Agenda item

This paper provides an update to the Board on the usage of Empowering Communities Inclusion and Neighbourhood System (ECINS) across the Surrey partnership and seeks support for future funding.

Witnesses:

Alison Barlow - Temporary Assistant Chief Constable, Surrey Police

Iain Gibbins - ECINS Manager, Surrey Police

Rachel Crossley - Joint Executive Director (Public Sector Reform), SCC and Surrey Heartlands ICS

Alison Bolton - Chief Executive (OPCC) 

Key points raised in the discussion:

1.    The Temporary Assistant Chief Constable (Surrey Police) noted that:

·         Empowering Communities Inclusion and Neighbourhood System (ECINS) in place since 2019, is a secure multi-agency case management system, widely used across the UK by police and partners and brought together case management information relating to individuals across crime, disorder as well as wider health and social care activity for example.

·         there were wide benefits to partners in the sharing of case management across the ECINS platform, since its introduction there were over 1,200 registered users across Surrey.

·         the OPCC had funded the licence for ECINS since 2019 and both Surrey Police and the OPCC would share the funding for another year, the licence renewal fee would increase in June 2022 following a favourable deal secured in 2019.

·         it was hoped that partners would contribute to the licence renewal and the support team based on their percentage usage - or suitable funding formula - from 2023.

2.    The Vice-Chairman asked whether for example the Surrey Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) used the ECINS platform.

-       In response, the Temporary Assistant Chief Constable (Surrey Police) noted that the MASH used its own separate platform but noted that there were various workstreams relating to projects such as Surrey Adults Matter (SAM) - the ECINS Manager (Surrey Police) confirmed the above position on the interoperability of ECINS.

3.    The Vice-Chairman sought to understand what the NHS’ engagement and involvement was with the platform and what the implication might be for the NHS in terms of funding going forward. Noting the increase in the licence fee from £40,000 currently to around £90,000 for 2023-24 she asked how that cost compared with other systems on the market.

-       In response, the Temporary Assistant Chief Constable (Surrey Police) recognised that there were other systems on the market, however ECINS was as a Government pre-approved supplier and was used widely by partners. There were areas in development around the health and wellbeing agenda and Appendix 1 provided an example from a health perspective regarding TinyLife in Northern Ireland.

4.    The Chairman sought reassurance that ECINS and the various databases in Surrey would be joined up, noting the Surrey Care Record and the work of Surrey Office of Data Analytics (SODA).

-       In response, the Joint Executive Director (PSR) (SCC and Surrey Heartlands ICS) explained that the Chairman as Leader of Surrey County Council, had commissioned a Surrey-wide data strategy - sponsored by the Chief Constable of Surrey Police - and that would be reported to the next public Board meeting.

-       The Joint Executive Director (PSR) (SCC and Surrey Heartlands ICS) explained that as part of that data strategy, all the different systems capabilities were being mapped and evaluated to see where they could be maximised effectively, joining up policing, health and social care, the local authorities’, and voluntary sector perspectives where appropriate.

-       A Board member emphasised that ECINS is a practical day-to-day case management solution which stops cases falling between the gaps of different agencies and it encouraged joint working. Referring to Appendix 1, he noted the example of targeting a reduction in permanent exclusions in Peterborough through ECINS, whereby ECINS would be a good platform to link into the work on school exclusions undertaken at Royal Holloway University of London.

5.    The Chairman noted that whilst he could confirm Surrey County Council’s contribution, he noted that the recommendation on the funding of ECINS needed to go through the different authorities’ decision-making processes and could not be confirmed by the Health and Wellbeing Board on their behalf.

-       The Joint Executive Director (PSR) (SCC and Surrey Heartlands ICS) explained that therefore as part of the work on the data strategy, it would be timely to review the linkages with the ECINS, over the year a business case could be developed to review all the systems within the data strategy including ECINS and to ensure that ECINS goes through the right governance processes.

-       A Board member noted that the one-year lead in to renew the ECINS licence would allow colleagues time to plan their governance processes. He suggested an action to produce a more detailed funding formula for contributions that would incentivise use, so as many people as possible use the system, as opposed to the current proposal based on percentage usage.

6.    The Chairman asked whether there was a reason why NHS Surrey Heartlands ICS and NHS Frimley ICS would not also contribute funding towards ECINS.

-       The Vice-Chairman commented that it would be useful to understand how ECINS would work for the NHS and what the degree of financial support might be; before taking it through the right governance process working in conjunction with the Joint Executive Director (PSR) (SCC and Surrey Heartlands ICS).

7.    The Chief Executive (OPCC) noted that having visited several Borough and District Councils with the PCC, she queried whether there was more the Board could do at a strategic level to engage partners to use ECINS.

-        The Priority One and Three Sponsor responded that she would raise the matter of ECINS at the next Surrey Chief Executives’ Group meeting. She noted that contributing to the future funding of ECINS would be a decision to be made within the Borough and District Councils.

-        The Chairman commented that Board members would look to progress the call for the future funding of ECINS through their respective organisations. 

RESOLVED:

1.    Agreed the continued use of ECINS as the Surrey partnership case management system for community safety and other health and social care activity.

2.    Would seek agreement from partners for future funding of the 2022-25 ECINS system licence which is due for renewal and the small team which supports it.

Actions/further information to be provided:

1.    The various databases, systems and their linkages - ECINS, the Surrey Care Record and the work of Surrey Office of Data Analytics (SODA) - will be reviewed and will be included in the agenda item on the Surrey-wide data strategy at the next public Board meeting.

2.    Following the report on the Surrey-wide data strategy a business case will then be developed to ensure that ECINS goes through the right governance processes:

-       as part of that business case a more detailed funding formula for contributions that would incentivise use will be produced.

-       the Vice-Chairman will work with the Joint Executive Director (PSR) (SCC and Surrey Heartlands ICS) to understand how ECINS would work for the NHS and what the degree of financial support might be.

-       to raise the profile of ECINS across the county, the Priority One and Three Sponsor will raise the matter of ECINS at the next Surrey Chief Executives’ Group meeting.

3.    Board members will look to progress the call for the future funding of ECINS through their respective organisations.