Community Based Hate Crime
Support Service
Bristol Hate Crime Services (BCHS)
Author: Mark Parry Crime Reduction Project Officer
Officer Reporting: Peter Anderson, Crime and Substance Misuse Services, Service Manager
Date: 3rd June 2013
1. Background
Hate crime is a key priority for Safer Bristol. It is governed through the multi-agency partnership known as SPAHC (Strategic Partnership Against Hate Crime). Avon and Somerset Police chair this group. Membership includes BCC (Safer Bristol, Estate Management, Children and Young People Services), provider representation and Victim Support.
Partnership activities that are delivered to help support victims of hate crime and improve community confidence include the city’s Tension Monitoring Group, Hate Crime Case Review Panels and three voluntary sector providers, delivering hate crime community-based support services addressing race hate, disablist and homophobic incidents and crimes.
SPAHC agreed to form a Hate Crime Joint Commissioning Group (HCJCG) to review the current support services, with the intention to develop a new service specification and outcomes that are fit for purpose for 2013.
The HCJCG followed a competitive grants process in early 2013 and awarded the new contract for a city-wide Hate Crime Community-Based Support service for all incidents of hate crime. This new service will commence in June 2013.
The following sections provide further details:
1. What is Hate Crime?
A Hate Crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by hostility towards someone based on their disability, race, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation. Hate Crimes are taken to mean any crime where the perpetrator's hostility or prejudice against an identifiable group of people is a factor in determining who is victimised. This is a broad and inclusive definition.
2. Current Picture of Hate Crime in Bristol
A Hate Crime Needs Assessment was produced in August 2011. The key findings were:
· There were 1,782 Hate Crimes reported to partner agencies[1] in Bristol in 2011/12, a 12% reduction on 2010/11 figures.
· Just over 50% of Hate Crime reported to Avon and Somerset Police in 2011/12 occurred in Bristol.
· Race Hate Crime has the highest levels of reporting at 78%, followed by homophobic reporting at 14% and disablist reporting at 4%.
· It is acknowledged that certain Hate Crimes are under-reported. These are Disabled people, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) people, and certain Black and Minority Ethnic groups with language barriers e.g. Roma and Somali communities.
3. Current Hate Crime Support Services in Bristol
There are currently three providers offering support services to victims of Hate Crime in Bristol.
These are:
· Support Against Racism Incidents (SARI) supports Hate Crime victims persecuted for their perceived race, religion or belief
· West of England Coalition for Independent Living (WECIL) runs the Disablist Incidents and Crime Education Project (DICE) supporting disabled people.
· Educational Action Challenging Homophobia (EACH) supports victims of homophobic and transphobic Hate Crime incidents.
4. Governance: Purchasing Hate Crime Support Services
It was the intention of Strategic Partners Against Hate Crime (SPAHC) 2011 to commission a community-based Hate Crime Support Service, for all victims of Hate Crime across the city, but mainly the three key protected characteristic strands of Race, Disabled and LGBT people. The aim was to develop a single point of access service, to standardise case management and achieve value for money services delivered across all strands of hate crime.
Safer Bristol developed and supported the Hate Crime Joint Commissioning Group (HCJCG) which led on the competitive grants process for the award of a new community-based hate crime support service for Bristol.
The following timeline highlights the key activities:
· May 2009: Safer Bristol Hate Crime Needs Assessment initially published (refreshed August 2011).
· May 2011: Two Stakeholder and Interested Partners days held - to fact find and feed Hate Crime information into the Hate Crime Needs Assessment.
· 22nd November 2011: Hate Crime Joint Commissioning Group (HCJCG) formed to lead on the development of the draft Hate Crime Commissioning Plan. HCJCG Terms of Reference developed and agreed.
· December 2011- January 2012: HCJCG discussed and developed a set of draft outcomes.
· 12th December 2011: Safer Bristol started to develop the Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA)
· January 2012: Current Hate Crime Providers (EACH, SARI, WECIL) contracts extended from 1st April 2012 to 31st March 2013.
· January - March 2012: Published an online survey consulting on the proposed set of draft Hate Crime outcomes.
· March 2012: HCJCG continue to develop the Outcomes Framework and the draft Hate Crime Commissioning Plan.
· March - May 2012: Draft Hate Crime Commissioning Plan developed.
· 6th May 2012: Providers Day information session held – potential providers were invited to a briefing session based on the content of the Draft Hate Crime Commissioning Plan and information regarding Proactis.
· July - October 2012: Hate Crime consultation - The Draft Hate Crime Commissioning Plan was published online and various methods of notification were sent out inviting comment on the contents of the plan.
· July - October 2012: EqIA published for consultation.
· August - September 2012: Five consultation events were hosted by Safer Bristol where people / organisations were invited to share views on the contents of the Draft Hate Crime Commissioning Plan.
· December 2012 – Preferred option of the competitive grants process rather than using the commissioning cycle. Agreed by Rick Palmer Strategic Director Neighbourhoods and City development.
· December 2012 - January 2013: EqIA finalised after external and internal consultation and re-published.
· January 2013: Contracts with existing providers were extended from 1 April 2013 to 31 May 2013.
· 15th January 2013: Hate Crime consultation feedback event held – organisations / people were invited to attend an open session providing feedback on views collated via the consultation. Key decisions were communicated including the decision to use a competitive grants process and a revised timeline (go live from April 2013 moved to June 2013) was presented.
· January 2013: Grant Application forms and parts A, B and C were developed and uploaded to the Proactis system 18th Jan 2013. Closing date of 12:00 noon Monday 18th March 2013 was published.
· 18th March 2013 –15th April 2013: Applications evaluated, eligibility assessed, Part A and Part C financial assessments complete.
· 16th April 2013: Interview/presentations of potential Hate Crime service provider (if required)
· 29th April 2013-10th May 2013: Hate Crime applicants informed of panels recommendation.
· 13th May 2013 – 31st May 2013: Negotiation of Hate Crime Grant Funding Agreement(s)
· 3rd June 2013: Hate Crime Grant Funding Agreement(s) commences for successful applicant(s) to deliver the new Hate Crime Support service.
5. The value of the grant for the service and contributors to the funding
The panel decided to award the grant funding to the collaborative application lead by SARI. The other members of the collaboration are Brandon Trust, Bristol Mind and Bristol LGBT Forum. Both the successful and the unsuccessful providers have been notified in writing of the decision of the scoring panel. The unsuccessful applicants have been informed as to why they were unsuccessful in the process. Safer Bristol will wait until 7th May 2013 to allow the unsuccessful providers to raise questions as to why they were unsuccessful.
Total Grant available is £600,960 (£200,320 per year for three years 3rd June 2013 to 31st May 2016)
All of the funding for the new Hate Crime Support Service is revenue funding from BCC current budgets. The contributing departments of BCC are Safer Bristol, the Community Investment Team and the Estate Management service.
6. Next stage of the new Community Based Hate Crime Support Service
The Bristol Hate Crime Services starts on 3rd June 2013 with an official launch of the new service set to be this autumn once the reporting processes, publicity and new website are fully developed.
Safer Bristol is currently negotiating with SARI as the lead partner within the partnership agreement to finalise the performance management agreement and the hate crime services project implementation plan.
Safer Bristol is currently drawing up the funding agreement for the four providers that make up the new Bristol Hate Crime Services.
Successful decommissioning of EACH and WECIL regarding closure of the current funded services and transfer of current clients and case files where relevant to new hate crime service providers Bristol Hate Crime Services.
For advice, further information or to make a referral call Bristol Hate Crime Services on: 0800 171 2272 (free phone number).
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[1] DICE, EACH, BCC CYPS, BCC Equalities, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and
SARI