Health and care sector

The police share strong common interests with health and care services and this will not change once police and crime commissioners (PCCs) are in post.

PCCs and health services need to work together to tackle crime and violence, particularly, although not exclusively around issues of gangs and violence, domestic abuse, sexual assault, mental health and drugs and alcohol.

PCCs will have a wide remit focusing on cutting crime and improving community safety. They will want and need to work with a range of partners to achieve this, including health and care agencies.

Links between health and crime

The links between health and criminality are complex - for example, it is estimated that 90 per cent of offenders have mental health problems, and 44 per cent of violent crime is alcohol-related. But it is clear that in just these two areas, an incoming PCC may have an interest in working with health agencies to tackle crime and violence. Health and care agencies will want to think about how they work with their PCC in the future.

Health and wellbeing boards

Health and wellbeing boards will be vital partners for PCCs given the boards' leadership role in assessing local needs (via Joint Strategic Needs Assessments - JSNAs) and developing local strategies (Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategies - JHWSs) that inform the commissioning of local health and care services.

PCCs may wish to align needs and strategic priorities within the policing and crime plan with both JSNAs and JHWSs in their area. In order to prioritise this work, PCCs will receive a local community safety fund, which they may use to co-commission initiatives that tackle drugs and crime, reducing re-offending, and improving community safety.

Children's services

As well as cutting crime, PCCs are likely to want to focus on preventing crime and offending. As we know, early identification and interventions to address the health and care needs of vulnerable children and young people can reduce the likelihood of them offending. In some cases, intensive interventions are required for those at high risk of becoming involved in gangs and violence, or those with entrenched drug or alcohol addictions.

Children's services are key to this work, and agencies may want to think about how they will work with their PCC on issues around safeguarding and early intervention for example. PCCs must hold the chief constable to account in respect of safeguarding children and promoting their welfare.

Safeguarding adults

Police forces and local NHS organisations will be statutory partners in Safeguarding Adult Boards (SABs) under new proposals in the care and support white paper. SABs will be obliged to help and protect vulnerable adults in their community at a strategic level. They will report each year to the local policing body, as well as to the local authority and chair of Health and Wellbeing Board. PCCs will receive a copy of their report, and will be able to monitor the success of the force in contributing to reduced abuse of vulnerable adults.

A briefing has been published for PCC candidates on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults which has further details.