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Celebrating Performance at our 2015 AGM Our 2015 AGM was held on Thursday 18 June 2015 at the Carlton Highland Hotel, Edinburgh. This provided an excellent opportunity to look back and reflect on the activities and achievements of the organisation over the last year. It is encouraging to note that SCSN continues to grow and evolve and has created an environment which encourages the effective development of policy, partnership working and practice sharing for community safety in Scotland.

Throughout 2014/15 we have seen increases in all service areas, wider engagement from the community safety sector and engagement with a broader range of partners. We are a small company, but with a big reach and this could not have been achieved without the commitment and dedication of all our members, partners, staff and board. A summary of our achievements can be found on pages 4 and 5, with the full Annual Report 2014/15 available on our website. (http://bit.ly/scsn_annualreport)

0131 225 7772/8700

Safety NET-works July 2015

info@scsn.org.uk

/Scottish Community Safety Network

@scsn2

www.safercommunitiesscotland.org

Introducing our new SCSN Board of Directors Members at the AGM, and via postal votes, elected Directors to serve on the SCSN Board. Each year a minimum of a third of Directors are required to stand down, but may stand for re-election. Our thanks and appreciations go to the four directors, who stood down this year, Ann Williams (East Ayrshire), Ross Haggart (SFRS) Liz Kay (Dundee) and Donald Urquhart (founder mem-ber). In particular SCSN acknowledged the work of Liz and Donald as founder members of the company and as previous chairs of the organisation. Their experience, understanding and commitment to SCSN will be missed. Immediately following the AGM, the board elected its office bearers with Mark McCall, who previously held the position of Treasurer elected as Chairperson. Mark told us that:

“It is an honour to be selected as the new chair of SCSN, and I look forward to the challenges this role brings, knowing that supporting me is an experienced group of Directors representing the length and breadth of Scotland; a very professional staff team and members who have specialist knowledge across all the guises of Community Safety.”

SCSN Board of Directors 2015/16

Mark McCall (Chair) Fife

Emma Walker (Vice

Chair)

North Ayrshire

Ian Hanley (Treasurer) Inverclyde

Lorraine Gillies West Lothian

Ann Fehilly Glasgow

Diane Kane East Dunbarton

Grant Manders Police Scotland

Martin Miller Scottish Fire and

Rescue Service

Andrew Mitchell City of Edinburgh

Neil Carnegie Aberdeen

Paul Richardson Scottish Borders

Robert Cowper Argyll and Bute

SCSN Training and Events Pg. 2

SCSN Updates Pg. 3

Our Annual Report Pg. 4 –5

Sector News Pg. 6-10

Consultations & Reports Pg. 11

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Bookings for any of the above courses are now available on our website, http://bit.ly/scsn_training_events

Training Excellent Evaluations all round

On 2 June 2015, SCSN held its evaluation training at the Royal Overseas Club, Princes Street, Edinburgh. This was the first time that the newly revised course had been run and it aimed to provide delegates with a detailed understanding of evaluation, its processes, uses, methodologies, implementation and pitfalls. The training was conducted using instructional lessons, group discussion and exercises. The feedback from the delegates was very positive with training evaluations stating that the learning objectives of the course had been met and that the delegates were better able to understand the evaluation process. Delegates also stated that the training reinforced the need to include evaluation in the initial

planning phase of a project and also the need for obtaining quantifiable data from which evaluations can be measured. SCSN would like to thank the delegates for their interaction and enthusiasm on the day, this always helps to make training a lot easier and more enjoyable for all. The next evaluation training event has not yet been scheduled, however further course details will be published in the SCSN newsletter and on the SCSN website once a date and venue has been set. For more information on training visit the SCSN website: http://bit.ly/scsn_training_events

29 September Community Engagement and Resilience Training

19 October EBSP Modules 2

20 October EBSP Module 3

21 October EBSP Module 4

3 November EBSP Module 5

1 December EBSP Module 6

15 March Preventative Spend Cost Benefit Training

22 March Community Engagement and Resilience Training

As well as our training courses, we can provide bespoke training for you or your organisation on any of the packages that we offer including: Evaluation Training, Community Engagement and Resilience, Preventative Spend Cost Benefit Training, Applying for Awards and Funding and Evidence Based Strategic Planning. To find out more, please contact us on 0131 225 8700 or email Info@scsn.org.uk

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SCSN ‘Say Hi’ to the Newest member of our team Following a long recruitment process we are pleased to welcome Nikki Lowry to the SCSN team. Nikki took up the post of Communications Officer on the 24 June and will be working to further improve our member communications through the website, newsletter and social media.

Neighbourhood Watch Scotland parliamentary Reception Neighbourhood Watch Scotland (NWS) held their first parliamentary reception on the 10 June 2015. Attended by over 150 representatives from local Neighbourhood Watch Groups and partner organisations, the reception was sponsored by Bruce Crawford MSP and supported by Mike Douglas from Neighbourhood Alert. Keynote addresses were also given from ACC Kate Thomson and Ian Fowler, Chair of Neighbourhood Watch Scotland.

Stop and Search Reference Group The independent academic review into the Fife Stop and Search pilot is now available (Fife Stop and Search report published). The report published by the Scottish Institute of Policing Research, outlines a number of recommendations which, along with those highlighted from three other reports by Scottish Police Authority, HMICS and Police Scotland have been incorporated into a Stop and Search Improvement Plan. Progress will be reported through a number of channels including the Independent Advisory Group on Stop and Search chaired by solicitor advocate John Scott QC. Further information on stop and search statistics from 1 April 2013 to 22 March 2015 are available in the Stop and Search Data Publication.

Evidencing Impact – Informing Change

Around 30 delegates attended our practitioners event held immediately after our AGM on the 18 June 2015. The opening presentation from Dot Horne, MBE used a powerful video to evidence the impact 6VT has had in changing people’s lives, not just the young people who attend, but also the views and opinions of their many partners. Graeme Reekie from Wren and Greyhound consultants went on to demystify evaluation by reframing it in simple, but strategic ways.

Our latest news and what we have

been up to

Pictured Right: Our practitioners event in full swing

The afternoon provided an opportunity to hear from Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Recuse Service and COSLA around national driver and emerging issues. The day concluded with a world café exercise to scope the who, what and how in relation to local projects that aim to reduce physical and psychological harm.

Pictured Right: Dot Horne, MBE opens our

practitioner event

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‘The Birthday Party’ – the new book teaching Scots youngsters about home safety A new resource book is being distributed to school children across Scotland. The colourful short story, ‘The Birthday Party’ is aimed at Primary One children and is being distributed free of charge thanks to public donations, the largest proportion of which were collected at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Occupational Safety Awards Dinner. It is part of the Go Safe Scotland initiative to educate children on all aspects of safety. The story follows Jamie and his friends as they safely prepare for a birthday party; making and decorating the cake, tidying up after themselves and getting into their costumes. The book is accompanied by a letter of explanation for parents as it is hoped that they will read the book with their children, opening up discussions on safety in the home. George Cairns, chairman of the Go Safe Scotland partnership, said:

The first story will be followed by a series of eBooks to explore other areas where children have accidents, the majority of which can be avoided with small changes in everyday behaviour.

"The publication of the book adds another

dimension to the home safety section of our

campaign, highlights important key safety

messages for both parent and child, and of course

is a great and entertaining story.”

Risk Factory - Practice Note PN63 The Risk Factory opened its doors in 2009 as a purpose built facility replacing the Crucial Crew model for Edinburgh, East, West and Midlothian school children. The centre is now part of the school programme welcoming new intakes of P7 children every year as well as other visitors including additional and special needs groups and schools from other local authorities.

The scenarios used within the Risk Factory introduce P7 children to the dangers associated with buses, cars, cycling, electricity and substations, railway lines, water and floods, anti-social behaviour, home safety, fire safety, buildings sites, farm yards and online safety all of which provide a holistic view of the dangers that young people can face on a daily basis.

Analysis from the Edinburgh and Lothian areas between 2009-2014 identified an 18% reduction in the number of children admitted to A&E for unintentional injuries. Although it is not possible to state whether The Risk Factory is solely responsible for this decrease, it is likely that the improved level of knowledge with regards to unintentional injury and risk could have played a factor. The success of the facility was formally recognised in 2009 with awards from the Inspiring Volunteers Awards, Promoting Intergenerational Projects Awards and the Get Up and Go Awards. For a full copy of this practice note, please visit the SCSN website: http://bit.ly/scsn_riskfactory

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Aberdeen Roads Limited and Transport Scotland encourage North East kids to play safe this summer Aberdeen Roads Limited and Transport Scotland invited school pupils to visit the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project’s main offices to find out about the project and learn about the dangers of construction sites. Construction machinery, unstable land and open excavations were just some of the topics that pupils from Kirkhill Primary School from Aberdeen and Foveran Primary School near Ellon heard about. Graham Edmond, Head of Construction at Transport Scotland, said: “The construction works are already highly visible and stretch across rural and urban areas. We know that this could make the AWPR/B-T site an attractive place for children to explore, particularly during summer holidays, however, we want to get the message across that construction sites are dangerous places and that the best way to stay safe is to stay away." Aberdeen City Council Education and Children’s Convener Councillor Angela Taylor added:

“Construction sites are very dangerous if used as a playground. Any initiative which discourages

children and young people from entering them and exploring machinery is to be welcomed.”

Alan Gibson, General Manager for Aberdeen Roads Limited, said:

“We are a responsible company and as such the safety of the local community, road users and our workforce are of paramount importance to us. This event is giving us the opportunity to raise awareness of the dangers of construction sites but we are not stopping there. We will be sending head teachers across the north east a leaflet for school pupils explaining why they should stay away from our construction site. This leaflet will also be available online. However, we would also like to ask parents to ensure their children stay safe this summer and throughout the construction period.”

To find out more about the dangers of construction sites and how to stay safe, check out this handy guide.

Home Safety Scotland Practitioners Group Home Safety Scotland meets every two months to discuss different ways to take forward home safety, including addressing emerging trends. Membership of Home Safety Scotland is varied and includes home safety officers, community safety officers, health promotion officers and others from

local authorities and charities who have an interest in, or remit for, home safety. The next meeting is on Monday 24 August 2015 in Stirling with a guest speaker from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and a representative from the Fire and Rescue Service to give an update on Phase 2 of Building Safer Communities. If you wish to attend the meeting on 24th August or would like to become a member of the group, please get in touch with Jennifer Henderson: jhenderson@rospa.com for further details or visit the Home Safety Scotland website: www.homesafetyscotland.org.uk/

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SCSN Annual Report: Summary of Findings

One of our strategic aim is to provide leadership and be a centre of excellence for the community safety sector, however we cannot do this solely as an organisation, we need to pull on the expertise of the sector. To bring together key players SCSN facilitates two sector forums; the National Operational Group and Partnership Analysts Forum. In addition we also provide secretarial support to the Scottish Wardens Network and the Anti-Social Behaviour Officers Forum. A number of members have taken full advantage of the support available to help develop local services; whether that be an input to their partnership, assistance in developing a strategic assessment, support in evidencing cost benefits, signposting to other relevant partnerships or just an external sounding block. Link Officer support is

highly valued with 100% of members rating it as useful to extremely useful.

The Safety NET-works newsletter reach increases

monthly, reaching over 720 direct web members with an estimated circulation of over 1000. 95% of recipients rate the

newsletter as good to excellent. Over half state that they have responded to requests for

information in the newsletter and 64.3% of respondents forward the newsletter to colleagues and partners.

Members increasingly rate the Safer Communities Scotland Website as good to excellent (95%) and we are seeing increased visits per quarter from 1500 (2013/14) to 2080. SCSN continues to build its library of Briefing Papers

on current and emerging issues. 64% of Annual Survey Respondents have read and used the briefing papers, and of those 2/3rds found them useful/very useful, the remaining

third found them of some use. A further eight Practice Notes have been produced, bringing the total number of Practice notes on local projects up to 62. The Safer Communities Awards, recognise and reward excellent and innovative practice across the community safety sector in Scotland and are well supported by the sector.

This year the eight shortlisted projects received almost 1900 votes (1000 in 2013/14) with over 600 comments (190 in 2013/14) via the Peoples Choice vote.

Respondents continue to value SCSN’s role in providing guidance on national policy and strategy as good to excellent (85%). Contributing factors to achieving this outcome are partners recognising the value of SCSNs overview of Community safety in Scotland, and our increased representation at national and strategic meetings. Respondents (81%) consistently rate SCSN role in representing the sector and reporting community

safety issues as useful to extremely useful. SCSN has undertaken and contributed to a number of research documents over the last year.

94% of respondents identified our role in commissioning and carrying out research on community safety issues as useful to extremely useful.

Aim - To provide leadership and be a centre of excellence for the community safety sector

Aim - To champion community safety and influence the shaping, development and delivery of national policy and local delivery

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We have increased the number of training events

delivering 14 courses to 169 delegates, with a further 30 officers using our eLearning packages in 2014/16. Training evaluations consistently evidence that delegates have increased confidence and are better equipped to deliver on the topics covered.

The Annual Survey indicates that 93% respondents rate SCSN training and resources as good to excellent, with the 2/3rds rating training as very good /excellent. SCSN Events continue to attract delegates from across the sector and consistently receive excellent feedback.

In 2014/15 we ran four events attracting 286 delegates. The % rating seminars and events as

good to excellent has remained about the same 95%; with those who consider seminars and events as very good to excellent at 59%.

The most significant event in our calendar is undoubtedly the National Convention, which this year focussed on supporting resilience and empowering communities.

The National Convention is regarded by 100% of delegates as valuable/extremely valuable to the sector. Respondents increasingly rate SCSN role in developing practical guidance and toolkits as useful to extremely useful (95%). The CSP self-assessment toolkit has now been used by nine CSPs.

The Preventative Spend Cost Benefit Toolkit has been an enormous success with 78% of those that have used the toolkit recommending it to others.

Through careful stewardship, efficiency savings and

income generation, we have managed to return a small surplus of £2,438 in our general (unrestricted) funds.

Membership fees have remained at their current

rate of £375 since 2009. Members are year on year increasingly rating membership as very good to excellent value for money from 18.51% (2010) to a high this year of 67% (2014) – the remaining respondents rated

membership as average to good.

Network Rail invested in three grant funds to support rail safety and awareness. These funds have

supported 52 projects across Scotland with grants from £250 to £4000.

Full copies of the Annual Report 2014/15 and the financial accounts are available on our website: http://bit.ly/scsn_annualreport

Aim - Members have access to appropriate resources and training

Finance

SCSN Annual Report: Summary of Findings

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Anti-social Behaviour Review Group Following the local government elections in 2012, 53 Capital Coalition Pledges were developed. These pledges set out the local government’s commitment to build a cooperative and more prosperous Edinburgh in which every resident and community benefits. In June 2013, the Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) Review Group led by the City of Edinburgh Council in partnership with Police Scotland was established. The group’s aim is to support Coalition Pledge 34 to: ‘Work with police on an antisocial behaviour unit to target persistent offenders’, and to support the key aims of the ASB Strategy to reduce ASB re-offending. The ASB Review group includes representation from Social Work, Neighbourhood Support Services, Community Safety, Legal Services and Police Scotland and meets every three weeks to discuss lengthy and complex antisocial behaviour cases. Since 2013, a total of 115 cases have been reviewed, providing the opportunity to analyse the most common types of complaint and contributory factors. In response to the findings made by the ASB Review Group, various initiatives and working practices have been developed. These include establishing close links between Community Safety and “Inclusive Edinburgh”, an initiative headed up by Health and Social Care which seeks to explore and decide how best to deliver services to clients who are most vulnerable and disengaged. One project included in this initiative is ongoing work to set up an Escalating Concerns Group. This group would consider cases that are very complex and that have been through other normal operational services (including the ASB Review Group) without resolution. The Escalating Concerns Group will look to foster innovative approaches to risk management and will include representatives in senior positions who are able to allocate resources and identify patterns and issues to help inform service design. A networking event has also been set up focusing on mental health issues. It is hoped that this will help

to give staff in Community Safety a better understanding of people’s roles and responsibilities around mental health, encouraging further joined up working. Results in a snapshot: 19 day reduction in the average time it takes

to close a ‘Category A’ (very serious i.e. harassment, racially motivated, drug dealing, threat to life possibility) complaint

99% increased in the percentage of ‘Category A’ complaints closed within 28 days

4% increase in the number of first attempt resolution cases (cases that have been resolved at the first attempt and not reopened)

These results indicate the impact that joint working and a good understand of specific neighbourhood profiles can have and we look forward to following the group’s progress.

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‘If in doubt, keep them out’: Operation Monarda, helping to beat doorstep crime in Scotland From bogus callers to rogue trades, door step criminals are cunning, creative and often very convincing. From August 2014 – February 2015 there were over 1000 recoded incidents of door step crime with victims losing a total of over £400,000. Anyone can be a victim to doorstep crime, however the over 60s as well as more vulnerable members of our communities are often specifically targeted. Police Scotland vow to beat doorstep crime, and launched Operation Monarda in May 2015. This Operation brings together partners from the public, private and third sector to help tackle doorstep crime. As well as enforcement work to target criminals, the operation is designed to increase awareness of doorstep crime and to empower local people by giving them the knowledge they need to effectively deal with unwanted callers. The key message of the campaign is; ‘If in doubt, keep them out’ but Police Scotland have also offered the following advice: Keep your front and back doors locked when

in the house Only let callers in if they have an appointment

and you have confirmed that they are genuine

Always ask for ID Don’t keep large sums of money at home Ensure your doors and windows are locked

Look out for those in your community Be on your guard if someone turns up

unexpectedly Use a door chain or bar Always put the door chain or bar on before

opening the door Keep a bar chain or bar on while talking to

callers Don’t be embarrassed, genuine callers expect

you to be careful If you don’t have a door chain, check who is

calling from the nearest window. Remember door chains can be fitted easily.

If you’re not sure, don’t answer the door Report any suspicious activity immediately If you feel scared or threatened, call 999 and

ask for the police Please pass on this information to friends and family that you think may be at risk. Please also remind them that if they feel threatened, unsafe or suspicious of a caller to call 999. If they want to contact the police anonymously they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers either on 0800 555 111 or online at: www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Doorstep crime can be categorised into 2 main types; Bogus callers Bogus callers try to get into your home or obtain personal details by pretending to be someone their not including council staff, meter readers, charity collectors or police officers. In reality they are criminals trying to steal cash and valuables. Rogue traders Rogue traders usually cold-call claiming to be workers offering to make repairs o carry out work in your house, garden or driveway. In reality they charge inflated prices for shoddy or unnecessary work.

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New National Statistics Website – User Feedback Request

Scottish National Statistics (SNS) have begun the beta phase testing of the new Scottish Statistics Website http://statisticsbeta.com/, which will be used to replace the Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics site. The beta site, which currently should not be used to provide evidence, has over a billion records and it is envisaged will increase as the site and its number of partners grow. The beta version aims to make sure that everything is functioning correctly, is easy to use, easy to

manoeuver, all links are correct and is free from errors or design problems. SNS have requested that users of national data visit the site and provide feedback on any issues they may find. To provide feedback a blog has been set up which can be found at http://blog.statisticsbeta.com/beta-launch/. The blog informs users about the new site and shows how to provide feedback using the blog; alternatively feedback can be made by email; statistics.enquiries@scotland.gsi.gov.uk. This testing phase is important as the new domain https://statistics.gov.scot will be on-line ready in July following the verification of the system and data.

Falkirk Taxi Marshal Service wins BII Social Responsibility Award 2015 The Falkirk taxi marshal service has been successful in winning the British Institute of Innkeepers Social Responsibility Award 2015. The project has been acknowledged throughout Scotland as being best practice, with significant benefits being brought to the Falkirk area. The benefits of the service include: Reducing the fear of crime Supporting the delivery of safer communities Preserving and restoring public order Continuing to increase public reassurance Ensuring that night-time economy users are

able to get home quicker and safer than before the introduction of the service.

Members of the public using the taxi rank located in Newmarket Street and Meadow Street, taxi drivers, neighbouring retail outlets, as well as the local pubs and nightclubs have warmly praised the taxi marshal service. Elected representatives have also praised the service and would welcome its continuance on a permanent basis. Brian Flynn, Behind the Wall said: “The Falkirk Taxi Marshal Scheme has without doubt improved the safety and security of our customers, particularly late at night when they are trying to get home from the town centre. The marshals are extremely professional and efficient and they help to ensure an orderly queue is formed and patrons

are encouraged to wait their turn and refrain from queue jumping which can cause confrontation. It is a very valuable addition to the late night economy of Falkirk.” For further information on this project please contact Sarah McKenzie, 01324 611293 or email sarah@falkirkdelivers.com

Pictured above: Falkirk Taxi marshals after a busy

night’s shift

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Consultations, Publications

and Reports Cyber Resilience Consultation Launched

The growth of the internet and online technologies has provided speed, agility, efficiency and access, which has transformed business, leisure time, public services and national infrastructure. To ensure that Scotland is more resilient when it comes to cyber safety, a consultation on the development of a Cyber Resilience Strategy for

Scotland has been formulated. This will take forward the Scottish Governments commitment to building cyber resilience amongst communities, businesses and public services. The consultation seeks views from individuals and organisations across different sectors on how Scotland can become even more resilient from cyber-attacks and crime when using online technologies. The consultation has been formulated by Scottish Government in partnership with providers from across the public and private sectors. For more information on this consultation visit https://consult.scotland.gov.uk/cyber-resilience-policy-team/cyberconsultation. To take part in the survey click the ‘survey’. The survey runs from 5 June to 28 August 2015.

Scotland’s Serious and Organised Crime Strategy is updated On 24 June 2015, the Scottish Government published its updated Serious and Organised Crime Strategy. This aims to get Scotland working together to reduce the harm caused by Serious Organised Crime. Serious Organised Crime affects us all and as a result The Scottish Government is encouraging everyone to play a part in helping to reduce the harm that it causes. The strategy is about detecting and disrupting Serious Organised Crime and preventing it at source: cutting off the markets, the recruits and the opportunities on which Serious Organised Crime relies. The vision of this strategy is to make Scotland free from Serious and Organised Crime, where communities are free from the issues of drug dealing, where businesses can compete fairly and prosper and where vulnerable people are protected from exploitation, trafficking and deception. By building on the ‘Letting Our Communities Flourish’ strategy, the original Serious Organised Crime strategy for Scotland 2009, the new strategy aims to utilise the improvements in partnership working, information-sharing, financial investigation and broader partnerships to tackle the issue.

Partnerships with organisations such as KPMG, Trading Standards Scotland, Sacro, the Scottish Football Association and the Church of Scotland aims to reduce the harm caused by Serious Organised Crime and make Scotland a safer, fairer and more prosperous country. For more information on this strategy visit the Scottish Government website at http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/06/3426

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Scottish Community Safety Network

2 Hill Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3JZ

0131 225 8700/7772

info@scsn.org.uk

Company Ltd. SC357649

Charity No. SC040464

If you would like to include an article request information or share some good practice in our

newsletter, please get in touch. Email info@scsn.org.uk

The closing dates for article submission are;

29 July for the August issue

24 August for the September issue

28 September for the October issue