Partnership Working
Introduction
Part One of this guide looked at the key legislation that shapes how you work. This part looks in more detail at partnership working and how this is structured in your area. In particular we will look at:
- Background and benefits of partnership working
- The role of Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships
- Agencies involved in partnerships and what they can contribute
- Local Strategic Partnerships and Local Area Agreements
- Government Offices for the Regions and the Home Office
- Tips for effective partnership working.
Background and Benefits of Partnership Working
Background
The principle of partnership working has a long history in crime prevention and community safety in the United Kingdom. A key document setting this out was the report ‘Safer Communities: the local delivery of crime prevention through the partnership approach’, usually named the Morgan Report after its author.
One of the key findings of the Morgan Report was that ‘…Community Safety should be developed along multi-agency partnership lines...’ and went a step further by saying that this required the local authority and the police to play key roles in this process under a ‘statutory obligation’.1 The partnership approach has been used locally by agencies involved in community safety for many years, but it was not until the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, that it became compulsory, in the form of Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships.
Benefits of Partnership Working
- There are a number of benefits to working in partnerships.
- A more holistic approach can be taken to community safety that looks at longer term causes and remedies rather than just quick fixes.
- Partners can share good practice and learn from each other.
- Agencies bring different kinds of expertise to the partnership, which makes for more versatile problem solving.
- Because partners meet more regularly and share objectives, responses to problems are speedier.
- There is more accountability amongst partners.
- There is less duplication of effort because partners talk to each other and work together.
- Because partnerships create and implement shared strategies there is more focus on objectives.
- Extra resources can be brought to bear on problems.
1Morgan, J ‘Safer Communities: the local delivery of crime prevention through the partnership approach’ London: Home Office
Standing Conference on Crime Prevention (1991)
