Domestic Violence Conference

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Domestic Violence Conference 12th June
2003   Local Public Service Agreements Everyones
a winner!  
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Judith Million and Judy John-Rose

• Home Office
• Local Public Service Agreements
• Co-ordinating Team

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• What the presentation will cover
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• Why Local Public Service Agreements?
• What are Local Public Service Agreements?
• Who is involved?
• How do they work?
• Using Local PSAs to tackle domestic violence
• Opportunities and Challenges

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• Why Local PSAs?
• Local PSAs are a key part of the Governments
  commitment to deliver better local services
• Focus on improvements on the ground that people
  would recognise as making a difference to local
  quality of life
• Opportunity to tackle cross cutting issues
• Shared priorities between central and local
  government

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• What are Local PSAs?
• Voluntary agreements between an individual
  local authority and the Government which
• Set out the authoritys commitment to deliver
  specific improvements in performance
• Set out the Governments commitment to reward
  those improvements

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• Who is involved?
• Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in a
  co- ordinating role
• Other Government Departments (HO, DFES, DCMS,
  DOH, DT, DEFRA, LCD
• Top tier local authorities (Mets, Unitaries,
  Counties)
• Other local delivery partners

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• Key Features
• Local authorities
• commit to achieve more than would otherwise be
  expected.
• Agree to about a dozen outcome-focussed targets
• Balance of national and local targets
• The Government
• rewards success to the tune of 2.5 of an
  authoritys net budget
• provides pump priming grant to oil the wheels
• Provides scope for extra borrowing
• Offers possible freedoms and flexibilities

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• Application Stage
• Councils wishing to negotiate LPSAs agree the
  timing with the LGA
• LGA programmes councils into the negotiating
  schedule

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• Pre-Submission Stage
• (14-12 weeks before submission)
• Home Office (and DFES, DOH, DT) put pre
  submission propositions to authorities
  indicating targets
• Councils liaise with ODPM to make arrangements
  for Introductory Meeting
• (12 - 8 weeks before submission)
• Councils agree which issues on which they will
  propose targets, prepare tentative targets and
  share these with the LGA

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• (6-5 weeks before submission)
• LGA brokers group discussions between
  Government and Councils with similar interests
• (5-4 weeks before submission)
• Introductory meeting between Government and
  each local authority to discuss the context of
  their LPSA
• (4 weeks before submission)
• Councils firm up their LPSA targets
• Submission Date
• Councils submit their proposals to the
  Government

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• Negotiation Period
• Week 1
• ODPM examines proposals provides initial
  feedback to councils and circulates proposals to
  other Government Departments for negotiations to
  commence
• Week 1-2
• HO central LPSA team examines proposals, makes
  contact with councils, provides initial feedback
  and advises of process
• HO central team circulates information to
• Relevant policy holders
• Regional Crime Reduction Directors
• HMIC
• Home Office central team begins negotiation on
  cross cutting freedoms and flexibilities

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• Weeks 2-7
• Negotiating period begins and Government
  Departments discuss the detail of the proposals
  with councils
• (Home Office central team disseminates feedback
  from Regional Crime Reduction Directors and
  HMIC to policy holders)
• Week 4-5 (Mid Point)
• HO central team takes stock of negotiations
  identifies any potential sticking points and how
  they might be addressed
• DTLR takes stock of progress with councils and
  Government Departments

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• Week 7
• Government and councils reach agreements and
  councils prepare final draft Agreements 
• Week 8
• Draft Agreements presented to Ministers (PSXL)
• Week 9-10
• ODPM organises formal signing of LPSA
• Week 12 onwards
• Home Office central team allocates freedom and
  flexibility delivery to policy holder
• Government commences work on delivery of
  freedoms and flexibilities agreed and councils
  work on delivering stretching targets
• Home Office central team monitor delivery of
  freedoms and flexibilities.

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• Where are we now?
• Coming towards the end of round 1
• We have dealt with batches of about 12
  authorities every eight weeks
• Deals signed with 91 authorities
• Deals with 35 authorities either agreed or
  under negotiation
• Further deals to be done with a further 17
  authorities

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• Where are we now? cont.
• 116 targets formally signed off agreed
  (principally crime reduction/ youth
  re- offending)
• About 70 either agreed and awaiting signing or
  under negotiation
• Domestic Violence targets agreed with three
  authorities
• A further six either agreed and awaiting
  signing or under negotiation

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• Local PSAs as a vehicle for tackling domestic
  violence
• How can we measure positive impact on domestic
  violence?
• What does success look like?
• What indicators could we consider?
• What would a target look like?

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• Local PSAs as a vehicle for tackling domestic
  violence
• Increased reporting
• Reduction in repeat victimisation
• Reduction in witness retraction statements
• Increase in prosecutions
• Anything else?

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• Targets and Measurement
• Must focus on outcomes not outputs
• Can be complex and difficult to assess and
  confusing for local authorities
• We offer Guidance and Templates
• ODPM can also advise where measurement is not
  straightforward
• Softer measures may be useful e.g. surveys
  providing methodology and format is approved
• LPSAs are individual agreements with individual
  authorities and therefore should reflect the
  unique circumstances of the authority
• Value for money considerations are important
  (pump priming grant, performance reward grant)

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• Opportunities and Challenges
• Incentivise and catalyse partnership working.
• Focus resources on tackling domestic violence
  (PPG mainstream and PRG).
• Identify and challenge barriers to delivery.
• Further raise the profile of domestic violence
  as a crime which must be treated seriously.
• Make a real and lasting difference.