Agenda and minutes

Present: Cllr James Hill (Co – Chair), Pauline Woodhouse (Co- Chair), Karolina Zalewska (KZ Voice), Debbie Samwell (Northants Fire and Rescue Service DS), Hazel Gray (Northants Fire and Rescue Service, GH), Alaa Abouzanad (ANSS AA), Jenny Campbell (Inspiration FM JC), John Rawlings (Northampton Quakers JR), Nisha Mejer (NBC NM), Alice Morgan (NBC AM), Rutendo Nyatsine (Zimwomen RN), Luisa Jepson (Northampton Inter Faith Forum LJ), Rachel Packman (Northants Police RP)

Apologies: Neelam Aggarwal-Singh, Matthew Torresen, Rukhsana Bashir, Rufia Ashraf

Minutes – page 3 – Inspiration FM broadcasting for 20 years.

ACTION: Reschedule for Rukhsana Bashir to attend.

Matter arising:

AM: Supporting ANSS – ongoing progress.

Cllr Hill proposed for PW to be elected as Co-Chair. This was seconded and accepted.

RN was thanked for Chairmanship.

Could not attend. Will be rescheduled to attend for a later date.

DS and GH gave a presentation about the Northants Fire and Rescue Service and the Draft protection Plan. NFRS are contacting the communities and asking for feedback.

NFRS has become more proactive rather than responsive and educating people as to how to prevent fires. Fire calls have now reduced by 50%.

92% of people have a smoke detector. There is lots of collaboration with Police and Ambulance services and knowledge is being shared.

NFRS has to save £1.5 million. Consultation from Nov 9^th – December 21^st 2016.

Ring 999 for emergency calls. Ring 01604 797000 for Fire Safety Check.

ACTION: NM to send out presentation.

JH: The Fire Service was dominated by male and white people as the work force. Has this improved?

DS: Not massively. The number of recruits from the BME community is still quite low. There are more plans to recruit in regards to minority and gender. The Force wants to be more reflective of the community for which it serves.

JC: How are you dealing with making the Fire Service more transparent?

DS: The organisation is looking into this eg – procurement. Every service buys the same equipment. So will look into how much each section is paying to make it more cost efficient. The public can see this. This will make us more transparent.

The First Service has lost a third of its staff force. This has made a massive impact. Recognise we have to change the way we work. Have achieved a lot over the last 10 years.

AA: Somebody I know who is from the ethnic minority community found it very difficult to work for the Fire Service. Applied for full time and part time positions.

ACTION: DS to look into this. Would like to use this forum as a focus group.

RN: Are you directing the consultation to all groups?

JH: Can help with directing the Fire service to the right people.

AM: We can share the consultation through our networks.

DS: The consultation is open until 21 Dec and we are collating lots of responses. If something does not work it will go back to consultation.

KZ gave a presentation on the work that Voice does. Voice supports victims who have been impacted by crime, whether or not they choose to report the crime to the police. The support is free and confidential to anyone affected by crime in Northamptonshire.

ACTION: NM to send out presentation via email.

JR: Are there difference of understating of Domestic Abuse within different cultures?

KZ: There are different types of abuse – psychological, emotional and not always physical. Only 12% of rapes reported were “stranger rapes”. Research shows that 3 out of 4 rapes – the victim knew the person who raped them.

Everyone experiences crime differently. Committed to diversity, equality and inclusion.

LJ: There was work being done on mental health where videos were supposed to be created. Do you know the outcome of this project?

KZ: Not aware of this. Will look into this.

LJ: Is there special training given on Hate Crime to your team?

KZ: Yes volunteers are trained and CRB checked.

LJ: Is there any training given as to how people communicate with people with disability? Can you deal with issues based around transgender?

KZ: Yes

JC: How many staff do you have?

KZ: Approx 26 and the contract is until 2017.

Northampton Inter Faith Forum (NIFF) is working in partnership with Northamptonshire Rights and Equality Council (NREC) to deliver a Hate Crime project. LJ is leading on Faith and Disability Hate Crime.

In the process of setting up points of contacts in places of worship where reports are taken.

LJ sits on the strategic panel countywide and looks at how to make the service better.

NBC won an award for Hate Crime and NIFF was part of the Hate Crime Week where there were a series of coordinated events and 8 champions were recruited. These included two ladies who are taking reports on Sunday nights at the Langar Seva where there are homeless and vulnerable people. NIFF also hosted a cake and debate evening and discussed the issues around Hate Crime.  

Would like to use this Forum as a reporting centre where information can be captured to take to the Police or use part of the data collection to inform national bodies.

Victims tend to report and they can remain anonymous. Can also take 3^rd hand information. Idea is to get people to talk.

JR: People may look for Hate Crime where it is not intended.

LJ: Perhaps in some cases but not many. Some things are obvious Hate Crimes.

JC: This project has credibility if NREC and NIFF are doing this.  However can you do this?

LJ: I am using a programme called Ecins which is used for reporting anti-social behaviour.  Now used for Hate Crime. Also sits on strategic board. Can go to schools with this data and the Police. Can influence the action plan on the strategic board.

Going to access locations where there is public transport.

A discussion took place as to how to engage more people from the Eastern European communities. A number of communities are on the distribution list and trying to engage with representatives from the Supplementary Schools to attend.

ACTION: Forum members would like to be made aware of which organisation is attending beforehand. Questions can then be sent to the organisations before they attend the meeting and they can be better prepared to answer.

Diwali – delivered.

Hate Crime – delivered  Hate Crime Week

ESOL- on going work being done.

Hate Crime Survey – copies handed out.

1^st Dec- World Aids Day – civic ceremony 12pm, The Guildhall.

3^rd Dec – International Day for People with Disability.

26^th Jan – Holocaust Memorial Day – evening event.

27^th Jan – Civic ceremony for Holocaust Memorial Day.

Hate Crime Officer from Police to attend.

Reverse Commissioning representative to attend next meeting.

January 19^th 2017 6:30 – 8:30pm

January 19^th 6:30 -8:30pm. The Guildhall.