Community Engagement Strategy 2010 2011
Executive summary

The Eastern Area Community Engagement (CE) strategy identifies a minimum set of actions which each the Area collectively, will undertake in the field of community engagement.

The CPS recognises that an effective prosecution service is one which commands the trust and confidence of all communities it serves. It is similarly acknowledged, that one of the key ways of gaining and ensuring such trust and confidence is through cost-effective and targeted community engagement.

The main impetus and drivers for effective CPS engagement with communities are as follows:

Core Quality Standards - In particular, CQS 12 which states:

We will engage with communities so that we are aware of their concerns when we make decisions.

CPS Engagement Strategy - this key policy document states:

Community engagement is about building relationships with the communities we serve, as well as tapping into their experiences to improve our performance on prosecutions.

Engagement must be genuinely integrated within CPS business to ensure that policies we develop and implement are fit for purpose in a diverse society.

Equality Duties - The CPS also has a legal obligation to promote equality and good relations on the basis of race, disability, gender, age, religion and sexual orientation through the delivery of their respective services and to ensure that their services are indeed inclusive of all groups and sections of the wider community.

CPS Community Engagement Validation Measures - which establishes a new CPS framework for assessing Area  performance on community engagement.

Each of the above confirm and support the strategic importance which the CPS nationally, and which the Eastern Area regionally, attaches to making community engagement a fundamental part of our business.

Our approach to delivering community engagement is SMART specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed. Our engagement activities are therefore more focused and targeted, and recorded accurately and followed through with appropriate action.

To this end, we have structured an action plan, which gives us a more focussed strategic approach. Activities on this plan include:

 Continuing to develop the work of Area HCSP/VAW panels and the Area CIP
 Implementing the recommendations arising from the review undertaken of the Area CIP and concluding the review of HCSP/VAW panels
 Ensuring all CE work is properly recorded and followed through
 Undertaking more systematic and strategic information gathering at local level using external agencies such as LCJBs, police, local authorities etc
 Holding CE briefing sessions with staff
 Adding CE objectives to staff PDRs where appropriate

These actions are ongoing and will be reviewed accordingly.

For more information please contact Equality and Diversity Manager Derek Burnett on 01245 455852.

Home » Community Involvement Panels

Community Involvement Panels

CPS Community Involvement Panels (CIPs) were conceived as a means of providing a permanent, structured platform for the CPS to conduct community engagement work.

Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Paula Abrahams explains the work of the CPS Eastern Area Community Involvement Panel:

Text transcript of the video

The CPS recognised that by opening up its service to wider and diverse communities, and through working in partnership with such communities, the CPS would inspire greater trust and confidence amongst those it seeks to serve. This in turn, it is felt, would help to improve CPS effectiveness in bringing successful prosecutions and in addressing community concerns.

Community representatives on CIPs include both community stakeholders who could bring a specific equalities perspective including, for example, from black and minority ethnic (BME), faith, disability and lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) communities, womens groups, youth and older peoples interest groups, etc as well as community representatives whose interests might include a wider focus on crime prevention, support for victims of crime and community safety.

It was recommended that CIPs meet at least three or four times per year to:

  • Consult on key CPS National, Group and Area issues including participating in the Group/Area Business Planning process
  • Listen and respond to community stakeholder concerns
  • Hold the CPS to account on performance

The aim being that as a result this would facilitate more community informed and community influenced policy making at local and regional levels on the part of the CPS.

The Eastern Area CIP covers Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.

The purpose of the panel is to seek the input of community representatives at a strategic level and to ensure our policies and operations are genuinely community informed.

In particular, we want to consult with our communities on:

  • Area strategy and planning
  • Area business planning and service delivery
  • Victim and witness issues
  • Local implementation of equality and diversity strategies
  • High level performance outcomes

The panel is chaired by Deputy CCP Paula Abrahams and community representatives who all volunteer and give their time and commitment freely.

A review of the CIP has recently been undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of the panel and as a result a number of recommendations were made which include:

  • Strengthening the number and representation of community stakeholder members who sit on the Panel.
  • The creation of greater opportunities for community representatives to share with the Panel the work, issues and concerns of their organisation as well as reporting back on who/how they have briefed their respective organisations/communities on items raised or arising from Panel meetings.
  • Opportunities should be created for CIP members to attend CPS Strategy Board and Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel meetings to witness and input on policy development within the CPS Eastern Area.
  • Opportunities should be explored for making more use of the experience and expertise of CIP members in gauging the understanding of CPS policy and operations from a community perspective E.g. invitations could be extended to CIP members to talk to staff forums, and to represent the CPS at appropriate external events.

All recommendations have been accepted and will be taken forward.