Agenda item

Mark Norris, Principal Policy Adviser, introduced the report which highlighted

 wider issues of interest to the Board and raised the following key points:

·       The LGA with feedback from Lead Members has submitted a response to the Government’s consultation on Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs); a proposed new court order to target known knife and offensive weapon carriers, and there has been a consultation on capacity funding for domestic abuse to help councils prepare for domestic abuse accommodation support and services.

·       The LGA has been working closely with the Special Interest Group on Countering Extremism (SIGCE), which seeks to provide support and share good practice in countering extremism across councils in England and Wales, which is no longer receiving funding from the government. The LGA is working towards ensuring support can continue in the absence of funding.

·       The need for effective cyber security in local authorities has been increasing with potential vulnerabilities and as more people work from home. The LGA has been working closely through the Improvement Board to improve cyber security for local authorities, providing initial technical guidance for council IT colleagues containing important advice and actions to take.

            Following the discussion, Members made the following comments:

·       The need to address issues around disproportionality in the use of tools such as SVROs with an apparent increase in the use of stop and search among young black men during COVID: SVROs could exacerbate the issue. The Chair noted concern that searches could take place without any suspicion, recognising that certain parts of the community would be disproportionality affected and that this could have an impact on community cohesion.

·       Members supported adding sex or gender to the protected characteristics under hate crime legislation.

·       Concern around Barnardo’s putting the National FGM Centre into its BAME Centre of Expertise as this is any issue that can happen in any community and will lose sight of vulnerable young girls. Mark responded that the decision was a practical financial choice and Barnardo’s would prefer having a specialist bespoke approach to tackling this issue but are restricted due to funding. Members also expressed concern about use of the term BAME and the way it fails to distinguish between diverse communities.

            Decision:

Members of the Safer and Stronger Communities Board noted the update paper.

Actions:

·       Officers to consider the scope for the SSCB/LGA to look at use of the term BAME.