The Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee of Brent Council met on Wednesday 24 January 2024, discussing the Safer Brent Partnership's Annual Report, the findings of the Budget Scrutiny Task Group, and the Scrutiny Recommendations Tracker. Key decisions included noting the Safer Brent Partnership's report and agreeing to submit the Budget Scrutiny Task Group's findings and recommendations to Cabinet and Full Council.

Safer Brent Partnership Annual Report 2022-23

The Committee received the Safer Brent Partnership (SBP) Annual Report for 2022-23, detailing activities undertaken to support agreed priorities. Will Lexton-Jones, Detective Superintendent and Chair of the SBP, explained his role in ensuring accountability and delivery of partnership priorities. Councillor Harbi Farah, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities and Public Protection, emphasised the importance of collaborative working across agencies and the voluntary sector to achieve the SBP's ambitious goals. Kibibi Octave, Director of Communities, noted that future reports would cover a full calendar year for more effective review.

Discussions highlighted several key areas:

• Community Engagement: Information on crime rates is shared via the Police's public platform, with Safer Neighbourhood Boards holding public meetings. Encounter panels review the use of force and stop and search.
• Police Visibility: While acknowledging concerns about police visibility in hot spot areas, officers explained that engagement is more effective when specific times and places are designated for public interaction. Efforts are underway to align officer shifts with demand and increase senior officer presence in communities.
• Community Triggers: Approximately 20 Community Triggers were initiated during the reporting period, primarily concerning individuals in private properties and housing associations. A working tracker and action plan are used to target resources and achieve positive outcomes. Further engagement is planned to improve awareness of the Community Trigger process.
• Community Safety Strategy: The new Community Safety Strategy, developed with a public health approach, prioritises early intervention and prevention. The overarching Two Year Action Plan was created through community engagement, including with Pupil Referral Units, drug and alcohol support services, and faith groups.
• Knife Crime: The Committee expressed concern over the increase in knife crime, particularly among victims under 25. While acknowledging the correlation between reduced youth provision and rising knife crime, officers noted that other factors, including reduced police capacity and increased outdoor activity by young people, also contribute. Preventative work includes engagement with schools, parents, victims, and perpetrators, alongside knife bin installations and bleed kit training. The Council is reviewing its approach to county lines and exploitation, with the Rescue and Response Team's model being expanded.
• Domestic Abuse: A reduction in domestic abuse incidents was noted, with a larger decrease in Brent than across London. However, underreporting remains a concern, particularly within LGBTQ+, Irish Traveller, and disabled communities. Outreach efforts are being enhanced, and the Council is working with organisations like Galop to support the LGBTQ+ community. The ADVANCE IDVA service reported high satisfaction rates, particularly for referrals from children's social care.
• Hate Crime: Hate crime figures showed a reduction in Brent, though racist and religious crimes remain the most prevalent. The Committee was informed that antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents have increased significantly, particularly following the conflict in the Middle East. Access to police data systems is being sought to provide more granular ethnicity data in future reports.
• Far-Right Extremism: Far-right extremism was not identified as a significant issue in the reporting period, with a rise in mixed and unclear ideologies. The Council commissions providers to deliver training on extreme ideologies.
• Reoffending and Accommodation: The issue of unsuitable accommodation upon prison release contributing to reoffending was recognised. The Council is working to establish an early notification system for the Housing Team to ensure suitable accommodation is available.
• Cuckooing: Cuckooing is a focus for Adult Social Care, Public Health, Housing, and Community Safety. Interventions include sensitive letting, supported housing, rapid panels, Community MARAC referrals, and closure orders.
• Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB): The Council is exploring ways to improve communication regarding planning enforcement timescales and the evidence required for complaints. A review of the Planning Enforcement Investigation Guide is underway. The Council is also investigating new ways to increase Business Rates collection, learning from other local authorities, and has provided a list of empty properties in the borough. A communications campaign is being developed to encourage owners to rent vacant properties to the Council.

The Committee made the following Suggestions for Improvement:

• To share more information and brief Members on the Community Trigger to help them understand how to support their residents to use it.
• To ensure there is a clear priority around Tackling Violent Crime, including Knife Crime in the Community Safety Strategy.
• To have a greater focus on targeting youth violence through grants programmes.
• To collaborate with the Safer Brent Partnership to access funding from the VRU and similar grant funding routes.
• To work with the Police and Safer Brent Partnership to improve the granularity and quality of data and impact assessments, with the aim of presenting the impact of crime and criminality on specific communities. This consists of sharing and reporting more granular data around the key priority areas of the report e.g. domestic violence and violent crime.
• Maintain the current level of resource in the Community Safety Team.

An Information Request was made for the timeframe for implementing the response at Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena to support the victims of sexual violence with reporting.

Budget Scrutiny Task Group Findings

Councillor Rita Conneely presented the findings of the Budget Scrutiny Task Group, highlighting the challenging financial environment for local authorities due to funding cuts and inflation. The Task Group commended the Council's efforts to balance its budget and protect frontline services, but stressed the need for wholesale reforms to local government funding. The Task Group's recommendations, which have led to Cabinet revising its decision to close the New Millennium Day Centre (it will now remain open with a multi-service offer), were presented for submission to Cabinet and Full Council.

Key recommendations from the Task Group included:

• Budget Presentation and Communications: Improving the clarity and accessibility of budget documents, including a summary page outlining the Council's vision, aims, and priority protection areas, and ensuring proposals clearly articulate their potential impact on residents and partners.
• Alignment with Climate Action: Adopting a 'green budget' that outlines the climate and environmental implications of each proposal to support the Council's goal of becoming Carbon Net Zero by 2030.
• Partnership Working with the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS): Exploring a shared-outcomes framework with the VCS, involving collaborative discussions on budget proposals that impact service provision.
• Income Generation: Developing a longer-term, strategic approach to income generation, including a robust monitoring process and dedicated cross-departmental resources to identify opportunities such as HMO licensing compliance, council tax on empty properties, and business rates evasion.
• Renting out Civic Centre Meeting Rooms: Making additional spaces, particularly meeting rooms, available for external hire and considering holding some Council meetings in community venues.
• Implementing Additional Shared Service Arrangements: Exploring further opportunities for shared services with other local authorities, learning from existing models.
• Housing Subsidy Loss: Lobbying for reform to Housing Benefit Subsidy rules to address financial restrictions on temporary accommodation eligibility.
• Retaining Use of New Millennium Day Centre: Exploring options to retain the building for community use.
• Wembley Stadium 'Community Impact' Ticket Levy: Exploring options for a ticket levy to recover costs incurred by the Council for event day operations.
• Delegation of Budgets to Brent Integrated Care Partnership (ICP): Advocating for increased delegation of budgets and decision-making to the Brent ICP from the North West London Integrated Care Board to better address local needs.

The Committee RESOLVED to approve the findings and recommendations made by the Budget Scrutiny Task Group.

Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 23/24

The Committee noted updates to its work programme. The 'Draft Property Strategy/Asset Review Findings' item was moved from the 24 January 2024 meeting to the 27 February 2024 meeting. The 'Regeneration in Brent' item was rescheduled from 27 February 2024 to 23 April 2024.

Scrutiny Progress Update - Recommendations Tracker

The Committee noted that all responses on the recommendations tracker were up to date, with further updates expected from Planning in February and April 2024. Discussions included the use of recently published census data on empty properties to maximise income generation, with a written response to be provided by the Corporate Director of Resident Services. The Committee also expressed disappointment regarding the communication of the decision not to undertake a cumulative equality impact assessment, welcoming a more collaborative process in the future. Councillor Tatler acknowledged the need for a more collaborative feedback mechanism between Cabinet and the Committee.