The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners

APCC FINDINGS REPORT: Towards better local partnerships systems in England and 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, examines the views and experiences of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and their offices regarding local partnership systems in England and Wales. It explores their effectiveness, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.

Key themes

Importance of Partnerships

  • 97 percent of survey respondents agreed that multi-agency partnerships are crucial for delivering PCC priorities.
  • PCCs and their offices play a vital convening role, leading and supporting collaboration among law enforcement, local authorities, health agencies, and community groups.

Challenges in Local Partnership Systems

  • Complex and cluttered landscape: Some PCCs engage in over 80 partnerships, leading to inefficiencies.
  • Bandwidth and capacity issues: Many partners struggle to attend and contribute meaningfully to multiple partnerships.
  • Duplication of efforts: Similar discussions occur in different meetings, making some partnerships redundant.
  • Data sharing barriers: Many agencies lack confidence in sharing data due to GDPR concerns and lack of clarity in legal frameworks.

Strategic Recommendations

The APCC provides ten key recommendations to improve local partnerships:

  • Prioritise existing partnerships rather than creating new ones.
  • Encourage joint strategies instead of duplicating efforts across organizations.
  • Improve resource allocation and funding support for partnerships.
  • Introduce a statutory duty for PCCs to oversee local partnership systems.
  • Audit the cost-effectiveness of partnerships.
  • Enhance data sharing and transparency among agencies.
  • Support leadership training for effective partnership coordination.
  • Review and reform ineffective partnerships.
  • Place PCC-led Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJBs) on a statutory footing.
  • Conduct a national review of partnership structures to inform future policy changes.

Deep Dive on Partnerships in Wales

  • Unique governance challenges due to devolution.
  • Need for clearer strategic oversight and coordination among Welsh PCCs, local government, and health authorities.
  • Recommendations for stronger leadership roles for PCCs in Wales.

The APCC calls for a more efficient, well-coordinated approach to partnerships, emphasizing better data sharing, resource management, and statutory backing for PCC-led collaborations. The report highlights both current best practices and areas needing improvement to enhance crime prevention, community safety, and public service effectiveness.