Building Partnership Working and Engaged Communities:
Respect Weeks of Action in Liverpool
Liverpool has piloted the ‘Respect weeks of action’ initiative in Tuebrook and Stoneycroft Ward, where crime and anti-social behaviour have been identified by the local community as a particular concern. The initiative required developing a programme of activities to reduce the levels of crime and anti-social behaviour. The initiative also seeks to further develop community engagement and partnership collaboration to sustain this.
What they did
A variety of initiatives were launched in the areas in order to support the process of reducing and preventing crime and anti-social behaviour. These included enforcement (targeting known offenders, locations and organisations), diversionary (supporting young people) advice (encouraging health, employment and enterprise agencies to set up programmes in the local community), education (supporting the local schools) and prevention (introducing a series of volunteer programmes and employment programmes) in an intensive period.
What it involved
Before the start of the project, a series of key officers scoped the needs of the community. This initiative was supported and implemented by a multi-agency group and linked with project leaders from other initiatives such as the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund to encourage as broad a series of programmes as possible. There are now discussions regarding the possibility of rolling out this model across other areas of Liverpool.
What impact it had
Analysis indicated that there was a substantial reduction in the PSA1 indicator in the area within the first month of the week of action. The morale of both staff who were employed on the initiative and the residents of Tuebrook and Stoneycroft had increased significantly.
Partners involved also experienced the opportunity to work together in close co-operation within one community to support both intervention and preventative techniques.
Lessons learned
- Ensure that you have the appropriate people around the table
– this will broaden not only the variety of services that the initiative can include but also ensure that there is a continuity of approach. - Conduct a scoping exercise before you begin the initiative
– this should also focus on reviewing the nature of service provisions in the area and identifying whether there are other initiatives taking place in the location being targeted. This knowledge can assist in building links between all key partners and reduce service provision.
