1. It would appear that Devon County Council (DCC) is the lead authority in the Safer Devon Partnership and therefore should be able to supply me with information regarding its
- incorporation,
- governance,
- scrutiny
- complaints.
Can I respectfully request that you promptly supply with detailed information in respect of all four of these important areas?
Regarding incorporation, a search of Companies House shows that the Safer Devon Partnership is not incorporated, as it is a a partnership of public, voluntary and community organisations working together to make Devon’s communities safer. It operates as a multi-agency partnership providing strategic leadership for community safety work across Devon. The Safer Devon Partnership is not a separately incorporated legal entity.
Regarding the governance of the Safer Devon Partnership, this information is exempt from disclosure under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (Information Reasonably Accessible by Other Means). The requested information is already publicly available on this Safer Devon Partnership webpage which includes a detailed table showing the governance structure.
As far as scrutiny and complaints are concerned, any complaints regarding the Safer Devon Partnership should, in the first instance, be addressed to saferdevonpartnership@devon.gov.uk
2. Whilst there appears to be a complaint procedure regarding Councillors who may be involved there seems to be no visible process in respect of Council Officers.
Might the role of officers be regulated by their Statement of Particulars (Employment Contracts) – can you please supply me with an example of such.
Any complaints regarding Councillors or Council Officers who represent their constituent councils would normally be dealt with by that relevant Council.
A generic statement of particulars can be viewed on this DCC webpage.
3. I should grateful if you would kindly assist me in investigating suspected irregularities concerning the Safer Devon Partnership and its connected partnerships addressing East Devon. Can you please point me at the contact details of the most appropriate person.
As mentioned in the response to question 2, any complaints regarding individual Councillors or Council Officers should be addressed to the relevant Council or Authority.
Comments and complaints can also be sent to saferdevonpartnership@devon.gov.uk
In the interests of providing advice and assistance, more information about the Safer Devon Partnership can be found on this Devon County Council webpage.