Collaboration
The Police Authority has a legal duty to promote collaboration between Police Forces. The Policing and Crime Act 2009 amended section 23 and 24 of the Police Act 1996 (collaboration) and provides for joint working between two or more forces or Police Authorities (PA) where in the opinion of the Chief Officer or the Police Authority the collaboration delivers greater efficiency, effectiveness or cashable savings to at least one of the participating forces or authorities.
North Wales Police (NWP) together with North Wales Police Authority (NWPA) therefore collaborate in a range of business sectors and within a combination of regions, forces and local organisations. Our combined strategy for collaboration is based on enhancing efficiency, effectiveness and obtaining cashable savings. Initiatives seek to improve business resilience, tackle serious and organised crime and provide cashable savings. NWP is in an advantageous position of being able to work closely with the other police forces and authorities in Wales and with those in North West England and will therefore collaborate at every opportunity with whoever is the best partner or partners in that business or service area. The process of collaboration is supported and governed by the provision of business cases.
Collaboration in Wales
In Wales, collaboration between Dyfed-Powys, Gwent, North Wales and South Wales Police Forces is managed by a Joint Committee known as the Police Authorities of Wales.
The Joint Committee was established by an agreement between the four Welsh Police Authorities dated 12th July 2007. The agreement sets out the role of members on the Joint Committee.
NWP and NWPA have taken a pragmatic approach to collaboration across Wales seeking to maximise the opportunities from an All Wales perspective, but recognising that operationally there may be more limited scope. Across Wales, established areas of collaboration in which our Force is a partner includes: the Wales Extreme Counter Terrorism intelligence Unit (WECTiU), Strategic Roads Policing, Joint Emergency Services Group (JESG) and the Single Non-Emergency Number. The collaborations have strengthened business resilience and enhanced the fight against serious and cross boundary crime.
In January 2011, Police Authorities Wales (PAW) and ACPO agreed to embark on seven new collaborative projects with varying levels of collaboration between the four forces in each of the strands. A close review of the strands identified that business benefits were only likely for North Wales Police in the areas of ICT and Criminal Justice. These areas are now being pursued on a collaborative basis.
If you would be interested in reading more information regarding collaboration in Wales please visit the Police Authorities of Wales website or read the National Policing Plan for Wales 2011.2014.
http://www.policeauthoritiesofwales.org.uk/
PAW Agreement
Collaboration with the North West Region
The North West Joint Committee is constituted of the five North West Police Authorities and North Wales Police Authority, consisting Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside and North Wales. The North West is in some ways unique as a policing area in that it contains two large metropolitan forces.
In the North West we are partners in recognised collaborations including underwater search, surveillance (with Cheshire), Titan, North West Regional Intelligence Group (RIG) and the North West Regional Asset Recovery Team (RART). North Wales Police are also an established partner in the North West procurement hub benefiting from savings of £81,630 in year 2010-2011 through twenty contracts. Several proposed collaborations are under consideration such as with Cheshire and Merseyside for occupational health services and ANPR back office functions with Cheshire Police.
Collaboration with the North West is providing access to important capabilities that cannot be provided or afforded in force, or in the main in conjunction with other forces in Wales. Our collaborations are business case driven although it is likely that they will also provide improved resilience against serious and cross-boundary crime.
To read more about collaboration in the North West Region please read the papers of the North West Joint Committee, click the hyperlink below
http://www.merseysidepoliceauthority.gov.uk/461/462/499/555/north-west-regional-collaboration-joint-committee.html
Collaboration within North Wales
Local Service Boards
The Local Safeguarding Children Boards of Gwynedd, Anglesey and Conwy and NWP are working together to improve services to vulnerable families to provide better coordination and to save money.
WAG awarded £50,000 to fund a six month project the principal objectives for which include:
• prevention – redirecting focus towards stopping problems developing and reducing dependency
• targeting – protecting and nurturing people and addressing the needs of the most disadvantaged communities
• personalisation – ensuring services are tailored so that they effectively meet people’s needs.
The project is on track and the ‘qualitative’ part has been completed; the costing phase has commenced.
Local Authorities
North Wales Police meets with the six local authorities across North Wales. The Support Services Programme Board appointed Deloitte’s and are now in a consultation phase regarding shared back office services. A mobilisation workshop took place on 24th March 2011 which will report back post December 2011.
National Health Service
The NHS Trust currently part fund police officers at hospital sites in North Wales to the sum of £80K per annum. Following a significant restructure the NHS Trust has taken the opportunity to review their security arrangements and wishes to increase their contribution to police officers across their three main operational sites. The overall aim of this proposal will be to fully fund six police officers from an external source to the sum of £300k for each of the three year contract. It is envisaged that this will help manage demand at three busy sites whilst increasing our policing provision to protect the public and reduce harm.
Estates
North Wales Police's Facilities & Logistics Department have been closely collaborating with North Wales Fire & Rescue Service (NWFRS) since June 2006 when both organisations’ respective Estates/Facilities departments merged and a Service Level Agreement was established for North Wales Police to provide a comprehensive estate management function for NWFRS. This comprises of the management of capital projects, strategic asset management, planned and reactive maintenance, minor works, health and safety works, environmental and energy management, asset valuations and rating, cleaning and grounds maintenance management. We also have an in-house joint Helpdesk and 24/7 call out support for estate related issues and a joint estate database for the premises. NWFRS have recently extended the SLA for another 5 year period until 2016.
The Force has embarked on a review of the whole estate and each building is being assessed to decide upon its long term future. As part of this process we are engaging with other public sector partners, especially the local authorities through the North Wales Regional Leadership Board Assets Subgroup, to explore the opportunities for the relocation of some police facilities into third party premises to reduce revenue costs, increase police visibility and generate capital receipts from asset disposals. A target date of 31st October 2011 has been set for completion of the estate review and the production of a report with recommendations.
With our established and prospective regional and local partners we will pursue collaboration in all processes and services where there is a robust supporting business case (unless specifically local in nature such as Neighbourhood Policing). Internally, the schedule will be governed by the Collaboration Board. Several collaborations have been considered but rejected as the business cases indicated an increased cost would be incurred outweighing other merits. An example is with finance and human resource functions; in 2008 a seven force model comprising of the North West Region together with Thames Valley was explored. The option was found to be cost prohibitive with no payback over ten years and the end products would not have been as advanced as NWP currently had in place at the time.
Collaboration with Partners
Working together is not solely focused on improving the way we utilize our resources with other Authorities and partners, it is also about working with other agencies and organisations in North Wales, who also have a shared vision to provide the best service possible for the area. Please visit our Community Engagement and Partnership Working pagers to learn more about our work with local partners and stakeholders