Whilst the BCSP members have their own legislative duties and powers connected to reducing crime and disorder, and safeguarding, the purpose of the BCSP is to bring those together in a way which best protects the community. Best practice requires multi-agency working from the earliest stage, to ensure the safety of the person concerned and the reduction in crime and disorder in any community.

Tackling crime and disorder is not the role of any one agency, and BCSP partners on a daily basis hold strategy and panel meetings to discuss the powers and disruption tactics of all partners to utilise to prevent and reduce crime. For any intervention to work effectively, it usually requires multiple actions to address a multitude of factors, and therefore partners should work together to inform long term solutions and to hold each other accountable to delivering against them.

Safeguarding, similarly, is everyone’s businesses. Safeguarding means protecting people from abuse or neglect, getting the right support in place as early as possible and creating an environment in which they feel safe and healthy. The BCSP’s key safeguarding principles are: