FOI Request
Could the force FOI team provide data on the following questions for 2019-2020.
(1) From 1st January 2010 to date how many people in total have sat as members on Independent Advisory groups (IAG)
(2) From 1st January 2010 to date how many people of South Asian ethnicity have sat as members on Independent Advisory groups (IAG)
(3) Can you breakdown those identified in the answer to Q2 by the numbers of male and female South Asian members of IAGs since 1st January 2010?
(4) How many IAGs does your force currently have, and can you provide some details of their purpose?
(5) Do you have any specific IAGs that deal with South Asian issues? Such as IAGs set up in mosques and temples.
(6) Are all IAG members subject to a DBS check by your force?
(7) What is the vetting process
Section 2: Further questions
Could the FOI team provide the following information to the questions below.
1: Does the force follow any guidelines or procedures when seeking guidance from IAG groups or members around issues specific to Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. For example community cohesion, honour based violence, forced marriage etc. If so please disclose a copy of all relevant documents for these guidelines and procedures.
2: Do IAG members need to sign non -disclosure or confidentiality agreements? If so is this voluntary or compulsory?
3: Do IAG members need to declare any conflict of interest on any matters they are consulted on?
OPCC Response
(1) From 1st January 2010 to date how many people in total have sat as members on Independent Advisory groups (IAG)
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has recorded information about IAG membership dating back to November 2015.
Using membership lists, mailing lists and checking the minutes of IAG meetings, we can identify 129 people who have sat as members across the Strategic IAG and IAGs in Hartlepool, Stockton, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland.
(2) From 1st January 2010 to date how many people of South Asian ethnicity have sat as members on Independent Advisory groups (IAG)
Unknown. IAG members come from a wide range of backgrounds and represent many diverse communities from across Cleveland, including those from South Asian backgrounds. However ethnicity data is not recorded and therefore it is not clear how many members identify with a South Asian ethnicity.
(3) Can you breakdown those identified in the answer to Q2 by the numbers of male and female South Asian members of IAGs since 1st January 2010?
Ethnicity data is not recorded and therefore it is not clear how many members identify with a South Asian ethnicity.
(4) How many IAGs does your force currently have, and can you provide some details of their purpose?
Cleveland has five IAGs. There is a Strategic IAG whose role is to act as a critical friend to Cleveland Police and the OPCC and to advise on the potential impact on communities of strategy, policy and operational practice.
Each borough of Cleveland (Hartlepool, Stockton, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland) then has their own local IAG whose role is to raise community concerns with Cleveland Police and the OPCC, which are then fed into the SIAG at a strategic level.
(5) Do you have any specific IAGs that deal with South Asian issues? Such as IAGs set up in mosques and temples.
There are no specific IAGs for South Asian issues alone, as all issues can be raised at any of the IAG’s without discrimination or prejudice.
(6) Are all IAG members subject to a DBS check by your force?
Members are vetted to Non-Police Personnel Vetting (NPPV) Level 2, a more enhanced check than DBS.
(7) What is the vetting process?
Members are vetted to Non-Police Personnel Vetting (NPPV) Level 2.
Section 2: Further questions
1: Does the force follow any guidelines or procedures when seeking guidance from IAG groups or members around issues specific to Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. For example community cohesion, honour based violence, forced marriage etc. If so please disclose a copy of all relevant documents for these guidelines and procedures.
To assist with Q1 and Q3 of Section 2 of your request, I have disclosed the Terms of Reference and the Code of Conduct for Cleveland’s IAGs.
Cleveland SIAG Code of Conduct (application, 71kB)
Cleveland SIAG Terms of Reference (application, 164kB)
2: Do IAG members need to sign non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements? If so is this voluntary or compulsory?
The IAG Terms of Reference state:
Members may at times be privy to restricted/ confidential information. Members must treat all sensitive information disclosed as strictly confidential. Any breach of this agreement may result in the member being removed from the SIAG. This will not prevent the passing of key messages to communities where appropriate.
There is also reference within the Code of Conduct to confidentiality.
3: Do IAG members need to declare any conflict of interest on any matters they are consulted on?
Members are required to declare any interest in a matter arising at a meeting of SIAG or through its work. More details of this can be found in the IAG Code of Conduct.