Southwest Constabularies Approach

The Southwest Regional approach involves the Constabularies of: Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. The regional scheme acknowledges and has adopted the guidance contained in the "ACPO Guidance on Community Safety Accreditation Schemes" published in October 2003, and makes extensive use of both Lancashire Constabulary's and Cleveland Police/ Durham Constabulary's policy documents.
 
The scheme is a Community Safety Accreditation Scheme under section 41 of the Police Reform Act 2002. It is therefore the intention of the Chief Constables of the Southwest Constabularies to offer certain employers an accreditation scheme in respect of the carrying out of community safety functions as detailed in the Act.
 
Local authorities, public bodies, agents acting on behalf of such local authorities or public bodies and private companies that are operating within the Southwest Constabularies area may apply to be considered for accreditation under the scheme. The two elements incorporated into the accreditation process are accreditation of the employer and accreditation of the employee.
  
Although the accreditation scheme referred to under the Act is in respect of employees only, the Southwest Constabularies need to satisfy themselves that employers who want to take the benefit of the scheme are fit and proper persons and have appropriate procedures and policies in place properly to supervise accredited employees. Therefore it is the intention of the Southwest Constabularies to accredit employers who meet these criteria in accordance with the procedure set out within this document.
 
To ensure that CSAS is implemented in the most effective way, the Southwest Constabularies have initiated a series of pilot schemes to prove the CSAS concept.
 
The pilot schemes which have now been completed, involved all five forces and four outside organisations, the south-west region CSAS was launched on 18th January 2006.

Nominated Officers Group - working group reviewing the tactical implementation and operation of CSAS across the region on behalf of the (current) five forces.
 
User Group - steering group, CSAS stakeholders within the region, collecting feedback and providing direction on the implementation and operational aspects of CSAS from a users' viewpoint.
 
Section Liaison Team - a general liaison group who will be able to provide information, feedback and opinion from their various sections via the user group.
 
Contact details (for the nominated officer for Gloucestershire Constabulary) for further information on joining the CSAS scheme are:
 
Donna Nash
County Police Headquarters
No 1 Waterwells
Waterwells Drive
Quedgeley
Gloucester
GL2 2AN
 
Tel: 01452 752169
email: donna.nash@gloucestershire.police.uk