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FOI request (FOIR-501451251)
FPNS
Requested Mon 27 March 2023
Responded Tue 16 May 2023I request that you provide the following information in compliance with your duties under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.1. How many FPNS have been issued against homeless people in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023? If available, please break this down by year and restriction.2. Do you record data about how warnings and breaches of the PSPO are broken down into the protected characteristics covered by the Equality Impact Assessments (EIA)? If so, please supply this data.3. Please either attach copies of your current PSPOs or confirm that those on the PSPO section of your council website are up to date.4. Were the street homeless community involved in consultations for PSPOs that might affect them – for example, those that restrict begging, obstruction of premises, public urination and defecation?5. Do you have any specific guidelines or training for officers enforcing PSPOs that impact the homeless community - such as on mental health or signposting to services?6. Are any measures in place to prevent PSPOs from having a disproportionate impact on the homeless community?7. What steps does the council take to monitor PSPOs to ensure that the recommendations of the EIA are being followed? Please send over any documentation outlining this process.8. Is there a process in place for handling complaints following warnings and breaches of the PSPO? If so, please send over any documentation outlining this process.9. Do any of your PSPOs include dispersal powers?10. Please provide the number of warnings issued for Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. If this data is available, please provide a breakdown of these warnings by restriction.
Response
Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.
1. How many FPNS have been issued against homeless people in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023? If available, please break this down by year and restriction.
Answer:
2020 - Nil
2021 - Nil
2022 - Nil
2023 - Nil
2. Do you record data about how warnings and breaches of the PSPO are broken down into the protected characteristics covered by the Equality Impact Assessments (EIA)? If so, please supply this data.
Answer: Information not held
3. Please either attach copies of your current PSPOs or confirm that those on the PSPO section of your council website are up to date.
Answer: This is available on our website via the following link: https://www.hastings.gov.uk/community-safety/pspo/
4. Were the street homeless community involved in consultations for PSPOs that might affect them – for example, those that restrict begging, obstruction of premises, public urination and defecation?
Answer: For the last ASB PSPO review carried out in 2022 there was a public consultation which was available to everyone. It should be noted that our PSPO do not have any provisions prohibiting camping as it is contrary to the latest guidance to criminalise being homeless. Also it is only an offence to aggressively beg and it was clarified so it included references to begging in a way that people might find intimidating and or menacing. This was important as the council wanted to make it clear that it didn't want to criminalise begging per se. Support groups and agencies that work with street community were specifically advised of the consultation.
5. Do you have any specific guidelines or training for officers enforcing PSPOs that impact the homeless community - such as on mental health or signposting to services?
Answer: Officers that engage with street community on enforcement issues are briefed and trained to signpost to support services.
6. Are any measures in place to prevent PSPOs from having a disproportionate impact on the homeless community?
Answer: In 2017 when the Council first considered introducing the ASB PSPO it carried out equalities impact screening. This identified that enforcement of the ASB PSPO would involve work with vulnerable people such as the street community. However, it concluded that there would be no discrimination against any group with protected characteristics. In fact, the local multi-agency approach to addressing issues associated with the street community should result in greater access to support services. So there is no requirement to carry out a full Equalities Impact Assessment.
7. What steps does the council take to monitor PSPOs to ensure that the recommendations of the EIA are being followed? Please send over any documentation outlining this process.
Answer: Information not held but supervision and management in place to review all actions.
8. Is there a process in place for handling complaints following warnings and breaches of the PSPO? If so, please send over any documentation outlining this process.
Answer: We have a complaints process in place, details of which can be found on our website via the following link: https://www.hastings.gov.uk/my-council/complaints/policy/
9. Do any of your PSPOs include dispersal powers?
Answer: No
10. Please provide the number of warnings issued for Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. If this data is available, please provide a breakdown of these warnings by restriction.
Answer: Information not held - We do not issue warnings for PSPO. We do issue Community Protection Warnings but these are not specifically issued against PSPO.
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