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5 COMMUNITY SAFETY
Introduction
5.1 This section covers the public authorities in this portfolio that between them have strategic roles in delivering access to justice in Scotland. These authorities include the Fire and Rescue Boards and Services, and the Joint Police Boards and Forces as well as a number of Scottish Government agencies including the Scottish Court Service, the Scottish Prison Service, the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
5.2 Most of these bodies have responsibilities not only in relation to community safety but also to access to justice, hate crime, and victim support, therefore reference should be made to these sections, particularly with regard to progress being made towards disability equality.
Background: wider policy context and evidence
Wider policy context
5.3 Community safety can take a variety of forms including protecting individuals from harm, in the form of violence, abuse, fire or crime; making communities safer; addressing perceptions of crime and safety; and road safety. For the purposes of this report, only community safety issues relating to the core functions of the public authorities within the justice portfolio have been considered.
5.4 There are a range of laws relating to crime and safety including the Anti-Social Behaviour (Scotland) Act 2004 and various Criminal Justice Acts. There are also laws relating specifically to protecting disabled people from abuse such as the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007, which makes provision for the Scottish Ministers to hold a list of people who are deemed unsuitable to work with vulnerable adults. The Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 makes provision to protect adults from harm, building on and extending the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2001. The Scottish Government has also introduced the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill which makes provisions relating to sexual offences with regard to people who are mentally disordered.
5.5 The Fire and Rescue Service plays an important role in promoting community safety. This role was acknowledged through the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 which created a change in focus for fire services. The focus now includes preventing fire and dealing with other rescue situations rather than just dealing with fire.
5.6 The Chief Officers of the Fire and Rescue Services were required to produce Disability Equality Schemes and Action Plans, but are not required to produce Disability Equality Duty Annual Reports until December 2008. On this basis progress towards disability equality in this area cannot be measured although comment can be provided in relation to the processes.
Research and statistical evidence
5.7 As with other focus areas within the justice portfolio there are few data relating to community safety and disabled people. Some of the data highlighted above in relation to access to justice and to victim support is also relevant to areas of community safety, such as the Citizenship Survey data relating to fear of crime.
5.8 Similarly the Social Focus on Disability Report (Scottish Executive 2004d) notes that 36 per cent of disabled/long-term ill adults considered their neighbourhood to be 'very unsafe' or 'a bit unsafe' for walking alone in the neighbourhood after dark. This compares with twenty one per cent of adults without a disability or long-term illness. Disabled adults are more worried about being the victim of a crime than those without a disability. For example, twenty two per cent of adults without a disability are very or fairly worried about being mugged and robbed, but this rises to 30 per cent for adults with a disability.
5.9 In relation to fire safety, there are a number of policy documents including Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate for Scotland ( HMFIS) guidance relating to equality issues, including disability equality in Fairness and Equality: Guidance Framework for Fire Services in Scotland and Diversity_II ( HMFIS, 2003 and HMFIS, 2005a). HMFIS has also conducted the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Cultural Audit Survey ( HMFIS, 2005b) which provides data on the attitudes of fire and rescue staff, including fire fighters, towards disabled people, particularly with regard to working with them and making adjustments for them within the fire and rescue service.
5.10 The HMFIS annual report 2006/7 ( HMFIS, 2007) also provides statistics in relation to diversity monitoring of employment across the fire and rescue services, however, this refers to ethnicity and gender, but does not provide data relating to disability. The report makes mention of community safety in relation to reducing false alarms, raising awareness and reducing anti-social behaviour, however no specific mention is made in relation to disabled people.
5.11 The specific service inspection reports of HMFIS also discuss disability issues (these can be accessed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/Fire/15130/1027)
Reporting on progress towards equality of opportunity
Introduction
5.12 The policy sections above highlight that data relating to disabled people and community safety is sparse.
5.13 The next section draws from the schemes, action plans and annual reports of public authorities listed in 5.1. It aims to identify areas of progress as well as areas still requiring attention. In addition, it draws from the Scottish Government's own scheme, particularly the work of the Justice Directorate which covers the focus areas in this part of the report.
Areas where progress is evident
5.14 Relevant progress is also contained in the access to justice, hate crime and victim support sections above, particularly relating to the public authorities with responsibilities across the justice portfolio. Progress relating specifically to community safety was found to be evident in relation to:
- Accessibility
- Training
- Communication and Marketing
- Employment and procurement
- Mainstreaming
Accessibility
5.15 The Scottish Government has undertaken work to prevent people who are deaf or hard of hearing from being injured or killed by fire through funding provision of smoke alarms, distributed through the fire and rescue services in conjunction with local authorities and other local agencies. A number of fire and rescue services also highlighted using home safety visits to identify if further home safety equipment or adaptations were needed in addition to a standard smoke detector.
5.16 As noted in the access to justice section, many of the bodies related to this area have conducted access audits or taken other action in relation to accessibility of premises. The fire and rescue services which are considered only within this focus area have also taken such action, for example, inviting disability groups to conduct access audits of premises or auditing current fire safety emergency egress measures for disabled employees and members of the public.
Training
5.17 Many of the public authorities highlighted provision of training for employees in relation to equality or specific disability awareness raising, as well as in relation to communication skills and tools for disabled people.
Communication and marketing
5.18 Many of the public authorities specifically within this focus area noted developing the accessibility of their website to meet standards for access such as W3C (World Wide Web Consortium), for example the Scottish Government is developing the accessibility of the Scottish Fire Services College website. One public authority has developed a read speaker facility enabling users to select specific pieces of text or full pages and have them read aloud.
5.19 Similar to the activities described in access to justice, many fire services were also promoting the use of SMS text messaging of emergency and non-emergency calls . In particular, one fire and rescue service highlighted their participation in Asthma Support In Rural Scotland ( ASIRUS), which is a scheme originally set up for people with asthma who may struggle to communicate in an emergency situation, but has now been extended to other medical conditions. Each registered person is given a unique Grid Reference Identification Point ( GRIP) which allows their address to be identified accurately. A number of fire and rescue services noted control room registration of residences with oxygen cylinders, asthmatic occupants, dialysis equipment and care homes, sheltered housing complexes and other homes where there is an occupant with a specific need, in order to inform crews attending incidents at the address.
5.20 Many of the public authorities highlighted activities to ensure clear communication relating to community safety, for example, home fire safety awareness visits to disabled people such as deaf people, people with visual impairments, mental health, learning difficulties and addiction needs. They had also produced leaflets in appropriate formats such as "Photosymbol" and had changed scripts used in schools to highlight fire safety issues for disabled children as well as encouraging them to consider employment opportunities in the fire and rescue service.
5.21 Many of the public authorities referring to such communication developments also noted provision of training relating to the use of communication tools such as British Sign Language. Many also provided disability groups with community safety advice through community safety partnerships or voluntary organisations.
5.22 Both the police forces and fire and rescue services noted sharing information on vulnerable and disabled members of the community who might be identified during routine procedures such as fire safety checks. They also used community information to decide where to focus high visibility policing in order to reinforce feelings of safety particularly in relation to vulnerable communities. One fire and rescue service highlighted a partnership arrangement between a housing association, the local authority and the fire and rescue service. Council and housing association staff were provided with basic home fire safety knowledge and they helped police and fire services identify vulnerable people, including disabled people.
5.23 The benefits of such approaches were highlighted by a number of police and fire and rescue services. Prior knowledge of the location of vulnerable and disabled people was likely to be very helpful in ensuring that appropriate equipment, expertise and advice was made available in advance of a major incident.
Employment & procurement
5.24 A number of public authorities noted actions relating to disability equality in employment and procurement. Many also noted that some employees might not identify as disabled or be aware that they were covered by the Disability Discrimination Act; therefore awareness-raising with employees in relation to this issue was important. Some public authorities also highlighted having harassment contact officers to support employees in a confidential manner, for instance, in relation to bullying and harassment.
5.25 Many of the public authorities also highlighted the need for staff to have an understanding of, and an ability to empathise and communicate with all disabled people within local communities
5.26 Procurement was highlighted as an issue by some specific authorities within this focus area, in particular ensuring that potential suppliers understood and complied with equality obligations including the Disability Discrimination Act. Many of these authorities used questions in their tender process or contracts to ensure compliance, for example
" Under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 the Authority has a statutory duty to promote disability equality. Please can you indicate how your company would seek to support the Authority in this duty?"
Mainstreaming
5.27 Some police forces highlighted actions related specifically to disabled people's perceptions of safety and their fear of crime, for example, through appointing disability liaison officers to work with disabled people, help identify crimes against disabled people and assist in recording and monitoring. One police force carried out a fear of crime survey with disabled people in 2000, however a low response rate meant that no meaningful issues were identified.
Areas where progress is less evident
5.28 The following are areas where progress has been less evident:
Availability of data
5.29 There is an absence of baseline data and subsequent research on community safety in relation to disabled people is a key area where further progress could be achieved. Progress may be being made but due to the lack of available data it is not possible to evidence much of this.
5.30 Further information on disabled people's perceptions of community safety in relation to crime would be beneficial and may be available following the introduction of equalities questions in the Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey by the Scottish Government.
5.31 Further information on disabled people's perceptions of community safety in relation to fire and rescue would also be beneficial, particularly data relating to the number of incidents involving disabled people.
5.32 Provision of such data would provide public authorities with a better baseline upon which to set targets and measure outcomes.
Summary and conclusions
5.33 Whilst some progress can be seen in relation to community safety, it is not possible to fully assess this focus area until the fire and rescue services annual reports are produced in December 2008. Based on the evidence provided in their disability equality schemes and action plans, good evidence of progress can be anticipated in these annual reports, further contributing to progress across this focus area.
5.34 Progress in relation to disabled people's perceptions of community safety, for example, fear of crime and hate crime, will be better able to be assessed following the next Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey which will include questions on equality issues. It will also be better able to be assessed in relation to the next report by Scottish Ministers in relation to the Disability Equality Duty, as other surveys, such as the regular Scottish Household Survey, will also have been conducted, therefore comparison between existing and new data will be possible.
5.35 Perceptions of community safety may also increase following the passage of the Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) Bill. This law is also likely to highlight the extent of disability hate crime, thus increasing awareness of the problem.
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