WLGA

 

Interim Head of the Safer Communities Network

Offered as a secondment opportunity for up to 12 months. 

 

Closing Date: 09:00 - Monday 26th September 2022          

Interview Date: Monday 3rd October 2022


The successful candidate will lead the Safer Communities Network team, made up of a Business & Network Development Manager, Communications & Events Manager and Business Support Officer. The post is hosted and managed by the WLGA on behalf of lead partners of Local Government and Policing in Wales and working in collaboration with other key partners in achieving safer communities. 

We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic leader or community safety practitioner who is looking for a new challenge and is excited at the opportunity to drive Community Safety forward at the national level, working with and influencing Community Safety Partnerships and partner agencies to continually improve make improvements and increase collaboration in achieving better outcomes for communities across Wales.


Grade/Salary: Grade 7 SCP 50 – 52 (£52,506 to £60,397)

Politically Restricted:  Yes.

Welsh Language essential: No. The ability to speak and write Welsh fluently is desirable for this role.


History

Community Safety Partnerships, each to be led jointly by the Local Authority and the Local Police and involving partner agencies and the local community, were established as a statutory requirement by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and have a positive history of problem solving and early intervention to prevent harm and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. 

During the past decade, when resources were cut drastically for Councils and the Police, much of the work of Community Safety Partnerships was weakened, leading to a Ministerial initiative by Welsh Government to refresh Community Safety in Wales, following which the WLGA and Policing in Wales – representing the lead local partners – established the Safer Communities Board for Wales and invited other relevant partners to join the Board.  The key development has been the work to develop a Safer Communities Network for Wales. 

The Head of Service has been prevented from continuing in the role through personal circumstances but leaves behind a successful and well-motivated team, a Board of committed partners and a Network for Wales that is on the verge of a national launch. That is why we are looking for a highly motivated leader to seize the moment and continue the development of the Network while preparing the ground for us to make a permanent appointment.

Financial support to establish the Network has been provided by Welsh Government, as well as the two lead partners (Policing in Wales and the WLGA) while enthusiasm has been shown by the other key partners and by community safety practitioners in both Local Government and Policing. 

Remarkable progress has been made in developing the Network and in providing strategic leadership across Wales and we are now seeking an inspirational interim team leader to maintain and continue this ground-breaking initiative in the immediate future.


Information about the Safer Communities Board for Wales

This post will primarily support and take forward the work of the Safer Communities Board, supporting and enabling the Board to provide leadership, oversight and direction to community safety work across Wales.  The Board has been established by local government and policing in Wales, involving other partners, with the aim of providing effective shared leadership to support local partnership working to support safe, strong and more confident communities.

The Board will provide shared national leadership in tackling and addressing community safety issues, including identifying new and emerging shared priorities for cation and ensuring a supportive policy, practice and partnership infrastructure is in place to enable successful delivery, locally and regionally as most appropriate.  It will also promote joined-up approach nationally and locally to related initiatives and projects such as the Violence Prevention Unit, the ACEs Hub and Early Action Together to highlight the importance of prevention and early intervention approaches and ensuring they are embedded in practice locally, regionally and nationally in Wales.


About Policing in Wales

Policing in Wales – the four Police & Crime Commissioners and the four Chief Commissioners who work as a team – have joined with Local Government to provide leadership with other partners to revive and promote Community Safety in Wales. They are committed to a key founding principle of policing - when Sir Robert Peel established the Police Service in London, he stressed that “the first responsibility of the Police is to prevent crime” and this has been the core principle pursued by Policing in Wales, working in partnership with Local Government, Welsh Government and other partners including the Fire Service and local communities and voluntary organisations.  Community Safety Partnerships were put in place by the Crime & Disorder Act 1998 which identified the Local Police and the Local Authority as the key partners in making Community Safety a reality based on a careful analysis of local issues and a targeted approach to preventing and reducing crime and harm.


For an initial discussion about the role and the organisation, please contact Naomi Alleyne, Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Social Services and Housing on 07770958639.

To apply, please submit your CV including references and a covering letter to support your application by the closing date of 09:00 Monday 26th September 2022.


 

https://wlga.gov.uk/interim-head-of-the-safer-communities-network