Agenda Document Pack - Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee - 16/11/2023
Moray Council · 16 November 2023
Back to Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee — 16 November 2023 and its agenda
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Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee Thursday, 16 November 2023 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Meeting of the Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee is to be held at Council Chambers, Council Office, High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BX on Thursday, 16 November 2023 at 14:00. BUSINESS 1. Sederunt 2. Declaration of Group Decisions and Members Interests * 3. Minutes of meeting of 17 August 2023 5 - 8 4. Written Questions ** 5. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Moray Thematic Report November 2023 Report by LSO Andrew Wright, Local Senior Officer, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray 9 - 18 6. Police Performance Report by Chief Superintendent Graeme Mackie, Divisional Police Commander, North East Division, Police Scotland 19 - 28 7. Thematic Report - Mental Health in the Community - Impact on Policing Report by Chie Inspector Darren Bruce, North East Division, Police Scotland 29 - 44 8. Thematic Report - Violence Against Women and Girls Report by Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Gray, North East Division, Police Scotland, and Dr Emma Plant, Equally Safe Development Coordinator Moray 45 - 50 Page 1
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9. Question Time *** Consider any oral question on matters delegated to the Committee in terms of the Council's Scheme of Administration. Summary of Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee functions: The following functions of the Council shall stand referred or delegated to this Committee: (1) To deal with all matters relating to Police and Fire and Rescue Services in Moray. (2) To participate in consultations relative to national strategic plans and priorities for the Police and Fire and Rescue Services. (3) To work with the Local Police Commander and the Local Senior Officer for the Fire and Rescue Service to set priorities and objectives for Local Police Plans and Local Fire and Rescue Plans for Moray. (4) To monitor delivery of the Police and Fire and Rescue Services in Moray, providing feedback and making recommendations for improvements as required. (5) To call for reports from the Local Police Commander or the Local Senior Officer for the Fire and Rescue Service on issues relevant to the delivery of the Police or Fire and Rescue Service in Moray as appropriate. (6) To facilitate Community Planning relative to the Police and Fire and Rescue Services in accordance with statutory guidance. Page 2
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GUIDANCE NOTES * Declaration of Group Decisions and Members Interests - The Chair of the meeting shall seek declarations from any individual or political group at the beginning of a meeting whether any prior decision has been reached on how the individual or members of the group will vote on any item(s) of business on the Agenda, and if so on which item(s). A prior decision shall be one that the individual or the group deems to be mandatory on the individual or the group members such that the individual or the group members will be subject to sanctions should they not vote in accordance with the prior decision. Any such prior decisions will be recorded in the Minute of the meeting. ** Written Questions - Any Member can put one written question about any relevant and competent business within the specified remits not already on the agenda, to the Chair provided it is received by the Proper Officer or Committee Services by 12 noon two working days prior to the day of the meeting. A copy of any written answer provided by the Chair will be tabled at the start of the relevant section of the meeting. The Member who has put the question may, after the answer has been given, ask one supplementary question directly related to the subject matter, but no discussion will be allowed. No supplementary question can be put or answered more than 10 minutes after the Council has started on the relevant item of business, except with the consent of the Chair. If a Member does not have the opportunity to put a supplementary question because no time remains, then he or she can submit it in writing to the Proper Officer who will arrange for a written answer to be provided within 7 working days. *** Question Time - At each ordinary meeting of the Committee ten minutes will be allowed for Members questions when any Member of the Committee can put a question to the Chair on any business within the remit of that Section of the Committee. The Member who has put the question may, after the answer has been given, ask one supplementary question directly related to the subject matter, but no discussion will be allowed. No supplementary question can be put or answered more than ten minutes after the Committee has started on the relevant item of business, except with the consent of the Chair. If a Member does not have the opportunity to put a supplementary question because no time remains, then he/she can submit it in writing to the proper officer who will arrange for a written answer to be provided within seven working days. Page 3
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MORAY COUNCIL Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee SEDERUNT Councillor Peter Bloomfield (Chair) Councillor Donald Gatt (Depute Chair) Councillor James Allan (Member) Councillor Theresa Coull (Member) Councillor John Divers (Member) Councillor Jérémie Fernandes (Member) Councillor Paul McBain (Member) Councillor Neil McLennan (Member) Councillor Shona Morrison (Member) Clerk Name: Lindsey Robinson Clerk Telephone: 07966 120593 Clerk Email: committee.services@moray.gov.uk Page 4
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MORAY COUNCIL Minute of Meeting of the Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee Thursday, 17 August 2023 Council Chambers, Council Office, High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BX PRESENT Councillor Peter Bloomfield, Councillor Theresa Coull, Councillor John Divers, Councillor Jérémie Fernandes, Councillor Donald Gatt, Councillor Paul McBain, Councillor Neil McLennan APOLOGIES Councillor James Allan, Councillor Shona Morrison IN ATTENDANCE Chief Superintendent Graham Mackie, Chief Inspector Simon Reid, Detective Inspector Norman Stevenson, Police Scotland, David Hendry, Group Commander, Scottish Fire and Rescue Services, Andy Stewart, Principal Environmental Health Officer and the Democratic Services Manager. 1. Chair The meeting was chaired by Councillor Bloomfield. 2. Declaration of Group Decisions and Members Interests * In terms of Standing Orders 21 and 23 and the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, there were no declarations from Group Leaders or Spokespersons in regard to any prior decisions taken on how Members will vote on any item on the agenda or any declarations of Member’s interests in respect of any item on the agenda. 3. Tribute The Committee joined the Chair in paying tribute to the Area Commander, Local Senior Officer Chay Ewing who had retired from Scottish Fire and Rescue Services after 23 years service and wished Mr Ewing a long and happy retirement. 4. Minute of Meeting of 4 May 2023 The minute of the meeting of the Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee dated 4 May 2023 was submitted and approved. 5. Written Questions ** The Committee noted that no written questions had been submitted. Item 3. Page 5
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6. Scottish Fire and Rescue Services Performance Report - April - July 2023 A report by the Local Senior Officer, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray informed the Committee of the performance undertaken by the Scottish Fire and Rescue locally and in respect of the Moray Local Fire and Rescue Plan 2021-24. Councillor McLennan raised concerns about the increasing statistics on road traffic collisions and sought a report to a future meeting on the work being done across the agencies to reduce the figures. In response, the Group Commander advised that a Thematic Report on road traffic collisions could be brought to a future meeting of the Committee. He further added that following on from concerns regarding battery storage at Keith, a thematic report would also be brought to a future meeting of the Committee. Councillor McBain sought clarification on whether there are issues with recruitment in the area. In response, the Group Commander confirmed that the Service is constantly recruiting for on-call staff and stated that there are a couple of stations in the area where there are issues. He further added that he would be happy to bring a Thematic Report on Recruitment to a future meeting of the Committee. Following consideration the Committee agreed: i) to note performance outlined in the report applicable to annual performance for 1 April to 31 July 2023; ii) a thematic report on the increase in numbers of RTC and the work being done to decrease the number be brought to a future meeting; iii) a thematic report on battery storage units be brought to a future meeting of Committee; and iv) a thematic report on recruitment within the Scottish Fire and Rescue Services be brought to a future meeting. 7. Police Scotland - Moray Performance Report April 2022 - March 2023 A report by the Chief Superintendent, Divisional Police Commander, North East Division, Police Scotland informed the Committee of the performance of Police in respect of the Local Policing Plan 2020-2023 and other key indicators. This is the final report pertaining to the 2020-23 Local Policing Plan, the 2023-26 Plan having commenced on 1 April 2023. During consideration of the report, concern was raised regarding the cuts to Police Scotland budget which resulted in the reduction of 39 Officers in the North East. Councillor McLennan requested that the Chair write to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice of Scotland raising concerns about the cut backs to funding for Police Scotland. Page 6
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In response, Councillor Bloomfield agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice of Scotland raising concerns about the cut backs to funding for Police Scotland. Following further consideration the Committee agreed: i) to note the performance outlined in the report; ii) to note that the Local Commander will continue to report to the Committee quarterly on performance measures against service objectives as articulated in the 2020-23 Local Policing Plan; and iii) the Chair will to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice of Scotland raising concerns about the cut backs to funding for Police Scotland. 8. Thematic Report - Cybercrime A report by Detective Inspector, Specialist Crime Division, Police Scotland informed the Committee on Cybercrime. Following consideration, the Committee agreed to note the information contained within the report. 9. Question Time *** The Committee joined Councillor McLennan in congratulation Councillor Bloomfield on his work to help the Council achive the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Councillor McLennan sought agreement from the Committee and all Councillors of the Council to put their weight behind the words of outgoing Chief Constable Iain Livingstone and to work to reduce inequitable acts. In response Councillor Bloomfield agreed to endorse the outgoing Chief Constable’s words regarding inequitable acts. Page 7
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REPORT TO: POLICE AND FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES COMMITTEE SUBJECT: SCOTTISH FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE MORAY THEMATIC REPORT NOVEMBER 2023 BY: LSO ANDREW WRIGHT, LOCAL SENIOR OFFICER, ABERDEEN CITY, ABERDEENSHIRE & MORAY 1. REASON FOR REPORT To inform the Committee of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) On- Call Availability and Recruitment in Moray This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (j) (1) of the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to Police and Fire and Rescue Services in Moray. 2. REASON FOR CONFIDENTIALIY 2.1 This report contains no confidential information 3. RECOMMENDATION 3.1 It is recommended that the Committee consider and note the contents of the thematic report. 4. BACKGROUND 4.1 A key priority of our Strategic Plan 2019-22 is to ensure Our collaborative and targeted Prevention and Protection activities improve community safety and wellbeing and support sustainable economic growth. (Outcome 1). . 4.2 The purpose of this report is to provide the committee with an overview of; • SFRS On-Call Availability in Moray Item 5. Page 9
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• On-Call Recruitment in Moray 4.3 The report will also provide statistical information detailing the SFRS performance in relation to; On-Call Availability within the SFRS, North Service Delivery Area, Aberdeen City Aberdeenshire & Moray LSO Area and Specifically Moray. 5. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP) The discharging of the Council’s responsibilities in relation to the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 is of direct relevance to the delivery of the Council’s responsibilities in relation to Community Planning and the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (b) Policy and Legal This report is brought before the Moray Police and Fire Committee within its remit for local scrutiny and governance arrangements. (c) Financial implications There are no financial implications arising from this report. (d) Risk Implications There are no risk implications arising from this report (e) Staffing Implications There are no staffing implications arising from this report (f) Property There are no staffing implications arising from this report (g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact Not Applicable (h) Consultations Not Applicable 6. CONCLUSION 6.1 The report provides the Committee with a briefing on the year to date On-Call Availability and Recruitment within the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in Moray. 6.2 The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will continue to work towards improving our On-Call Availability and Recruitment. Page 10
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6.3 The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will continue to improve on prevention, protection and response, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people in Moray and throughout Scotland. Author of Report: Andrew Wright, LSO, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire & Moray Page 11
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On-Call and Recruitment ACAM LSO Page 1 of 6 Version [1]: October 2023 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Thematic Report On-Call Duty System Availability and Recruitment in Moray Item 5. Page 13
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On-Call and Recruitment ACAM LSO Page 2 of 6 Version [1]: October 2023 Page 14
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On-Call and Recruitment ACAM LSO Page 3 of 6 Version [1]: October 2023 1. Background The On-Call Firefighter Duty System (Previously Retained and Volunteer Duty System RVDS) is a service for the community, provided by the community and we could not keep Scotland safe without our dedicated On-Call crews. Our On-Call firefighters provide the same full range of emergency services as their Wholetime colleagues – and generally carry out these duties whilst holding primary employment in various other fields. This can mean our recruits bring a wide variety of experience to the role and an example of these wide ranging of roles include; Electricians, Builders, Joiners, Hoteliers, Bank Managers, Gym Instructors, Project Administrators and Sheep Farmers. In addition to this we have a number of Wholetime firefighters who perform a dual contract role as On-Call firefighters within their communities when not on a wholetime shift. Our On-Call crews not only attend emergency calls, but also contribute to keeping our communities safe through community education activities such as; home fire safety visit, post incident response support, school interventions etc. They are also extremely active in their communities with on-going charity work such as car washes, food banks, Christmas toy appeals and the Christmas Santa Fire Engine collections. All of which, although supported by the SFRS, is conducted out-with their normal duties on a voluntary basis. 2. Crewing and Availability Our On-Call colleagues undertake a commitment to provide operational cover within their local community on either an 75% (90hrs pw) or 100% (120hrs pw) contract depend on the needs of their primary employment. These availability percentages are based on a rolling three-month average. This allows for fluctuation in their primary employment working and family commitments. This also includes attending regular weekly training events held at their local fire station for 3hrs per session, ensuring training competencies and firefighter safety is maintained. The Moray Local Authority Area is served by 12 Community Fire and Rescue stations, Elgin Whole-time/On-Call Duty, a volunteer station at Gordonstoun School and the remaining 10 stations crewed via the On-Call duty system. Page 15
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On-Call and Recruitment ACAM LSO Page 4 of 6 Version [1]: October 2023 To ensure effective and sufficient resourcing, our appliance availability is managed utilising the Gartan electronic rostering system. This online system allows SFRS operations control and management teams to make fast strategic decisions about staff and resource availability in real-time. Due to nature of the On-call environment and changes within how our local communities’ function, it has become more challenging in recent years to recruit and maintain appliance availability. This can be evidenced as a greater number of the population no longer work within their local areas due to a decline in traditional local work sectors such as; retail, hospitality, manufacturing etc. Example of SFRS On-Call availability (01/01/2023-30/09/2023): Area Day Evening Weekend Overall Moray 70.35% 94.87% 82.13% 82.45% Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray 72.10% 89.90% 81.80% 81.27% West SDA 61.40% 82.10% 74.50% 72.67% East SDA 36.50% 57.80% 54.40% 49.57% North SDA 62.50% 80.40% 73.90% 72.27% Service Delivery 53.47% 73.43% 67.60% 64.83% On-Call Availability Page 16
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On-Call and Recruitment ACAM LSO Page 5 of 6 Version [1]: October 2023 3. Recruitment Due to the nature of the On-Call environment and the aforementioned challenges, the SFRS inherently experiences a high a turnover of employee’s year to year. Our On-Call recruitment programme is a continuous process that is open to candidates all year, thus allowing the SFRS to quickly progress any identified areas of need. Our recruitment process is online which allows for greater sharing and recording of information between candidates and local SFRS management teams. Our recruitment programme is designed to ensure that all candidates meet the required medical, fitness and educational standards to undertake the role of Firefighter. Within the Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray LSO area, our management teams continually work to ensure that sufficient area cover be maintained. This has been achieved by local management teams working closely with local crews and On-Call Support Watch Commanders to identify innovative recruitment initiatives. These initiatives have been used to identify the needs of the local communities we serve and how we can change to meet them. Moray Resource Based Crewing (RBC) profile per station: Station Appliances RBC PREP Applied On-Call Duty Aberlour 1 Pumping Appliance 11 (-1) 0 0 Buckie 1 Pumping Appliance * 1 Special Appliance 21 (-3) 2 9 Cullen 1 Pumping Appliance 11 (-6) 2 0 Dufftown 1 Pumping Appliance 11 (-2) 0 0 Elgin 1 Pumping Appliance, 1 Special Appliance 15 (-2) 3 3 Fochabers 1 Pumping Appliance 11 (-2) 0 0 Forres 2 Pumping Appliance’s 21 (-6) 2 0 Keith 1 Pumping Appliance 11 (-2) 0 1 Lossiemouth 1 Pumping Appliance 11 (0) 1 0 Rothes 1 Pumping Appliance 11 (-2) 1 0 Tomintoul 1 Pumping Appliance 11 (-3) 1 0 Volunteer Duty Gordonstoun Pumping Appliance 13 (0) N/A N/A (*10 Crew Cab) Page 17
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On-Call and Recruitment ACAM LSO Page 6 of 6 Version [1]: October 2023 4. How the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Is Working to Improve the On-Call Provision. In 2020 the SFRS introduced the National On-Call Leadership forum. The aims and objectives of the forum was to bring together all elements and functions within the SFRS to support and evolve the On-Call, while undertaken continuous consultation with our On-Call colleagues. Initial consultation with our On-Call colleagues has identified need for change and as such, our service introduced the ‘On-Call Improvement Programme’. Our On-Call Improvement Programme than been divided into three key projects. 1. Attraction & Recruitment Improvement Project. 2. Responding Options & Duty Systems Relationships Project. 3. Variable Contracts and Station Establishments Project. Actions that have undertaken to date; • Formation of the On-Call Support Group • Pre-Recruitment Engagement Programme (PREP) • On-Call Improvement Programme • Standardisation of On-Call T&Cs Consultation (ongoing) • Implementation and employment of On-Call Support Watch Commanders (54 across the SFRS – 7 in ACAM – 2 in Moray). 5. Conclusion The report provides the Committee with a briefing on the SFRS On-Call Duty System Availability and Recruitment within the Moray Area. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will continue to work towards improving how we delivery our On-Call Duty System and Recruitment programmes. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will continue to improve on prevention, protection and response, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people throughout Scotland. Page 18
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REPORT TO: POLICE AND FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES COMMITTEE SUBJECT: POLICE PERFORMANCE BY: CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT GRAEME MACKIE, DIVISIONAL POLICE COMMANDER, NORTH EAST DIVISION, POLICE SCOTLAND 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To inform the Committee of the performance of Police in respect of the Local Policing Plan 2023-26 and other key indicators. 1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (J) (4) of the Council’s Scheme of Administration relating to the monitoring of delivery of the Police and Fire and Rescue Services in Moray. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that the Police and Fire & Rescue Services Committee:- (i) scrutinise performance outlined in the reports; and (ii) note that the Local Commander will continue to report to the Committee quarterly on performance measures against service objectives as articulated in the 2023-26 Local Policing Plan. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 The Moray Local Policing Plan 2023-26 was submitted to this Committee for consultation in November 2022. The consultation ended in early February 2023 and the Plan has been in operation since 1 April 2023. Following discussion with the Chair the Plan was retrospectively approved at Committee on 4 May 2023. 3.2 Section 47(2) of the Police and Fire Reform Act 2012 states "a local police plan is a plan which:- a. sets out the main priorities and objectives for the policing of the local authority's area. Item 6. Page 19
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OFFICIAL b. where reasonably practicable, identifies outcomes by reference to which the achievement of those priorities and objectives may be measured." 3.3 The performance update (Appendix 1) provides those outcomes, as per Section 47(2)(d) of the Act, for the Moray Council Area. In addition, it is supported with further key indicators to assist context of the outcomes of the Local Policing Plan. 4. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Moray 2026: A Plan for the Future and Moray Corporate Plan 2015 – 2017 The Moray Council's responsibilities with regards to the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 are directly relevant to Community Planning and the Single Outcome Agreement. (b) Policy and Legal This report is presented to the Moray Police and Fire and Rescue Services Committee within its remit for local scrutiny of the Police. (c) Financial implications There are no identified financial implications. (d) Risk Implications There are no identified risk implications. (e) Staffing Implications There are no identified staffing implications. (f) Property Not applicable. (g) Equalities Not applicable. (h) Consultations The Local Policing Plan, upon which the performance is reporting, was subject to consultation with elected representatives, and was heavily influenced by ongoing feedback from local communities within the Moray Council area. Page 20
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OFFICIAL 5. CONCLUSION 5.1 This report informs the Committee of the performance of Police in respect of the Local Policing Plan 2023-26 and other key indicators. Author of Report: Chief Superintendent Graeme Mackie Divisional Commander North East Division Police Scotland Background Papers: • Performance Update report Page 21
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OFFICIAL Appendix 1 1 OFFICIAL Item 6. Page 23
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OFFICIAL Appendix 1 2 OFFICIAL Executive Summary Protecting Vulnerable People As part of our work to reduce violence against women and girls local governance and scrutiny of domestic crime remains robust. Year to date, detection rates for this crime type within North East Division, when compared with last year to date, have increased and currently sit at over 70%. The Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland (DSDAS) continues to provide a valuable framework for making disclosures to those deemed to be at risk domestic abuse from their partner. Our MATAC (Multi Agency Tasking and Co-ordination) and MARAC (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference) processes continue to both robustly target offenders and support victims on a multi-agency basis. Our analysis is now supported by a bespoke data dashboard which allows us to interrogate and interpret our data in key areas such as Domestic Abuse and enables us to develop an informed understanding of trends which we can proactively address where needed. The work through the Violence against Women and Girls partnership continues to deliver the national Equally Safe Strategy. A full update on the activity of the partnership is included within an additional report and DCI Caroline Gray of Police Scotland and Equally Safe Co-ordinator Dr Emma Plant are delighted to have the opportunity to deliver an update in person. We are looking ahead to the 16 days of Activism which takes place at the end of November and into December this year. This is an annual campaign which calls for the prevention and elimination of VAWG. Multi-agency events are planned which are designed to raise awareness of the issues around Domestic Abuse, the DSDAS process and signposting to third sector supports. We continue to work with partners to prevent abuse of children and are actively participating in the Joint Inspection of Services for Children and Young People at risk of harm ongoing in Moray. This commenced in August 2023 with inspection activity scheduled until the end of the year and the findings due to be published early next year. As we approach the one year anniversary of the introduction of the Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM) we reflect on the success of this scheme in that the projection at the outset was that the team would complete 60% of Joint Investigative Interviews within Moray. We have consistently exceeded that with over 90% of interviews meeting the criteria being carried out by this specialist team. Their trauma informed approach ensures that the needs of the child and those supporting them are at the heart of the decisions made. An annual review we be available in due course. During this reporting period, we have been working closely with Moray Council’s Resettlement Team, Mears Housing and our communities to help address prejudicial narratives surrounding those seeking asylum and currently within Moray. Our work to support the Local Authority in addressing this continues. We work directly with the Asylum seeking communities and our input is key, in terms of helping them understand our laws and good citizenship. Page 24
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OFFICIAL Appendix 1 3 OFFICIAL Our work to build trust across our diverse communities continues and our attendance at events, such as Pride, throughout the course of summer helped show our support. We also held roadshows in Moray, supported by partners to promote Hate Crime Awareness Week. Whilst the principal focus was around hate crime awareness and reporting, Officers also offered advice and guidance around gender based violence. Throughout 2023 our Crime Reduction Teams have run our Fraud Roadshow events at locations across the North East including Elgin and agricultural and community based events across Moray. Working alongside financial sector partners, we have found the best advice to reach those vulnerable to exploitation. Our roadshows have been accompanied by media campaigns to reach vulnerable people or those caring for vulnerable people in order to protect them. Recognised as a Division leading the way in the prevention activity by Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, they are helping us produce a series of radio adverts highlighting frauds and scams. These are to be broadcast on stations across the North East. The content is currently being agreed and once produced adverts will run over three months to coincide with the Christmas / New Year period. Recognising that our service are often the first responders to mental health, suicide or attempted suicide calls, it has been crucial that we support our own workforce in giving them the right skills. Although the focus must be on the right service or partner leading the de-escalation of a mental health crisis for someone, we aim to deliver a trauma informed response for the public. As such, we are working with internal and external partners to give our people the right skills to do their role. Although we can often be the first responder, we are working closely with partners, to ensure that upstream support can prevent crisis escalation for vulnerable people. We are in no doubt that increasing demand on our service is impacting on the availability of our Officers to undertake other Policing functions. Serious Organised Crime As part of our objective to divert people away from Serious Organised Crime and detecting those involved in Serious Organised Crime, ‘Operation Protector’ Days of Action were undertaken in August in Moray. Supported by a number of departments within Police Scotland alongside various external partners, multi-agency staff were deployed to tackle drug related harm. As a result, 86 safeguarding visits were undertaken with a number of individuals being integrated into support services. Community Safety work was undertaken in the areas where enforcement was done and other areas affected by drug related harm and 174 individuals were supported at a dedicated hub. A quantity of Class A Drugs were recovered during enforcement action at this time. In addition a further day of action focusing on support was held in Moray on 11 October 2023 as part of County Lines Intensification Week. As a result of enforcement action across the summer and into the autumn period an Organised Crime Group, with associated County Lines nominals who were operating in Elgin, were arrested and reported for drugs offences with quantities of controlled drugs recovered. As a result of this, the group have been displaced and are no longer in operation in Moray. Drug detections continue to increase and detection rates remain high. Page 25
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OFFICIAL Appendix 1 4 OFFICIAL Antisocial Behaviour, Violence and Disorder Sharing our data, we look to partners to contribute where antisocial behaviour (ASB) is non-criminal and where the best partner based intervention can have a positive impact. The redesigned and developing Moray Community Safety partnership continues to work hard to draw those who can help towards the partnership, allowing for a co-ordinated approach across the range of partners who all have a role to play. That co-ordination allows for enforcement in areas where ASB is problematic and causing significant harms in our communities. We also continue to work closely with partner agencies, in a co-ordinated way, to ensure the best placed partner interventions can take place for those vulnerable to becoming involved in ASB. Whilst there is a focus on prevention, there is also a focus on enforcement as we understand this to serve as a deterrent. Serious Assaults remain lower than last year with all reported Serious Assaults to date in Moray, detected. This remains significantly higher than the force average. We continue to work closely with communities and lead agencies (Local Authority and Home Office), to reduce community based tensions around the resettlement of Asylum Seekers in the North East, particularly during this period when there has been a potential for increasing numbers of people to come and live in our communities. Recognising that many young people are starting a journey into student life right across the North East, our multiagency crime reduction engagement events will continue with the student population in Moray and at Moray College highlighting a range of risks to them and providing practical advice and guidance to keep them safe. Reaching this demographic at this time helps lead them towards responsible citizenship, reduced ASB and responsible alcohol consumption. Robust approaches to licensing offences across Moray helps address harms as a result of alcohol consumption. Our close relationship with the Local Authority and night time economy partners has seen standards improve within licensed premises across the area. Recognising the health impacts of alcohol consumption, we have drawn health colleagues into multi-agency event planning discussions, an approach which saw Morays’ largest festival delivered safely and well earlier this year. Our close relationship with the Local Authority has seen the development of joint working, joint visits and means of working as well as drawing in additional support from Drug and Alcohol Harm Reduction charities into the planning processes for Moray based events. This, in turn, is leading organisers towards delivering safer events. Road Safety and Road Crime Analysis of road collision casualty data provides that older drivers are disproportionately affected in the North East. Considerable work is being progressed in relation to Fitness to Drive matters as part of the Older Road User Group. This partner led group, chaired by Police Scotland, aims to reduce the number of older road users killed or seriously injured in line with the targets set out in Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030. The group monitor trends to identify current and emerging opportunities to improve Road Safety for older road users with the current key focus being on developing and maintaining structures and processes for an organised and co-ordinated approach to ensuring fitness to drive. Police Scotland have collaborated with partners and secured funding from Transport Scotland, Road Safety Framework Fund, to support and promote the roll out of Fitness to Drive Assessments in Page 26
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OFFICIAL Appendix 1 5 OFFICIAL conjunction with Driving Mobility and Driveability Scotland who offer these assessments on self-referral or agency basis. The funding will cover 100 assessments which will be focused around the North of Scotland and provide an opportunity for more people to access these assessments. The Scottish Driving Assessment Service within NHS Lothian provide a similar service which can be accessed for older drivers through their GP or other Health professional only. This work is in the initial stages and further engagement will take place in due course. Crime Patrols have been conducted across the Moray to detect criminal use of the road network employing a number of tactics including high visibility patrols and ANPR technology. A successful example of this occurred during July 2023 when intelligence was received in relation to a vehicle travelling into the North East in possession of controlled drugs. A Pursuit Plan was put in place by officers from Road Policing supported by Detectives from the CID, resulting in a successful stop of the subject vehicle and a quantity of Class A drugs recovered. Drunk/Drug drivers are proactively targeted by officers from across Moray through intelligence based research and subsequent enforcement. Local and national initiatives are actioned across our communities to conduct roadside analysis for impairment through drink or drugs. Acquisitive Crime Preventative strategies, to reduce acquisitive crime by working with partners and identifying locations where acquisitive crime is most likely to occur, continues to be a focus. Crime Reduction officers visited farming premises to engage the local community and provided Selecta DNA kits which can used to protect agricultural machinery. In addition, ‘Rural Watch’ signs were erected along roads into Moray. Officers also supported Trading Standards officers in Moray as they launched their Trusted Trader Scheme. The Trusted Trader Scheme provides a ‘go to’ list of Council backed local traders who are vetted with the support of Police Scotland. The scheme runs successfully elsewhere in Scotland and has been shown to increase public confidence and promote good practice within local businesses as well as help to protect members of the public from doorstep crime. In August, Officers from Crime Reduction presented at the Elgin U3A. The engagement covered Cybercrime prevention and detailed current frauds and scams impacting that demographic to continue early intervention to those vulnerable to Cybercrime. The launch of the rural crime roadshow took place on 25 October 2023. The North East is the second most prevalent area for rural crime in Scotland and the roadshow will tour the area during the winter visiting farm related premises to raise awareness of acquisitive rural crime. This will include the provision of advice and guidance to upskill agricultural communities and reduce the risk of them becoming victims of such crime. Counter Terrorism & Domestic Extremism The North East CONTEST Multi-Agency Board and associated sub-groups continue to deliver the UK National CONTEST strategy across the North East of Scotland. The Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare (4P’s) principles of CONTEST are the continued focus of the strategy which aims to reduce the risks from terrorism. The role of all partners within this is to ensure all strands of the CONTEST ‘4P’ framework are proactively and proportionately delivered in a local context and aligned to the UK National Threat Level which remains at ‘Substantial’. Page 27
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OFFICIAL Appendix 1 6 OFFICIAL Within Moray, a cadre of Local CONTEST Liaison Officers, drawn from Community Policing Teams, continue to maintain strong links with relevant sites and venues. Local and Specialist officers maintain a close working relationship with the Armed Forces in Moray, including RAF Lossiemouth who we recently held workshops and exercises with, enhancing our joint knowledge of risks and plans to mitigate against terrorist related incidents. We also continue to work locally with partners to prepare for the Protect Duty Bill known as ‘Martyn’s Law’ which places a requirement upon organisations in respect of security considerations at any venue to which the public has access on payment or otherwise. Page 28
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REPORT TO: POLICE AND FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES COMMITTEE ON 16 NOVEMBER 2023 SUBJECT: THEMATIC REPORT: MENTAL HEALTH IN THE COMMUNITY – IMPACT ON POLICING BY: CHIEF INSPECTOR DARREN BRUCE, NORTH EAST DIVISION, POLICE SCOTLAND 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To inform the Committee on mental health challenges in the community and the impact on policing. 1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (J) (4) of the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to the monitoring of delivery of the Police and Fire & Rescue Services in Moray. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that the Police and Fire & Rescue Services Committee scrutinise and note the information contained within this report. 3. CURRENT SITUATION – MENTAL HEALTH DEMAND 3.1 It is recognised within policing nationally that mental health calls are creating an increasing demand on front line resources and that a multi-agency, partnership based approach represents an effective strategy for addressing and reducing the burden on Police resources whilst seeking to ensure those in mental health crisis are provided with access to suitable support and resources in a timely and efficient manner. 3.2 The need for access to appropriate mental health support is illustrated by the increasing demand, seen across the whole of the North East Division in the number of STORM calls responded to where a mental health concern is identified (i.e. those STORM calls written off with a mental health related Disposal Code). This has risen from 998 in 2017 to a peak 2176 in 2022 representing an increase of approximately 120% over that time frame. The rise has been largely linear with the exception of 2020 where demand was Item 7. Page 29
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OFFICIAL reduced. Despite efficiencies in policing being realised through innovation such the introduction digital technologies, we know that implications of this increasing mental health demand include less time for our Operational Officers to focus on the investigation of crimes reported to the Police by the public. 3.3 Across the same period the total number of STORM calls has also increased from 111,135 in 2017 to 120,868 in 2022. That represents an increase of circa 10% between those years and clearly indicates the increasing and disproportionate demand placed on policing by mental health related calls. Whilst these figures relate to the Division as a whole it is not unreasonable to expect they reflect the situation seen within each of the individual Local Command Areas including those covering Moray. 3.4 Within that review period the year with peak overall demand, as measured by the number of STORM, calls was 2018. That year there were 138,093 recorded incidents in North East Division. This is greater demand than the most recent complete year (2022). In 2018, there were 1701 mental health related calls, which is lower than the increased number seen in 2022. This supports the position that the frequency of mental health related calls is increasing almost independently of the general demand on Police resources. 3.5 During the period 2019 to 2020, COVID-19 impacted on policing practices leading to a reduced number of persons coming into Police Custody Suites (Kittybrewster in the City, Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire and Elgin in Moray). In 2021, practices were permanently altered driven by the Criminal Justice Act 2016, which meant there was a greater ‘presumption towards liberty’ afforded to suspects and accused persons which in turn, reduced numbers being presented at Custody Suites across the North East Division, including Elgin. Therefore, a fair comparison is only achievable using data from 2021 onwards. Since 2021 the proportion of individuals presenting at our custody suites with self-identified mental health issues has increased slightly from 40% to 42%. For clarity, these are not people who are in mental health crisis but are people who have identified previous or ongoing mental health issues when questioned as part of their welfare screening. This robust welfare screening process informs custody welfare provision by trained Custody Officers and on site NHS Nurses. Provision escalates in line with the assessed risks including self-harm or suicide. Welfare support can be significant and can include a ‘Constant Supervision’ which requires an Officer to oversee that person at all times. 3.6 It is worth recognising that Kittybrewster in Aberdeen remains the primary custody facility in North East Division and by virtue of its location it will receive custodies from across Aberdeen City and a large proportion of Aberdeenshire – although only infrequently will it receive Moray custodies. As such it is the largest source of available data regarding custodies in the Division. It is however reasonable to interpret this increase in reported mental health challenges as being independent of an individual’s place of residence; as such it is also reasonable to consider that this increase is reflected in this region too. Page 30
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OFFICIAL 3.7 A further indication of the impact mental health calls have on Police resources can be found in the comparative number of incidents attended which result in the recording of a crime. In general terms between 16-18% of all STORM calls responded to by Police in North East Division will result in a crime report being created. It is undeniable that communities all benefit from policing resource to prevent and detect crime, as well as playing a key role in building community cohesion. However, this support and proactivity has become more challenging as a consequence of mental health demand increases. 3.8 To add further context to the figures reported above at 3.7, over the period 2017 to 2022 only between 2.1 and 3.2% of Mental Health calls resulted in a person being charged with an offence or crime. Figures from 2022 show 2.4% of calls with a mental health element result in a crime being recorded. This is positive in demonstrating that Police Officers across all command areas within A-Division are not unnecessarily criminalising those who are in crisis but it also illustrates the volume of incidents attended where the support and involvement of other agencies, more suited to addressing mental health crises may be more appropriate. 4. Work Impacting on Mental Health Related Demand 4.1 The Scottish Government’s Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027 'Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Project' included an Action 15 which was to increase the workforce to give access to dedicated mental health professionals to all GP Practices, Police custody suites and prisons. To that end a financial commitment was made to increase investment to allow local authority areas/health and social care partnerships to implement measures designed to provide an ‘ask once, get help fast’ service. In Aberdeenshire (primarily North Shire) this took the form of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) in Aberdeen City it saw third sector agency Penumbra commissioned to provide their WELL Service. In Moray the funds were directed differently and put towards financing Distress Brief Intervention (DBI). 4.2 The WELL Service (Aberdeen City) are trained staff, counsellors and peers, some of whom will have lived experience of mental health struggles and the associated challenges giving them an intimate perspective on the struggles their service users are likely to experience. The CIT (Aberdeenshire) are a team which includes fully qualified and trained mental health professionals, social workers and health car support workers. Their roles see them closely affiliated with the Custody suites in Aberdeen and Fraserburgh where they can readily identify and assess individuals highlighted to them as having potential mental health concerns. Referral into either of these services are intended to facilitate the provision of appropriate additional supports to provide assistance with mental health and wellbeing. This would either be in the form of short term assistance from the services themselves or by securing referrals to more appropriate services. Unfortunately the lack of supplementary services in Moray such as WELL or the CIT means rapid or Page 31
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OFFICIAL immediate referral of individuals in crisis is not currently possible. This maintains a burden on Operational Policing. 4.3 The services commissioned in other areas of the Grampian region represent an opportunity to reduce the burden and demand created by mental health calls on frontline officers and equips our staff with additional resources which can be drawn upon immediately when faced with a non-criminal situation of a person in mental health crisis. This is not presently available in Moray. 4.4 There are undoubted challenges faced by these services as they often do not have the resource to provide 24/7 cover. This would undoubtedly also be the case in Moray but Police Scotland has access to data which can be used to inform periods of peak demand via which Services can tailor the delivery of their available resource. If Moray were to implement a more acute mental health support service than is currently offered by DBI then Police would be in a position to assist with identifying an appropriate profile. The Heat map, below, specifically for the Moray Local Command Area, illustrates how this might look with Monday – Thursday during office hours representing the peak frequency of mental health calls where Police are contacted. 4.5 Whilst it is recognised that the commissioning of services such as WELL and the CIT have financial ramifications for the local authority (HSCP) the immediate benefits to policing and the wider community from them is tangible. CIT, WELL and analogous services are able to provide rapid/immediate assistance and support in cases where mental health issues are in evidence. Page 32
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OFFICIAL This can yield immediate benefit in that it can reduce the time Police resources have to dedicate to these types of incident. Further benefit is likely to be derived in terms of a reduction in the frequency with which individuals come to Police attention. The percentage of Police attended incidents where mental health is a concern that actually result in a crime being recorded is very small. Therefore any intervention which reduces this demand on Police is welcome. Any reduction in demand on Police due to mental health issues will naturally see a related increase in resource availability for other issues affecting our communities. 4.6 In common with Aberdeen City the third sector organisation Penumbra also administer Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) in Moray. DBI is another means of providing support to people in acute distress where it is clear that Police are not the most appropriate agency to assist but it does not provide the same immediate and acute response that mechanisms such as WELL or CIT do. DBI was piloted in Aberdeen between 2016 and 2021 and since then has been adopted on a longer term basis and rolled out across Scotland. DBI is a two level approach and training for this mechanism is available to Police Officers based in Moray. To date 31 Officers in Moray have been trained in the use of this tool which affords them the ability to make referrals to the service. Unfortunately of that number several have since left Police Scotland or moved into roles which preclude them from utilising their training. This has been discussed with Penumbra and there are plans in progress to revisit DBI training in Moray so as to bolster numbers and increase uptake of that service. 4.7 DBI referrals are a two stage process. Level 1 partners are front line workers in agencies including Police Scotland, Primary Care, Mental Health Pathways (MHP), the Scottish Ambulance Service and the Emergency Department, including Psychiatric Liaison. The Level 1 partners are provided with specific training to provide a compassionate response to distress, signposting and the offer of a referral to DBI Level 2. 4.8 A referral to Level 2 will trigger a 14 day supportive intervention, focusing on self-management of distress, community based problem solving, developing distress management tools and signposting to community, non-Police assets and relevant agencies. Having armed an individual with the tools to manage distress it becomes more likely they will implement these skills, this in turn is likely to see a reduction in demand on Police resources. 4.9 From the data available, within the Moray area there were 25 and 5 DBI referrals for 2021 and 2022 respectively. So far in 2023, there have only been 3 referrals. In contrast, the number of Police initiated referrals to the DBI service in Aberdeen City since it was instituted stands at 348. The challenges previously described with training Police Officers in Moray in the use of DBI is believed to be one of factors in this figure and to that end our Partnerships business area are exploring opportunities to uplift and update the numbers trained and to refresh the messaging about what the DBI service can provide. There remains confidence that the third sector partner, Penumbra, have Page 33
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OFFICIAL capacity to deal with the associated increase in referrals if this training deficit can be addressed. 4.10 Currently the Moray Community Safety Partnership is assembling a Task and Finish Group which aims to gain the support of those delivering Mental Health services, to help address some of the complex situations described within this briefing. It is respectfully requested that this board endorses this proposal. 5. CURRENT SITUATION - SUICIDE 5.1 Suicide rates vary across the division but it is clear, irrespective of geography that poor mental health is a significant factor. In many, but by no means all, of the recorded completed suicides that is the case. In addition, those instances where there is no recorded mental health diagnosis there are often lifestyle factors or adverse life events in evidence which could be reasonably presumed to precipitate an emotional collapse leading to a degree of acute mental health crisis. The figure below illustrates the most up-to-date information regarding total attempted and completed suicides across all areas of the North East Division. As can be clearly seen the trajectory of attempted suicide in Moray varies significantly from other divisional command areas. 5.2 In the Moray Local Command Areas there have been completed suicides recorded in respect of 6 males and 2 females since the start of the year (1 January 2023 to 30 June 2023). Additionally there have been 82 recorded attempted suicides. Of the completed suicides 3 (all male) occurred in Elgin, 2 (both male) occurred in Buckie/Keith with individual female deaths being recorded in Lossiemouth/Fochabers and Forres/Speyside which was also the location of the final male death. It can be clearly seen that this is an issue which affects communities all across Moray. The numbers of attempted suicides are similarly distributed across the whole region. Page 34
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OFFICIAL 5.3 Of note is the fact in Moray the number of female attempted suicides far exceed those of males (41/24). This is a phenomenon that is also seen in Aberdeenshire but not in Aberdeen City – where the numbers of males and females attempting suicide are broadly the same. Why this should be the case is unclear but it may in part indicate that females are generally more open to discuss their concerns with professionals than males but it also indicates a risk that males in crisis are going unnoticed until the point they successfully complete suicide. A caveat to these figures is that it does not differentiate between discrete suicide attempts or repeated attempts by a given individual. 5.4 Data collated since 2020/21 shows the frequency of deaths by suicide across the Moray Local Command Area and compares it against the Division as a whole. The frequency remains variable, in general terms (highlighted by the pronounced peaks at Q1 and Q3 of 2022 and Q1 of 2023) males in Moray have been more likely to attempt or complete suicide than their counterparts in the wider North East Division area. The picture for the female population of Moray is less pronounced but the graph below illustrates that with the exception of Q4 of 2022 they are generally as, or more likely to attempt and/or complete suicide than those who reside elsewhere in the Division. The reasons for the significant peaks in the male cases are not clear but they are very pronounced. 5.5 What is evident from the data is that since the most recent peak periods referenced (Q3 2022 for females and Q1 2023 for males) the general trend indicates that rates for death by suicide in Moray are reducing for males whilst following a marked reduction in the female population after Q3 of 2022 the frequency of female suicides has again crept up to the point it exceeds the rate in the wider division. It is the case that the data indicates an increasing trend for female suicide – with higher numbers in Moray than elsewhere in the North East - whilst the rate of death by suicide in males across all areas is generally trending downward. Again, given the myriad factors which can contribute to an individual experiencing suicidal thoughts identifying a comprehensive explanation for these observations is not currently possible. Page 35
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OFFICIAL The overall picture does illustrate how volatile the true situation in respect of death by suicide truly is and reinforces the need for a continued vigilance and effective multi-agency suicide prevention strategies across Moray and the wider Division. It also illustrates that whilst effective suicide prevention strategies are devised and implemented this is likely to remain an area of significant demand on Police resources. 6. Suicide Prevention Strategies 6.1 In terms of action to reduce the frequency of suicide both in Moray and across the legacy Grampian area, Police Scotland are working closely with partners in the Local Authorities, NHSG, Public Health Scotland, SFRS and SAMH, all of whom are key members of the Suicide Prevention Strategic Group. 6.2 Until 2022, the regional response to Suicide Prevention was guided by the North East Suicide Prevention Lead Group (NESPLG). The work of this group helped identify and inform key strategic priorities will now be progressed under the leadership of a new Strategic Group. 6.3 In Aberdeen City, Police Scotland led the Suicide Prevention Project operating within local Community Planning structures. This group developed data, from a range of sources, indicative of ‘at risk’ demographics. The multi- agency Project Team developed and delivered several ‘Tests of Change’. This included provision of localised educational and training material, designed to highlight the factors which might lead to suicide and strategies to address them, and delivering these towards at risk demographics. The work undertaken in this respect and the learning generated has and will continue to assist and inform suicide prevention strategies across Moray and the wider division. 6.4 There are a number of factors which have been identified as contributing to suicide/attempted suicide. Some, like addiction, which has a strong relationship with poor mental health, are of a type which is likely to see an individual come to adverse Police attention prior to a suicide attempt. 6.5 In those cases it is important that Police Officers are aware of the resources available to them and the person in crisis. All such cases who come to Police attention will be brought to the attention of partner agencies via Vulnerable Persons Database entry referrals. This represents an established route by which to instigate the provision of support to those in our community who may be at risk of suicide. 6.6 Other recognised contributory factors are less likely to directly involve Police interaction. Several such societal factors like financial hardship, relationship difficulties, bereavement, unemployment and homelessness are such that direct Police intervention is less likely. The work of the NESPLG has been a driver to ensure some of the ‘touchpoints’ relating to these factors, are informed and upskilled to intervene. Page 36
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OFFICIAL 7. CURRENT SITUATION - MISSING PERSONS 7.1 Missing persons create a substantial demand on divisional resources. Information provided by Police Scotland’s DPU indicates that the average resource commitment to a Medium Risk missing person enquiry is 182 hours where there is a mental health element involved. The data set used to determine the average resource commitment is limited and relates to another policing Division with a largely urban environment and without rural specific challenges such as increased travelling times. 7.2 In year 2021/2022 North East Division dealt with 874 missing person reports of which approximately 25% had a significant mental health element. That percentage remained more or less static in 2022/23 when the total number of missing people dealt with increased by more than 15% to 1007. Of that number approximately 12% of reports originated in Moray both in 2021/22 and 2022/23. This however does not capture the whole picture in terms of mental health impact on missing individuals resident in that local authority area. In 2021/22 of the 25 missing persons recorded in Moray where there was a recorded mental health element 15 of them (60%) were absconders from Ward 4 at Dr Gray’s Hospital (DGH). In 2022/23 that relative figure had increased to 88% (21/24 cases where mental health concerns featured). The 2022/23 figure was a noticeable increase over the previous year (2020/2021) although the reason for that is unclear. 7.3 Within the first five months of 2023 there were 40 missing person reports generated involving individuals who absconded from RCH in Aberdeen City, approximately 2 per week. Of those individuals who went missing (where a missing person report was created) from RCH in year 2022/23, 47% of them (54) were found to have absconded during periods where they had been permitted leave from the ward by staff. This includes for things such as smoking breaks and whilst specific numbers for DGH are not currently available it would be a reasonable presumption that this happens there too. Given the staff interaction already in evidence prior to leave from the wards being granted there appears to have been opportunities to pre-empt any absconding behaviour or minimise the impact of same. Simple approaches such as ensuring patients are in possession of mobile phones, asking them directly about their intentions or even accommodating longer periods off ward (where it is in the judgement of health professionals clinically safe to do so) might be effective in securing reciprocal cooperation from the patients involved and reducing the frequency of incidents where missing person reports are necessary. Extrapolating these observations to DGH is likely to yield a similar benefit. 7.4 Joint work is being undertaken by Police Scotland and RCH during 2022/2023 and beyond focused on reducing the demand on local policing assets whilst servicing the requirement to assist the hospital. In time it is anticipated that ongoing identification of individuals who are frequently reported missing with subsequent discussion and management strategies being developed will yield resource benefits both to partners and Police. Given the fact individuals reported missing are frequently found at their home address or the address of Page 37
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OFFICIAL known associates partners including those in Aberdeenshire and Moray the benefit will, to a greater or lesser degree be realised across the whole Division. Again there is no reason that such strategies cannot be implemented at DGH in anticipation of yielding a similar benefit. Indeed given the more compact size of the facility in Moray such implementation may be easier and quicker to generate positive results this may be worthy of additional consideration/discussion. 8. Efforts to Reduce Impact of Missing Persons 8.1 The Scottish Government’s National Missing Persons Framework (NMPF) for Scotland sets out the following four objectives: • To introduce preventative measures to reduce the number of episodes of people going missing • To respond consistently and appropriately to missing person episodes • To provide the best possible support to missing people and their families • To protect vulnerable people to reduce the risk of harm 8.2 Achieving these objectives will by extension reduce demand on operational policing resources. North East Division (and Police Scotland more broadly) continue to work on a multi-agency basis towards achieving these objectives across Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray. This includes working with NHS, Social Work and Residential Homes, looking for ways to improve and enhance their internal practices. 8.3 In 2022, Police worked in partnership with NHS Grampian on refreshing their ‘Responding to Missing People Policy’ which focused on reducing the risk of people going missing and mitigating the risk to the people who have gone missing. It set out the roles, responsibilities and actions to be taken by staff in respect of missing persons. It also ensured a collective response delivered on the achievement of the objectives contained within the NMPF. New, clear appendices were included which featured: a flowchart for frontline workers; risk assessment matrix and frameworks; and return home welfare discussions to formulate plans to reduce future episodes. 8.4 This new policy is still being embedded but once established, it should reduce missing episodes, time spent missing and services time on information gathering and whole episodes. This will bring benefit in terms of reduced resource demand to frontline policing. 8.5 On carrying out a more rigorous examination of the data, a number of Missing Persons from RCH were found to have absconded following cigarette breaks which have to be taken out with hospital grounds and of which Staff are aware in advance. Efforts to examine whether there are similar factors in evidence in the case of those who are ultimately reported missing from DGH are in Page 38
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OFFICIAL train. Given current proposals for changes in the location of acute Mental Health care provision in Moray there may be an opportunity to build in aspects which make future absconding less likely. For example in Aberdeen City there is work ongoing with the Chief Office of HSCP to relocate the smoking area to within hospital grounds in order to try and reduce episodes of patients choosing to absent themselves from hospital. 8.6 As mentioned above there is a current program of works proposed for the DGH site will see the acute adult Mental Health provision relocate from Ward 4 at DGH to the Seafield Community Hospital in Buckie. Plans for this relocation of patients remain under discussion but there is frequent communication on the subject and Police are regular attendees at the project meetings. This level of cooperative working allows us to ensure the relevant Local Policing Team are sighted on timescales and developments it also affords an avenue by which meaningful and productive discussion can be held around the design of the decanted service in the hope of building in measures to assist in reducing the number of patients who abscond and are ultimately reported as missing. 8.7 There is currently no reported plan to change Moray’s provision of a ‘Place of Safety’ and this is scheduled to remain at DGH on account of its interdependencies with the accident and emergency department already sited there. There are however potential implications should a patient presented at the ‘Place of Safety’ be deemed to require admission to a mental health ward. Under current arrangements any person Police take to DGH for a mental health assessment who is subsequently to be admitted to Ward 4 only has to walk a very short distance, within the same building to reach that ward. Relocating the mental health facilities to Buckie introduces questions about patient transfer between the assessing hospital and the unit where the patient is admitted to the mental health ward. There may be implications for Police resourcing unless there is an arrangement/agreement that the Police will not be responsible for this transfer and that Police will not be held at DGH A+E unnecessarily to care take the patient until NHS transport can be arranged. 9. Risk Mitigation and the Vulnerable Persons Database (VPD) 9.1 Police Scotland has a duty to ensure following a mental health related call that people (including Missing Persons) are no longer at immediate risk and short term measures are in place. Tactical options include but are not limited to taking advice from services, such as the CIT or WELL Service across City and Shire or DBI in Moray or any additional service which might be identified in future. Furthermore, conveying an individual to Hospital, be that DGH for psychiatric assessment prior to admission to Ward 4 or to RCH or another suitable health care establishment or leaving an individual in the care of a suitable relative or friend. 9.2 A VPD entry is completed and ultimately shared with organisations in order that the appropriate follow up is instigated. We know that the sharing process is not instantaneous and we know that in some cases, although persons may Page 39
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OFFICIAL not be in an acute need of care, in order to help stabilise their situation, care and support is needed to avoid a further incident. 9.3 Frequently, there is there is a requirement to notify partners in advance of a VPD entry reaching its intended recipient. In order that support plans for individuals can be considered at an earlier stage. Often, the most suitable forum to take forward these more immediate joint discussions can be within a multi-agency meeting. 9.4 Experience frequently shows us that finding the right person or professionals across the range of partners can be challenging. On occasion these meetings can include several representatives from the same organisation with little previous connectivity even between those same organisations. We know that the requirement to gather data and attend meetings can be challenging for some organisations including Police Scotland. A solution may be to commit to a joint forum, who meet specifically to address the more immediate or complex demands that a small few can create. 9.5 Despite this, we know that in most cases, the vulnerability and risk is being managed down for individuals coming to our attention by entering into joint discussions with shared risk and vulnerability management actions. 10. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS (a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP) The Moray Council's responsibilities with regards to the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 are directly relevant to Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan. (b) Policy and Legal This report is presented to the Moray Police and Fire & Rescue Services Committee within its remit for local scrutiny of the Police. There are no direct legal implications arising from the recommendations of this report. However, we know that there can be a direct impact on the Human Rights of those in our community as a result of risk taking activity by some we all seek to support. There is a body of evidence that indicates the disruption to wider community life caused by some in mental health crisis. There may also be the unintended risk of criminalisation of persons coming to Police attention through mental health crisis. (c) Financial implications Increasing mental health demand across services is already likely to have had a significant financial impact. In order to have the right service or partnership better support those coming to Police attention, as a result of non-criminal demand, financial implications are likely. Page 40
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OFFICIAL (d) Risk Implications Increasing mental health demand across services is already likely to have had a significant financial impact. Increasing Mental Health demand will most likely impact on the time that Officers available to conduct other Policing functions in communities across the North East. (e) Staffing Implications There are no identified staffing implications. (f) Property Not applicable. (g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact Not applicable. (h) Consultations The Local Police Plan, upon which the performance is reporting, was subject to consultation with elected representatives and was heavily influenced by ongoing feedback from local communities within the Moray Council area. 11 Conclusion 11.1 This report has identified those sources of demand on Police resources where mental health is likely to be a factor/consideration. It has also illustrated the partnership arrangements, both established and developing which are deployable to support vulnerable individuals who may present in mental health crisis and which in turn may yield a benefit to local policing in terms of reducing the demand on them. 11.2 There is a recognised need for effective data gathering, sharing, analysis and interpretation. These remain under ongoing review and development with appropriate approaches to extracting maximum value from the data being explored. In turn this will enable wider and more informed scrutiny across partners and open up opportunities to identify and implement earlier, meaningful interventions. 11.3 Even at this early stage it appears that projects in place across Grampian such as the CIT and WELL Service are capable of having a positive effect on reducing the frequency at which individuals are coming to the attention of Police. Whilst continued provision of these services is likely to be linked to an ability to prove there is sufficient demand for it they remain an avenue which the Moray HSCP may wish to explore in more detail and decide if they are an appropriate ‘fit’ for their needs. Page 41
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OFFICIAL 11.4 Risk and vulnerability is being managed by Police Scotland and partners but finding access points to seek assistance can be challenging given the range of organisations and professionals that can work with a person. Given the presumed increasing demand faced by all services, the ‘as and when’ approach to arranging multi-agency meetings can place variable extra pressures on services when meetings are required. 11.5 Analysis of the missing person figures suggest that a relatively small number of individuals are creating a disproportionate level of demand when they repeatedly abscond from DGH. These individuals are likely to originate from areas across the Grampian and Highland regions, and may include Aberdeenshire. Having identified this, and given we are already engaging further with partners at RCH with a view to enhancing their procedures, it is likely to be of value for Police to share learning from that process with partners at DGH. 11.6 Whilst this single agency to single agency approach may be right in this instance, demand reduction across a range of partners can only be achieved through collaboration in terms of joint processes and thinking. 11.7 Agencies collaborate within groups to examine systems to reduce demand, however, a starting point may be to look at specific individuals and explore the formation or creation of a new group to examine the individuals and reduce mental health demand created by a small few across multiple services. Author of Report: Chief Inspector Darren Bruce North East Division Police Scotland Background Papers: Appendix A – Case Studies Ref: n/a Page 42
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OFFICIAL Appendix A - Case Studies - Moray Moray resident Subject A – Subject A is a young adult who has previously been assessed as having Adjustment Disorder with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder traits, ADHD and suffering from Depression and Anxiety. Further discussion with partners identified that, although they were being medicated, no formal diagnosis had been made. There have been 54 VPD’s submitted from February 2019 to date, with most of these being from between June 2022 and January 2023. Many of these appear to be connected to a relationship break-up which caused Subject A distress. Many of these are recorded as Mental Health concerns manifesting as problematic alcohol consumption, Self-harm and Suicidal ideology. These Suicidal incidents relate to Subject C contacting services and associates and advising they have has taken an overdose or that they intend to throw themselves in front of a train / off a bridge / into water. These vulnerabilities were recorded and brought to partners through sharing VPD’s. The impact on Police and other services and to the wider community were dependent on the concern being identified and appropriately dealt with. Many of these related to calls to NHS or Police regarding alcohol/self-harm/suicidal concerns and resulted in Subject A being seen, assessed at scene, detained under the Mental Health Act and conveyed for further assessment at Dr Grays. They have subsequently engaged in violent and disorderly behaviour towards those attempting to assist them and as a consequence they have been charged and reported accordingly for criminal behaviour where this may have been avoidable. Subject A was discussed at Moray’s Interagency Vulnerable Adults meetings on a couple of occasions where it was recognised that they had support available to them. Subject A did, at times, engage with this but also continued in their actions whereby they repeatedly place themselves and others at risk. An Anticipatory Care Plan was written and a Trigger Plan created identifying appropriate Police action moving forward. Subject A was the subject of an Adult IRD where it was identified that they did not meet the 3 point test for vulnerability and was not suitable to fall under the support of Adult Support & Protection procedures. It was similarly confirmed that Subject A had no formal diagnosis of a mental health disorder. They were fully aware of their actions and retained the capacity to choose not to engage in these challenging behaviours but continued to do them in any case. Due to their continued actions they were removed from a previous supported accommodation and have been charged on several occasions, breaching Bail and thereafter being remanded due to their actions. This has resulted in them falling under Criminal Justice Social Work, being relocated to another accommodation more suitable to their needs and behaviours. It remains to be seen what the Criminal Justice outcome is for this person and it is arguable that criminalisation of this person may not be the right outcome. Since March 2023 they have only come to Police attention on one further occasion and it could be concluded that the expertise within Criminal Justice Social work department has helped secure the support required to reduce demand in this instance. Page 43
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OFFICIAL Moray resident Subject B – Subject B is known to Police in relation to Alcohol Consumption, Mental Health issues, suicidal ideology and has been relationships with others who have similar conditions. Subject B has been identified as being at high risk of being the victim of violence or abusive. They appear on 37 VPD’s, 11 in 2023, which have been shared with partners. Their consumption of alcohol appears to compound their other conditions resulting in a risk to them and their children, who have been placed in Kinship care. There have been a significant number of calls to Police, including from partner agencies, regarding their welfare and expressing general concerns following contact with the individual. When traced Subject B is regularly found to be under the influence, voicing suicidal thoughts and struggling to safeguard themselves although not to the point of meeting the 3 point test. These concerns are well established and it is often the case that Police are not the agency best equipped to assist with them. Subject B’s ongoing actions continue to place significant strain on Police and other partner’s resources and there may be merit in exploring more creative solutions from agencies better placed to provide meaningful and effective support and assistance. The right out of hours support and structures are not in place to directly support the individual or Policing resources in dealing with this person. Moray resident Subject C – Subject C is the subject of concern on 32 VPD’s, which have been shared with relevant partners, each of which is indicative of an individual interaction with Police. The have generally been in relation to mental health issues, self-harm, suicidal ideology and suicide attempts, alcohol and drugs consumption. The suicidal ideology has resulted in several incidents this year where they have attended at bridges and other locations and been found to be in a position placing themselves, the Police Officers attending, and other members of the community at risk. The most recent of these involved 19 Police units, including Officers at scene, search Officers and specialists including negotiators as well as Officers involved in road management due to a major arterial route being closed for over 6 hours. This further caused other members of the community to have to be rerouted several hours down B roads. On this occasion Subject C was safely removed from the bridge and was detained under the Mental Health Act and conveyed to hospital by Police. On arrival at hospital Police were required to remain in attendance for several more hours before an assessment was undertaken. This has caused a significant impact on stretched services and disruption to the wider community. In addition to the disruption caused, the significant Police resource dedicated to this particular incident was of course not therefore available to the wider public of Moray. Page 44
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REPORT TO: POLICE AND FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES COMMITTEE ON 16 NOVEMBER 2023 SUBJECT: THEMATIC REPORT – VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS BY: DETECTIVE CHIEF INSPECTOR CAROLINE GRAY, NORTH EAST DIVISION, POLICE SCOTLAND & DR EMMA PLANT EQUALLY SAFE DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR, MORAY 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To inform the Committee on the work of the Violence against Women and Girls Partnership. 1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (J) (4) of the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to the monitoring of delivery of the Police and Fire & Rescue Services in Moray. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that the Police and Fire & Rescue Services Committee scrutinise and note the information contained within this report. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 The Moray Violence against Women and Girls Partnership (MVAWGP) reports through the Moray Public Protection Chief Officer’s Group. It is currently chaired by Police Scotland and is the key multi-agency driver of implementation of the Scottish Government’s Equally Safe strategy across Moray. The objective of the Equally Safe strategy is to prevent and eradicate violence against Women and Girls, creating a strong and flourishing Scotland where all individuals are equally safe and respected, and where woman and girls live free from such abuse, and the attitudes that help perpetuate it. 3.2 Following a period of dormancy during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the MVAWGP began work again in early 2022 with the hiring of Equally Safe Development Coordinator (ESDC), Dr Emma Plant. DCI Caroline Gray, Police Scotland, is the current chair of the group. Item 8. Page 45
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OFFICIAL 3.3 The partnership hold meetings on a quarterly basis which are attended by representatives from Police Scotland; Moray Council; Health; Education; Housing; Ministry of Defence; Moray Rape Crisis; Moray Womans Aid along with a number of other third sector organisations. 3.4 The objectives of the partnership are as follows: • Professionals and community members recognise VAWG and respond effectively • VAWG support is accessible for all who need it • VAWG support is effective and does not further traumatise victims • Men and boys stop inflicting violence against women and girls 3.5 Actions are agreed which meet the needs of these objectives. Progress is reviewed and updated at the quarterly MVAWGP meetings. 4. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT 4.1 It was recognised that there was a lack of understanding regarding Domestic Abuse (DA) amongst the partnerships workforce – both statutory and third sector. To remedy this, a programme of online training sessions was devised by the ESDC to run throughout the year. This included the following subjects: • Trauma Informed Practice & VAWG • Responding to Sexual Violence • Domestic Abuse & Coercive Control 4.2 A total of 466 individuals have attended training on these topics in the last 12 months with the courses attracting very positive feedback. Further training is being designed for rollout in 2024 with new topics relating to the impact of DA on children; sexual harassment legislation, the impact on the workplace and also around civil and criminal court procedures. Further bespoke training on a range of related topics such as Coercively Controlling Domestic Abuse has been requested by a number of agencies and there are plans to deliver this over the coming months. 5. SAFE & TOGETHER 5.1 The Safe & Together Model of Domestic Informed Practice has begun its local rollout. The Safe and Together Model is a model of dealing with incidents of domestic abuse which focuses on keeping the child/children safe with the non-offending parent; supporting the non-offending parent and intervening with the perpetrator to reduce risk of harm to the child. Page 46
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OFFICIAL 5.2 Four Partnership staff have undergone training to enable them to deliver this training to practitioners, with two to progress for accreditation to deliver training to supervisors and managers. In total, 156 people, from both statutory and third sector agencies in Moray, are now fully qualified practitioners. Several hundred more have attended 1 hour briefings to introduce the model. Processes are in the place to enable a review of the success of the roll out and to help identify any challenges. 6. CHOOSE TO CHANGE 6.1 A request has been received for the ESDC to review & update Moray Criminal Justice Social Work's two year VAWG Perpetrator Programme 'Choose to Change' to ensure it is fit for purpose. Particular attention will be paid to ensure the programme compliments the regional shift to using the Safe & Together Model of Domestic Abuse Informed Practice. 7. MULTI-AGENCY RISK ASSESSMENT CONFERENCE (MARAC) 7.1 A Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) is a meeting which is held to discuss the most high risk cases of domestic abuse and sexual violence, to share information and to safety plan to safeguard a victim. The MARAC Steering Group was reconstituted in October 2023. Four awareness raising sessions on the process have been delivered in the last 12 months. 8. MULTI-AGENCY TASKING AND CO-ORDINATION (MATAC) 8.1 MATAC is the Multi Agency Tasking and Co-ordination process of identifying and tackling serial perpetrators of domestic abuse. Meetings are held on a monthly basis and are attended by representatives from Police Scotland; Moray Council; Health; COPFS and others to enable discussion around disruption and enforcement action and safeguarding measures for any identified new partners. 9. THE DISCLOSURE SCHEME FOR DOMESTIC ABUSE SCOTLAND (DSDAS) 9.1 The DSDAS scheme is a scheme which gives people the right to ask about the background of their partner. It also allows concerned relatives and friends the right to ask, with the disclosure being made to the person assessed to be at risk. Professionals can also submit an application to the scheme should they have any concerns regarding a service user. Two well attended sessions (approx. 45 persons) on the use of the Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland were delivered by Inspector Claire Smith. This is intended to increase Moray’s uptake of the scheme. Page 47
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OFFICIAL 10. DOMESTIC ABUSE ACCREDITATION FOR SOLICITORS 10.1 Funding has been secured for two local solicitors to attend the Scottish Women's Rights Centre Domestic Abuse Advocacy accreditation course. Candidates are being contacted presently. There are currently no accredited solicitors within Moray. 11. COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY & MVAWGP WEBSITE 11.1 A Partnership wide communications strategy was agreed in February 2023. 11.2 The new Moray Public Protection website is close to being launched. This features a large section for the MVAWGP including details of the Partnership’s business and foundation documents; overviews of all forms of VAWG, relevant national legislation & international legal documents and a comprehensive directory of local and national support services. 12. AWARENESS RAISING 12.1 From January - March 2023 a Moray wide awareness raising campaign was carried on local bus services, both internally and externally. Three messages were used: • Domestic abuse doesn’t always leave bruises – signposting to Moray Women’s Aid • Domestic Abuse is a parenting choice – signposting to RADAR • Rape victims don’t lie, rapists do – signposting to Moray Rape Crisis 12.2 In the following quarter Rape Crisis noticed an unusually large increase in service enquiries with Moray Women’s Aid noting a smaller spike. It is assessed that the campaign had a positive impact on people’s confidence in seeking support. 12.3 In order to reach the underserved Scottish Traveller Community a campaign featuring small (easy-to-hide) information cards will be rolled out to local shops (hairdressers, nail salons etc.) where survivors from this community tell us women may visit unsupervised. This will be followed up by specialist training on identifying VAWG and cultural awareness for Health Visitors and Nurse who are the only service workers reliably allowed into Moray’s several Halting Sites. Page 48
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OFFICIAL 13. 16 DAYS OF ACTION ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE 2023 13.1 The 16 Days of Action Against Domestic Violence campaign is a global campaign which starts on 25 November 2023, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Woman, and concludes on 10 December 2023, which is International Human Rights Day. The following activities are planned in Moray during that time. 13.2 An exhibit raising awareness about sexual assault ‘What Were You Wearing?” will be held in the UHI’s outer gallery. An interactive workshop on the non- consensual sharing of intimate images will be delivered by the National Revenge Porn Helpline. All are welcome to attend. 13.3 A one hour briefing is scheduled for December on the practical application of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2019. It is intended for delivery to every Police Officer in the region. It is being co-produced by the ESDC and several frontline Police Officers to ensure its relevance to their colleagues. Concise summaries that fit in Officer's equipment will also be printed and distributed as an aide memoire. Requests have been received to share this copy with VAWG Partnerships in Fife, Aberdeen & Edinburgh. 13.4 Discussions are underway to have the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, Laura Bates, deliver a talk during the 16 Days period. 13.5 A ‘pop up’ event in Elgin where advice; guidance and literature can be obtained from representatives from a number of agencies is also planned. 14. SEXUAL EQUALITY & TACKLING MISOGYNY WORK WITH POLICE SCOTLAND 14.1 Earlier this month, an anti-misogyny workshop was delivered at the Scottish Police College by ESDC. Senior male officers from across Police Scotland attended and the feedback received was overwhelmingly positive. The workshop will now be redesigned to be delivered by male volunteers to their peers within the force starting with North East Division (inc. Moray). 15. HORIZON SCAN 15.1 Going forward, the ESDC’s funding is due to expire in March 2024 with the possibility of one-year’s extension. 15.2 Following the publication of the Independent Review of the Funding & Commissioning of VAWG Services, it is likely that VAWG Partnerships will shortly be placed on a statutory footing. 15.3 Equally Safe is currently undergoing revision with publication expected by the end of 2023. Page 49
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OFFICIAL 16. CONCLUSION 16.1 Moray Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership has remained dedicated to tackling violence against women in all its forms and coordinating services from voluntary and statutory agencies to ensure appropriate support is provided to those affected by it. 16.2 It is hoped that the provision of this detailed overview will afford Members a meaningful insight into the work of the partnership. 16.3 Public confidence and trust in the MVAWGP and its constituent members is enhanced through the cohesive and collaborative strategies set and delivered in a high risk and high profile area. Authors of Report: Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Gray North East Division Police Scotland Dr Emma Plant Equally Safe Development Coordinator, Moray Page 50