Revolving Doors Agency podcast highlights role of Police and Crime Commissioners in helping to break the cycle of crisis and crime.

Spotlight – a new podcast from Revolving Doors Agency – brings together Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) with people with lived experience to demonstrate the need for joint action on mental ill health, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, domestic abuse and inequalities facing young adults.

The podcast showcases five PCCs making a real difference to people’s lives by working creatively at a local level, encouraging and strengthening partnerships, linking with health and other community-based services.

Contributors to the podcast include:

• PCC for West Midlands, David Jamieson, on Heroin Assisted Therapy, a public health approach to reducing substance misuse related offences;
• PCC for Kent, Matthew Scott, on improving support for people with mental ill health when they come into contact with the police;
• PCC for Northumbria, Dame Vera Baird, on diversionary support pathway and a whole system approach across six Northeast forces to transform responses to domestic abuse.
• PCC for Durham, Ron Hogg, on the use of deferred prosecutions for young adults;
• PCC for Cambridgeshire, Jason Ablewhite, reducing homelessness and developing clearer housing pathways for people in the criminal justice system;
• Revolving Doors Agency’s Forum members, Sat and Ally.

Christina Marriott, Chief Executive, Revolving Doors Agency said: “PCCs sit on a fault line of a number of different systems and budgets. This offers them a real opportunity to forge and drive new local partnerships, for example across criminal justice, health and housing. Effective partnerships should focus on preventing the revolving door – ensuring people don’t fall through gaps in services or end up reaching crisis point before they get help.”

Revolving Doors is a member of the Transition to Adulthood Alliance – a coalition of organisations brought together by the Barrow Cadbury Trust to develop and promote evidence of effective policy and practice for young adults at all stages of the criminal justice system.

Join the discussion on twitter, using the hashtag #PCCspotlight and RDA’s handle @RevDoors.