Merseyside's Police Commissioner has revised the Community Remedy scheme

MERSEYSIDE'S Police Commissioner has revised the Community Remedy scheme which sets out how perpetrators of anti social and nuisance crimes should be dealt with outside of Court. Jane Kennedy has published an updated Community Remedy document, which provides a list of appropriate actions that can be offered by the Police to victims of low level crime and anti social behaviour to select as punishment for the perpetrators, when Court proceeding would not be suitable. Publication of the revised document follows a 3 week consultation during which the Commissioner asked victims of crime, members of the public and community safety partners if the existing punishments on the list were still the most effective way of dealing with offenders. Those views were taken into consideration by the Commissioner and the Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Andy Cooke QPM, when informing the final list of actions now available as Community Remedies.

Jane said:- "I wanted to hear the views of people across Merseyside and those who work in our community safety and criminal justice system on how they think perpetrators of nuisances crimes should be dealt with outside of Court. Overall, the message came back that the existing punishments for offenders offered through the Community Remedy scheme still largely fit the bill, but respondents did feel that rather than providing a written or verbal apology for their behaviour, offenders should be asked to make practical amends through constructive work to help the community. This is a view I support and I was happy to amend the Community Remedy scheme to incorporate this as a potential punishment that victims of low level crimes can select in the future. Community remedies are designed to reduce reoffending by encouraging offenders to face up to the consequences of their anti-social or criminal behaviour, to take responsibility for their actions and to appreciate the suffering they may have caused. Through this consultation and review of the Community Remedy scheme I was keen to ensure the options offered in Merseyside reflected the views of the community. I'd like to thank everyone who took part in this review and I hope they will be pleased to see this document amended to reflect their views."

Community remedies only take place in circumstances where victims are happy to be involved and in certain types of cases, such as those committed by 1st time offenders who have shown genuine remorse or where an out of Court disposal would be more appropriate than formal Court proceedings. All the actions in the Community Remedy list are designed to be appropriate and proportionate to the types of offences that are committed. Depending on the crime or incident that has occurred, a Police Officer will make the final decision if a community remedy is suitable. They will discuss this with the victim and the perpetrator to make sure they both agree with the approach before using the community remedy list with the victim to determine the best action to take. Alternative punishments include taking part in mediation, the perpetrator signing an Acceptable Behaviour Contract in which they agree not to carry on their behaviour or face more severe consequences and educational or rehabilitative activities. Victims may also chose Restorative Justice, which would enable them to meet the offender to ask them to explain their actions, talk to them about the impact of their crime and ask for answers. If the offender fails to comply with the action chosen they can face Court action for their behaviour.  The Community Remedy list was introduced by the Home Office in 2014 as part of a range of measures to tackle anti social behaviour through the:- 'Anti Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.'

HIGHLIGHTING the positive impact apprentices have on its workforce, North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has been supporting National Apprenticeship Week and held a special event to celebrate learners who have completed their apprenticeships. National Apprenticeship Week is an annual wee long celebration of apprenticeships across England which took place from 3 February to 7 February 2020 and was a time to recognise and applaud apprenticeship success stories across the country. Since becoming an employer provider in May 2017, meaning the Trust can deliver apprenticeships directly to its staff, over 400 apprentices have been recruited by NWAS with 139 having now successfully completed. Throughout the week, NWAS used social media to promote the work of its apprentices highlighting the variety of roles they undertake. This included a live Facebook session with Emergency Medical Technician Paul Halsey who answered questions from viewers and spoke about his career journey with the Ambulance Service. A celebratory event was held on Thursday, 6 January 220, at Bolton Whites Hotel, where Emergency Medical Technicians who have recently completed their Level 2 Associate Ambulance Practitioner apprenticeship were presented with their certificate of qualification by Deputy Chief Executive, Michael Forrest. As part of the event, Ben Davies from Chimp Management delivered a key note speech to attendees focusing on psychological well being helping staff get the best out of themselves and others. Deputy Chief Executive Michael Forrest said:- "I am extremely proud of each and every one of our apprentices. Not only have they thoroughly engaged with their learning but the care, compassion and commitment they have demonstrated is second to none. We have apprentices in a variety of different operational and support roles across the Trust with learners of all ages and backgrounds. Our Education and Learning Team supports apprentices every step of the way and helps them to be the best they can be."

Receiving a 'good' rating following a recent OFSTED inspection, NWAS became the 1st Ambulance Service in the country to recruit Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) apprentices when it welcomed the 1st 7 learners to this course in November 2019. Having since recruited a further 33 learners to this role who are due to start in the coming weeks, the apprentices will receive a nationally recognised apprenticeship standard in emergency contact handling and are all guaranteed a job upon successful completion. Speaking of his role, EMD Apprentice Sean O'Malley said:- "The thing I love the most about my job is being a part of the NWAS family, but also having a part to play in saving lives."

Within its corporate services, NWAS has apprentice positions in its ICT, communications, finance, learning and development, and workforce development teams with learning undertaken by external providers. All vacancies are advertised on the Trust's website.