities have a high-quality pitch to play on. Check out the interactive map of successful projects in England for 2022/23.

Management Board

Our Management Board met remotely on 18 May 2023 and noted that the recent local council elections had led to a few vacancies on our committees and agreed that representatives of county associations on our National Assembly should be invited to express an interest in joining pending our full elections later in the year. This demonstrates the importance of more people getting involved in the work of their county and national associations, so look out for opportunities. The board also received updates on our new website and CRM project and progress with reviewing our financial strategy and reserves policy following the sale of our former HQ building. The board was pleased that a productive meeting had been held recently with Society of Local Council Clerks colleagues. It also agreed to have a separate meeting to focus on several outstanding internal governance issues.

On the blog: Playing Out and WorkNest

This week’s blog is by Pete Davies, the chief executive officer at Playing Out, who writes about why play streets are vital for local councils. Play streets are a low-cost, high-impact community development offer that councils can support to create healthier, happier individuals and communities. The positive impact of play streets on children includes regular physical activity, the opportunity to make friends, and the chance to learn fun and useful skills. And last week’s blog by Danielle Scott from our partners, WorkNest, was about what to do if an employee is not meeting the required standards. First, you should identify if you are dealing with a disciplinary or performance management issue. Then you can take the appropriate approach to address the issue — do read the blog to determine the correct route.

Rural Insight Forum

The latest meeting of the Rural Insight Forum, which brings together a range of rural stakeholders, including NALC and convened by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), took place on 26 May 2023. Here’s a summary:

• Officials reported that the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee published a report of their inquiry into rural mental health. The report highlights how available data on rural mental health in England is incomplete, with gaps in health data, suppressed demand for services, and under-reporting of rural deprivation. Urgent government action is needed due to concerns like COVID-19, Brexit, economic impacts, isolation, and other pressures on mental well-being in rural areas and among farmers. The report’s ten recommendations are creating a new cross-government rural mental health policy and delivery team, reviewing the Index of Multiple Deprivation, and creating a new levelling mission on young people’s mental health and well-being and youth services. The government is required to respond to the report within two months.
  The Rural Services Network presented the findings of their recent rural household survey.
  Last year, the government appointed Baroness Sanderson of Welton to help develop a new public libraries strategy. Officials gave an update on progress, including several deep dive sessions, her visits and other conversations with the sector and its partners. I’m keen to ensure the provision of libraries by local councils is not overlooked and that your voice is heard in developing this strategy. So, if you’re involved in running or supporting a library, please contact us at policycomms@nalc.gov.uk. We will follow this up directly with you, and we are also exploring holding a round table to bring councils together with government officials.
  Members of the forum also shared their experiences of the Rural England Prosperity Fund, where one common theme was frustration over the inconsistency of delivery by principal councils with limited external stakeholder engagement and monitoring. I’d like to hear about how this fund is being delivered in your areas and, particularly, access to the fund for local councils. Again, please get in touch at policycomms@nalc.gov.uk.

Commons Levelling Up Committee report on funding

Last week, the Commons Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee published a report following its inquiry into local government funding. The report’s main finding was that the current policy aim of levelling up the country risks failure unless the government can provide the long-term substantive funding necessary to help local councils deliver economic growth for their communities. I was pleased to read that NALC’s evidence was referred to in the final report and that one of our pleas for less competitive bidding processes was supported in its recommendations.

Fortnightly meeting with county officers

In this week’s meeting between NALC and county officers, there was a presentation from NALC’s newest partner GoCollaborate. They demonstrated their tool for online consultations, engaging with communities, and responding to several questions. There was also an update from our head of policy and communications, Justin Griggs, on the work of NALC’s National Networks, including why they were set up, how they work, and the range of activities and issues they have been engaged with. Also, county officers discussed how they could evolve, identified potential other groups and how they have input into NALC’s work.

NALC National Network: Young councillors

Our next NALC National Network: Young councillors meeting is on 7 June 2023, which brings together younger councillors aged under 40 who are currently serving on a local council. The agenda for this online meeting includes a welcome to new members, a discussion on growing the network, our Star Council Awards 2023 and an open forum for councillors to learn from each other. Visit our website to learn more about our networks and how to join, and please encourage any young councillors you know to get involved.

Evolution of community councils in Scotland?

To mark 50 years since the creation of community councils in Scotland, a Select Committee of the Scottish parliament is looking at how they work, good practices, and making them more effective. So, I was pleased to see our colleague Jackie Weaver from the Cheshire Association of Local Councils among the panel of witnesses to give evidence to the committee on 23 May 2023. In her contributions, Jackie spoke about the strengths of the local council model and the differences to community councils, funding from the precept and other sources, the importance of support from representative bodies, effective community engagement and the challenge of getting more people involved. You can read the session in full in the Official Report.

And finally…

Last week we shared information about our survey on remote meetings. We are gathering information about local council meetings and the use of virtual meeting technology. This is a crucial survey that will help NALC campaign for legislative change to allow councils to use virtual meeting technologies for council meetings. I’m urging councillors and clerks to complete the form by 8 June 2023 — it should only take a few minutes, thank you!

In my role as PCC, I’m delighted to have been able to secure nearly £35 million for over 53,000 victims of crime to help them cope and recover since 2014. In the last two years alone, I have been awarded more than £4m to fund initiatives focusing on violence reduction and tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Sussex.

The Government has recently offered more funding to tackle ASB and I’d like your help in deciding where best that money can be utilised in Sussex.

To find out how safe you feel in the county and to get your views, I’ve launched a new survey as part of my #TalkSussex campaign. It’s important that I hear what you have to say about the types of crimes you may have experienced, what makes you feel unsafe within your community and what measures could be put in place to help you feel safer?

The survey can be completed anonymously and, as well as the results being used to help inform my future funding decisions, they’ll also be fed back to Sussex Police to let them know whether residents feel safe or not and in which areas.

It only takes a few minutes to complete the survey online.

I will also be asking more about any ASB happening locally and seeking your views for suitable reparative activities for offenders in our Immediate Justice programme so please do keep an eye out for this in your inbox.

Project EDWARD (which stands for Every Day Without A Road Death) is the UK’s biggest platform showcasing good practice in road safety. Working alongside partners such as the emergency services, highway agencies and British businesses, they promote what is being done around the four nations focusing on safe vehicles; road use; speed; safe roads/roadsides and post-crash care.

At the event, Sussex police officers and road safety partnership members spoke to the public about the five main contributory factors that cause serious road traffic collisions. These are known as the ‘Fatal Five’: careless driving; drink and drug driving; not wearing a seatbelt; using a mobile phone and speeding.

Members of the public also spoke to officers and staff about their own road safety queries including recent updates to the highway code and tyre safety.

You can click the play button on the picture above to watch a short video of the day.

Katy Bourne OBE

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner

Chief executive’s bulletin

25 May 2023
NALC’s online event on fighting climate change 

We delivered our online event on fighting climate change with local council action this week. The sold-out event on 24 May 2023 discussed how stakeholders interested in rural sustainability could work with communities and featured case studies from local (parish and town) councils on what they did locally in the fight against climate change. Our expert panel featured Megan Blyth, local and community empowerment project manager at the Centre for Sustainable Energy, who said, “We think that parish and town councils can be a massive force for change”. Culvin Milmer, visitor services manager and business development officer at Swanage Town Council, added, “We need to ensure that Swanage is the most sustainable place it can be as a tourist location”. And Cllr Richard Neale of Draughton Parish Council stated his council “declared a climate emergency in 2021 and voted to help decarbonise the National Grid”. During the extensive Q&A, it was good to hear suggestions for where councils require further support such as leadership and professional advice from principal councils, access to loan capital, gathering data to share with the government on the impact of work by local councils to reduce energy, guidance and help with retrofitting listed buildings, and sharing documents such as climate action plans. I also want to thank Katherine Brown from NALC’s partners, Blachere Illumination, for hosting the event.

A new online event on engaging with local communities through digital engagement

Staying on the theme of events, we’ve launched a new online event on engaging with local communities through digital engagement which will take place on 27 September 2023. With the growing influence of the digital world, it’s more important than ever that local councils make it as easy as possible for people to engage with them and be flexible enough to meet the needs of their communities. This event will teach councils about effective digital engagement strategies and how to use digital tools and platforms to connect with residents. We also have plenty of other events throughout the year, so please check out our website to learn more about them.

Larger Councils Committee   

NALC’s Larger Councils Committee met remotely on 18 May 2023. Here are a few highlights:

• The committee shared with each other updates on recent local elections in their areas, where they reported an increase in the number of councillors standing down and a decrease in the number of candidates standing for election.
• The committee agreed to hold its next meeting on 25 July 2023 in person as a workshop to discuss engaging with larger and super councils and NALC members, NALC governance for larger councils, the committee’s work programme and the government’s neighbourhood governance review.
• NALC’s head of member services, Charlotte Eisenhart, and Steve Parkinson of The Parkinson Partnership spoke about the procurement needs of larger councils and received feedback to inform future work on guidance and training.
• The government’s recent Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan was considered and the committee shared examples of their own work to reduce anti-social behaviour such as though removal of graffiti, and delivery of youth services including outreach and provision of CCTV. NALC will be gathering further examples from larger councils and their use of existing powers to inform our engagement with the government.
• Extending the Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance to local councils has previously been identified as a lobbying priority by the Committee and it welcomed NALC’s lobbying on this issue including seeking to amend the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. The committee was asked to provide further evidence of how councillors were being affected to be used during the next stage of the Bill.

NALC Smaller Councils Committee   

NALC’s Smaller Councils Committee held its latest online meeting on 23 May 2023, here’s a summary:

• Congratulations to Cllr Josephine Parish (Corfe Castle Parish Council) who was elected committee chair until December 2023. Cllr Graham Ford (Illlogan Parish Council) was co-opted to the committee for the rest of the year. Elections to all of NALC’s committees and for leadership roles for the next two years of 2024 and 2025 will be taking place towards the end of this year.
• The committee agreed to engage with county association representatives on our National Assembly who are from smaller councils and invite them to participate in the committee’s work, to set up a network for the smallest councils, and for NALC to promote the committee elections as early as possible.
• Corrine Curtis from NALC’s partner Worknest joined the meeting to get feedback, from the perspective of smaller councils, on our HR templates and how-to documents.
• A discussion also took place on the National Agreement on Terms and Pay, which the committee agreed needs review. The committee emphasized the importance of clerks of smaller councils having proper remuneration for all the hours they work. It would issue a statement to emphasize that shortly.

Special meeting of NALC Policy Committee 

The Policy Committee held its second special meeting of the year on 22 May 2023, where Cllr Peter Allison from Wilsden Parish Council in West Yorkshire was elected committee vice-chair until December 2023 – congratulations to Peter! The committee also considered and endorsed a document comprising a business case with data and evidence for use to support our campaign for access to government grant funding. Several areas were identified for minor changes to the document and further ongoing work to support the campaign. I’d like to thank the task and finish group of NALC staff, Peter from the Policy Committee, Andy Reeves from Central Swindon North Parish Council and representatives from the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) and Essex Association of Local Councils, for their invaluable contribution to this important work.

Engaging with the government and the development of the Office for Local Government 

One of our objectives is to be a strong national voice for the sector, which includes raising its profile to the government and other national bodies, so they understand the role and potential of local councils. And seeking legislative and other changes in line with our policy priorities. Among the ways we do this is in parliament and meetings with ministers and civil servants. For example, we are on several government policy forums which bring stakeholders together, such as calls with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and its communities partnership board, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs insight forum and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero forum. NALC’s chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, also attends ministerial roundtables, so I’m pleased he’s been invited to join other local government leaders to help the development of the new Office for Local Government (OFLG) whose interim chair is Lord Morse. The OFLG is designed to increase transparency, foster accountability and use data to improve local government performance. While principal councils are the current focus for this body – its data themes are social care, waste, finance (reserves) and adult skills – local councils are not in its remit, but having a seat at the table provides an opportunity to help shape the regime to benefit our residents and ensure the sector’s interests are not overlooked.

Digital Democracy and Council Meeting Partnership 

Another forum where NALC is involved alongside other local government stakeholders is the Digital Democracy and Council Meetings Partnership. Originally formed during Covid-19 to address remote meetings, the partnership brings NALC together with the Association of Democratic Services Officers, Lawyers in Local Government, Local Government Association (LGA), SLCC and other representative bodies. NALC’s head of policy and communications, Justin Griggs, and our senior solicitor and legal manager, Jane Moore, were at the latest meeting on 23 May 2023, here’s a few highlights:

• Updated terms of reference were agreed including the mission statement of supporting the transformation and improvement of local government digital and hybrid democratic functions and lobbying for the flexibility to hold remote council meetings.
• A discussion on holding future round tables and learning events to support the partnership’s focus on best practice, guidance and case studies.
• The group provided updates on work to lobby for remote meetings such as LGA’s latest online survey about council meetings and the use of virtual meeting technology (more on NALC’s parallel survey below), a new letter to ministers, contact with Peers on amending the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill and June debate on local government and reinvigorating local democracy, and a private members bill being tabled by an MP.

Please complete our remote meetings online survey! 

I would be grateful if councillors and clerks from our local councils could complete a short online survey about local council meetings and the use of virtual meeting technology. This is being carried out in parallel with LGA’s own survey of principal councils. The results will help NALC’s campaign for legislative change to allow councils the flexibility to use virtual meeting technologies for council meetings, understand how councils might use virtual meeting technologies if they were permitted to do so and assess the potential benefits and challenges of in-person, virtual and hybrid council meetings. The survey should be quick and take around 5 minutes to complete. I would be grateful if you could complete the online form by 8 June 2023, please also only complete the survey once – thank you for your help.

BBC interview on parish polls

On 21 May 2023, BBC Politics South ran a piece on parish polls, which featured NALC chair, Cllr Keith Stevens and Cllr David Robey (Kidlington Parish Council), who both argued that parish polls are an archaic and expensive way of gauging opinion on a local issue. That’s why NALC has been urging the government to introduce rule changes proposed by prime minister Rishi Sunak MP when he was minister for local government that would increase public support needed for a poll, update voting arrangements, tighten the subject of the poll question, but go even further by introducing electronic voting so more people can get involved, as very few people vote in parish polls which have to be held in person only. You can watch the entire interview or read the highlights in our Twitter thread.

New Local — Stronger Things conference 

This week, Cllr Keith Stevens and colleagues from the policy and communications team attended New Local’s Stronger Things conference on 23 May 2023. The conference brings together the boldest and brightest thinkers at the forefront of the community power movement. This year the agenda was geared towards action, propelling a community-led vision for public services into reality. The conference included speakers such as Lisa Nandy MP, shadow secretary of state for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and MP for Wigan, who said the Labour Party wants to “transfer the power from Whitehall to the people”, Kim Leadbeater MP, MP for Batley and Spen, stated that “bottom up, top down to make democracy work” and “pestering your MPs will help get stuff done”, and Alex Norris MP, shadow minister for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and MP for Nottingham North, went on to say “we need to put our communities in charge”. The event also provided a great opportunity for us to network with attendees and promote the role of local councils in community power.

Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill 

Local council representation on new urban development corporations and powers to provide financial assistance to places of worship were among the amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill debated by the House of Lords. On 18 May 2023, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage argued that local councils are often left out of the loop and “their role at the heart of their communities is key to ensuring that there is a voice for local people as developments move forward”. In response, The Rt Hon Earl Howe, deputy leader of the House of Lords, said the government intended to replicate the existing approach of new town development corporations in forthcoming regulations. You can read this session in full on Hansard. And on 24 May 2023, The Bishop of Bristol spoke to her amendment which seeks to clarify the powers of local councils to provide funding to church buildings of all denominations. Resolving the confusion over the law is a long-standing issue which NALC has lobbied on and where our advice is set out in Legal Briefing L01-18. It was good that several Peers spoke in favour of the amendment – which seeks to achieve the same objective as a similar amendment by NALC’s president, Baroness Scott of Needham Market – and referenced both NALC’s parliamentary briefing and legal advice. Given the widespread support on the issue, Peers urged the government to bring forward their own amendment at the next stage of the bill. In her remarks responding to the debate, Baroness Scott of Bybrook, parliamentary under secretary of state for faith and communities, said she does “understand the confusion….we’ve heard their concerns that the law may be ambiguous…and I can assure them…we will consider this issue carefully and reflect on the comments made in the debate”. Again, you can read the session in full on Hansard.

New series of essays on tackling the housing crisis  

Ideas to tackle the housing crisis are in a new essay collection, Home Advantage, published by the think tank Bright Blue. NALC’s head of policy and communications, Justin Griggs, was at the report launch on 17 May 2023. It featured some of the report’s decision-makers and thought leaders who have shared their ideas on addressing the housing situation in four critical areas: security, community, stewardship and conservation. Proposals include local leadership from empowered local government, more emphasis on providing genuinely affordable housing and strengthened powers for communities over community spaces. It was good to hear Nicholas Boys-Smith from Create Streets and chair of the government’s Office for Place at the event commend Chesham Town Council’s approach to creating better, more beautiful, more sustainable development through their neighbourhood plan!

MemberWise Digital Excellence 2023 

Last week, NALC colleagues attended Digital Excellence 2023, organised by the MemberWise Network. The annual conference provides membership and association professionals with the opportunity to hear the latest digital-focused achievements, best practice advice, and tips to optimise the digital side of their organisations. The conference was a valuable resource for colleagues to learn more about maximising digital email engagement, using social media to change perceptions, designing member value propositions, widening member participation, and delivering a digital strategy, as well as vital information to aid the redevelopment of our new website, to name a few. MemberWise is an independent professional network that provides help, advice, and networking opportunities to its circa 8,000+ members association professionals.

Royal Garden Parties  

We submitted the names of approximately 100 representatives from local councils across England to attend the Royal Garden Parties on 3 and 9 May 2023. We received some glowing accounts of their experiences, such as Cllr Jeremy Richardson (Cold Norton Parish Council), who had a wonderful afternoon with his wife and was interviewed by BBC Essex radio last week about the experience, Cllr John Stewart (Bollington Town Council) was amazed at how extensive the gardens were (around 40 acres with a three-acre lake!). He enjoyed the tea in the main tea tent and described the day as “what an experience”, and Cllr Ian Brayshaw (Catterall Parish Council) said he and his wife enjoyed the day. If you attended the Royal Garden Parties, please share your experience with us at nalc@nalc.gov.uk.

Cost-of-living survey by the Rural Services Network 

This week the Rural Services Network (RSN) published the results of its Rural Cost of Living Survey. The survey showed that more than 75% of respondents say their financial situation has worsened over the last year — read the entire report. The RSN is the national champion for rural services, ensuring that people in rural areas have a strong voice.

And finally… 

Keep Britain Tidy has announced the winners of the prestigious Blue Flag and Seaside Awards for summer 2023, and among them are Seagrove Beach and Springvale Beach (Nettlestone and Seaview Parish Council), Sandgate Beach (Sandgate Parish Council), Swanage Central Beach (Swanage Town Council) and Weymouth Beach (Weymouth Town Council). The Blue Flag and Seaside Awards aim to improve the quality of England’s coastline and promote the country’s best beaches. Congratulations to everyone involved!

The funding will be used to continue our first countywide multi-agency stalking and domestic abuse perpetrator programme, helping to tackle some of Sussex’s most prolific and harmful abusers and stalkers in our bid to tackle violence against women and girls.

The ground-breaking programme was established in 2021 following our successful bid for Government funding. It brings together Sussex Police, mental health workers, drug & alcohol specialists as well as offender management caseworkers to uncover and address the reasons why perpetrators commit these crimes.

The aim is to change perpetrators’ behaviours and reduce their re-offending through evidence-based interventions.

Securing this additional funding means that we can continue to spearhead this important specialist programme.

We know that crimes such as domestic abuse and stalking are often complex so it’s vital we build on programmes that successfully change perpetrators’ behaviours whilst carefully supporting their victims.

You can read more about the programme and funding announcement on my website.

DISC is already used in East Sussex as well as over 550 towns and city centres across the UK. It is a secure online information-sharing system which allows retailers to distribute news, information and intelligence to each other and the police in real-time.

I often speak with retailers who tell me that ‘time’ is a big factor in why some crimes in their stores go unreported so I am delighted to continue to fund and support the further expansion of this effective scheme across Sussex.

When I visited Burgess Hill retailers yesterday, they told me that the ability to communicate quickly with local stores about offenders and to report all incidents immediately to police, will be a ‘game-changer’. The use of DISC will also help officers identify offenders and prevent further crimes thus making our high streets safer and more enjoyable places for us all to visit.

Katy Bourne OBE

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner

“The outcome of this inspection is testament to the determination and hard work of all our staff across Children’s Services and the county council. We have been relentless in our approach to put children first and drive sustained improvement within our services.

“We know we have more work to do so all our children and young people receive a good level of service. Ofsted have recognised our commitment to make further improvements and these areas are being addressed as part of our new continuous improvement plan and the West Sussex County Council priority to keep people safe from vulnerable situations.”

“Over the past four years, we have made significant investment in our services and ensured the political and corporate weaknesses reported in 2019 have been fully addressed. I am pleased Ofsted can see the positive changes both corporately and politically which is acknowledged in their report.

“I would like to thank our members, staff, children, young people and families, partners and our Commissioner John Coughlan for their unwavering support and scrutiny which has supported us to get to this position and will enable our ongoing improvement journey.”

If you would like to read the full report it is available here.

 Celebrate the Coronation in West Sussex

There’s a bumper weekend of festivities ahead as we celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty the Queen Consort.

The Coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday with the Archbishop of Canterbury conducting the ceremony, which will include a procession and service.

And with hundreds of events and volunteering opportunities currently listed on the official Coronation website, it looks like West Sussex is going to be celebrating in style!

You can browse through what’s on in your area by entering your address on the official website.

Take a look at our own Coronation webpages via the link below for lots more information about the long weekend of celebrations, which will include more than 185 street parties across the county!

You’ll also find details of our Customer Service Centre opening times over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Photo credit: Hugo Bernand/Buckingham Palace.

Send us your best snaps!

Our West Sussex Record Office and Screen Archive South East are inviting you to make your own contribution to the county’s archives by sharing your recollections, photos and films of the forthcoming Coronation.

Whether you are enjoying a street party, decorating your house or helping out in your local community, we’d like to have copies of your pictures and videos for future generations to enjoy.

They would also welcome any memorabilia that you may have from past Coronations.

If you have paper or digital records you would like to contribute, contact Jenny Mason at record.office@westsussex.gov.uk,  or if you have vintage films contact Screen Archive South East at screenarchive@brighton.ac.uk.

Image shows Coronation celebrations at Pulborough in 1953.

Make your own bespoke royal itinerary!

Experience West Sussex has put together a right royal list of ways you can enjoy the county over the Coronation weekend, and beyond.

Visit stately homes, castles, cathedrals, vineyards and gardens and discover the royal links – both past and present – in our county.

Crafts for the Coronation and free seeds

On Saturday (Coronation Day) our libraries are holding royalty themed activities for children.

There will be craft activities including crown making, colour-in bunting and activity sheets, and special Storytime sessions in selected libraries.

In honouring His Majesty King Charles III’s enthusiasm and care for the environment, families can also pick up seed packets when they visit one of our 36 libraries on Coronation Day.

In addition library teams have been delving into their archives and discovered some wonderful past coronation and jubilee material, showing how past events were celebrated in West Sussex.

For example, in 1897 for Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee,  Walberton villagers celebrated with a sports day. The winner of the ‘throwing the cricket ball’ competition won a biscuit box and the runner up a butter dish.

Pop into your local library to see a selection of the memorabilia.

Handy links:

• Roadworks and projects
• Contact West Sussex County Council
• Visit our newsroom
• Have your say on local issues.

Attention all local (parish and town) councils! Are you ready to stand out and raise the bar for your sector? NALC’s Council of the Year award calls for outstanding work in service delivery, service impact, community engagement, partnerships, and collaborative working. It’s your chance to shine!

The winner of this prestigious award will be decided by a public vote, making it a true reflection of your council’s impact on your local community. So why not nominate a council today?

To win, you must demonstrate how you’ve established, maintained, and managed effective relationships with other local authorities and organisations. You’ll also need to show how you’ve ensured effective service delivery to residents, improving the quality and range of local services.

But it’s not just about what you’ve done – it’s about how you’ve engaged with your community and pushed boundaries to exceed expectations. With a 150-word supporting statement required for each criterion, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to showcase your achievements.

Anyone can nominate, including council members and the general public, so don’t hesitate to complete the nomination form today. The deadline is 28 July 2023, so take advantage of this chance to be recognised as the NALC’s Council of the Year.

As you may remember, during December we experienced a high level of leaks and bursts in the area caused by the rapid freeze / thaw that took place following the cold weather.

We’ve directly compensated those customers worst affected, but also appreciate the impact this had on the wider community.

Therefore, we’ve set up a £50,000 Community Fund to benefit charities in the area and are now inviting applications.

All we’re asking is that in 100 words (or less) registered charities tell us how a grant of up to £2,000 would benefit them – it’s as simple as that.

The closing date is 5pm on Sunday 14 May.

Applications will be judged by a panel led by Mims Davies MP and include representatives from South East Water.

Successful charities will be notified week commencing 5 June, and invited to a short awards ceremony towards the end of June.

We look forward to receiving applications from charities in your local area.

Back in 2019, the Government announced plans to recruit an additional 20,000 police officers across England and Wales by the end of March 2023. A year earlier, I had also promised to recruit an extra 250 officers paid for by residents via an increase in their local tax precept.

On Wednesday, Sussex Police recognised reaching both the Government’s Uplift and my local target at their largest ever attestation which took place at the East Sussex National Hotel.

At the ceremony, 107 new police officers pledged, in front of their families, loved ones, the Chief Constable, senior officers and staff, a local magistrate and both newly-appointed High Sheriffs, to serve with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality in their roles as Police Constables and Detective Constables.

It is always a privilege to attend an attestation of new officers to Sussex Police and, given the size of this cohort, the event was particularly significant.

Those who were sworn in will be expected to serve the public without fear or favour and uphold the finest traditions of British policing. It is reassuring for Sussex residents that so many individuals have decided to take this oath of service and make policing their career of choice.

More on the attestation on my website early next week.

This is a commitment by all Chief Constables in England and Wales to address racial bias towards Black people – it will look at how policing challenges ‘the policies, procedures, operations and cultures in policing where racism, bias and discrimination exists.’

The Police Race Action Plan has the support of the Association of Police & Crime Commissioners and will be driven by the National Police Chiefs Council and the College of Policing through three main workstreams: internal culture and inclusivity; community engagement and relations; and police use of powers.

There were senior police leaders and PCCs (including representatives from Mayors’ offices) at the meeting and attendees heard some powerful reminders of past promises of cultural change – from the Scarman report of the 1980s onwards – that have still not fully materialised.

With the stinging assessment of Baroness Casey’s report into the Met Police still resounding across all police forces, the Police Race Action Plan is another essential next step in re-establishing public trust.

Katy Bourne OBE

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner

Chief executive’s bulletin

14 April 2023

NALC partners with GoCollaborate 

We’re delighted to announce we’ve partnered with GoCollaborate, a ground-breaking digital platform transforming how communities and generations work together. They have developed an innovative participatory online community engagement platform, tailored consultation support and helped local (parish and town) councils achieve inclusive public engagement. Local councils use their online community engagement platform to develop their neighbourhood plans and apply for levelling up funding opportunities to create prosperous and sustainable communities. Please find out more about our new partners.

NALC seeks writers for its Good Councillor’s guide series 

NALC is updating The Good Councillor’s guide! An essential guide for new councillors, those thinking about becoming a councillor and long-established councillors. We are looking for an individual to work freelance to lead the update of this guide. The right person for this work will have a good knowledge of how local councils operate, and in particular, a strong understanding of the role of a local councillor and a passion for helping councillors in their roles. We’re committed to finding someone to work on the guide and other resources over a more extended period, and we’ll provide training and support to build knowledge and confidence. So, if you’re interested in this opportunity and would like an informal discussion, please email NALC at charlotte.eisenhart@nalc.gov.uk or complete the form by 1 June 2023 to submit your interest.

Join our Local Council Award Scheme panel 

We’re looking for experienced councillors and clerks to join the national accreditation panel for the Local Council Award Scheme. We are incredibly grateful for the time and energy that panel members give to the scheme, which means that local councils across England can take part in this initiative. Suppose you are keen to hone your knowledge and experience of local council practice, interested in seeing how other councils operate and offering them feedback to help improve, and excited about working with other councillors and clerks. In that case, I’d encourage you to register your interest in joining the national panel.

Infrastructure Levy call for evidence 

You may be aware the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) have issued a consultation on the Infrastructure Levy to inform the design of the Levy and of regulations that will set out its operation in detail. The Infrastructure Levy is a reform to the existing system of developer contributions – Section 106 planning obligations and the Community Infrastructure Levy in England. We will respond to the consultation and want your views on the consultation questions. Please send your opinions to NALC at chris.borg@nalc.gov.uk by 19 May 2023.

On the blog: Policy Committee 

This week’s blog is from NALC’s Policy Committee chair, Cllr David Francis, who writes about how co-options can be a positive tool for local councils when used responsibly and creatively. Having a mix of councillors from various backgrounds is particularly beneficial for local councils. The blog outlines the process for co-opting a councillor that your local council can follow.

Local Council Award Scheme 

Just a quick reminder that the next deadline for applications to the national panel of the Local Council Award Scheme is 5 May 2023 (4 pm). The scheme celebrates the success of local councils and accredits councils at Foundation, Quality and Quality Gold levels. It also provides a framework for councils looking to show they meet the standards set by the sector and for continuous improvement. To learn more about the scheme, visit our website or contact your county association.

And finally… 

Congratulations to Wem Town Council, Cleobury Mortimer Town Council and Bishop’s Castle Town Council, who were recently awarded grant funding from Shropshire Council to support projects that enrich the opportunities for young people in their community and activities for children and families. The remaining pot of grant funding is £105,000, Shropshire Council have written to local councils on how they can bid for up to £25,000 for additional activity in their communities to support the health and wellbeing of the children, young people and families.