The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners

APCC FINDINGS REPORT: Deep dive on partnerships in Wales

07 Mar 2025

Building resources and capabilities

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Overview

This report, published by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) on February 18, 2025, provides an in-depth examination of local partnership systems in Wales. It explores the experiences of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and their offices in convening and managing multi-agency partnerships, highlighting best practices and areas for improvement.

Key themes

Role of PCCs/OPCCs in Welsh Partnerships

  • PCCs and their offices play a leading role in facilitating partnerships between policing and devolved agencies, bridging the gap between UK and Welsh government functions.
  • There is a call for formalizing the PCC role in partnership governance through statutory powers.

Challenges in Welsh Partnership Systems

  • Complex and fragmented landscape: Wales has numerous overlapping partnerships, including 13 Public Service Boards (PSBs), 7 Regional Partnership Boards (RPBs), 19 Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs), and various national boards.
  • Inconsistent engagement from health partners: Health agencies play a critical role but are not always fully engaged in multi-agency work.
  • Limited oversight and governance: Some partnerships lack clear leadership and accountability, leading to inefficiencies.
  • Data sharing barriers: Concerns over GDPR compliance and lack of standardized data-sharing protocols hinder collaboration.

Strategic recommendations

The APCC report outlines key actions to improve partnership efficiency:

  • Establish stronger statutory leadership for PCCs in coordinating partnerships.
  • Improve engagement with health partners to ensure integration with crime prevention efforts.
  • Strengthen performance monitoring and introduce standardized performance frameworks.
  • Enhance data sharing by building a more confident and open data culture.
  • Streamline the governance of CSPs to ensure their relevance and effectiveness.
  • Encourage joint funding and commissioning models to support prevention and early intervention.

Future outlook

  • 45 percent of stakeholders surveyed feel optimistic about the future of partnerships in Wales.
  • There is strong support for regional coordination and the consolidation of partnership structures to reduce duplication and enhance strategic oversight.