Community Planning and Multi-Agency Working Norman Bonney, Public Policy, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen

Community Planning and Multi-Agency Working Intra- agency coordination hard enough Departmentalism and silo thinking Problems of getting departments working together Operational versus support departments Inter-agency coordination even more difficult London Resilience – 50 agencies

Community Planning and Multi-Agency Working Role of top managers – achieving greater organisational coherence and internal joint working Creating and exploiting new internal links and partnerships to create greater value Creating and exploiting new external links and partnerships to create greater value

Community Planning and Multi-Agency Working Scottish Police Services One agency or nine? Nominal operational independence of each force but pressures for centralisation from UK security and terrorism concerns From Scottish Executive and Plmt From HMIC responsive to Executive From senior officers’ career interests

Community Planning and Inter-agency Working Community Planning versus emergency planning 2 policing priorities; 2 polar opposites One instant, urgent, calamitous, specific actions, clear outcomes, many agencies working together, effective planning One lethargic, drawn out, routine, visionary, experimental, difficult to judge outcomes or success, debatable philosophy, some gains

23/2/07 The Virgin Cumbria Train Crash Many agencies – drawn from across UK British Transport Police, Cumbria Police Fire and Rescue and Ambulance services NHS hospitals Air Force helicopters - lights Rail operator – information, passenger and victim support, equipment maintenance records

Community Planning and Multi-Agency Working Local helpers Local authority educ and social services Network Rail – managers and engineers Railway Inspectorate Rail Accident Investigation Branch Police scene of crime investigators Media; BT Police and Ambulance conference at /02/07

Community Planning and Multi- Agency Working Large number of organisations Well organised planning and training Organisations quickly into emergency mode Public information important Agencies know their respective roles Sequence of shifting leadership roles Fire and Rescue, Ambulance, Investigation, inquiry, restoration of site, reports, accountabilities

Community Planning and Inter-agency working Community planning How does it compare? What is it? Attempt to counter the fragmentation of government and produce effective inter- agency working and public involvement in order to cope with challenging problems of social and economic change in an effective coherent way. (NB)

Community Planning and Inter-agency Working Fragmentation of government local govt’s but still But still regional police, health and enterprise boards and independent colleges and universities How to get these to work together effectively? Community plans – with private sector?

Community Planning and Inter-agency working Pathfinders 1998, Key flagship policy since 1999 SP elections Tardy and erratic progress Nebulous idea, partners reluctant Police very much in the lead in implementation. Eg CP working parties, eg Edinburgh police reorganisations Police command culture responsive to ministers, better resourced and more community oriented?

Community Planning and Inter-Agency Working Local authority lead role But not all cllrs convinced Key ideas of CP not thoroughly thought through Is private sector involved or not? Is it just public sector agencies? How should public participation be organised?

Community Planning and Multi-Agency Working Participatory schemes separate from elective ones. Does participation make a difference? Overarching visions flawed Glasgow abandons the Alliance approach and now goes for independent agency Inherent flaws; Does community planning require specialised staffs or should existing agency staffs just coordinate?

Community Planning and Inter-agency Working Health orgns less responsive – troubled by their constant reorganisation Regional bodies - Health, police, enterprise have to cope with several LG’s LG depts have much the same problems CP meant to be overarching – to bring together the work of agencies in a coherent way – but just another layer of planning?

Community Planning and Inter-agency Working Each dept eg transport, town planning, housing, has its plans, consultations and participation (to which police feed in) On top of this required to relate this to CP Intra-agency coordination a problem for Las and other agencies?

Community Planning and Inter-agency Working Some positives Does promote improved contact between agencies Sparks of useful links and connections Promotes a general culture of cooperation Provides avenue of participation for some citizens

Community Planning and Inter-agency working Tendency to secrecy and consensus Difficulties of measuring success or outcomes CP just badges work of other units? Life goes on independently of CP The way forward: Back to the regions – which is, of course, the way the police are still organised.