Commissioner at Police and Crime Commissioners' Conference

The event at the Hallam Centre, London, was attended by other Police and Crime Commissioners, Chief Executives, Chief Constables and Council Leaders throughout the UK.

The aim of the event was to look at opportunities and challenges of the new governance framework and subjects discussed included: building stronger local relationships; fulfilling election pledges; commissioning victims' services; the role of the Police and Crime Panel and funding and commissioning arrangements.

Mr Johnston spoke about funding and commissioning arrangements: "The event was very informative and valuable in the sense that we were able to share experiences and hear about how others are doing and planning their work for the future. These events are crucial in ensuring we learn from colleagues'
experiences, identifying best practices, to maximise our impact in the role. For my part, I spoke about funding and commissioning arrangements including setting the police budget and council tax precept; the appropriate allocation of resources and moving to a commissioning approach - just some of the challenges and opportunities facing each and every Police and Crime Commissioner"

The event was appreciated by all of those who attended. Some of the comments made by delegates included: 'Session on building local partnerships and CSP were particularly useful' 'The opportunity to listen to and ask questions of a variety of PCCs from across the country' 'Good focus on how PCC/structures impact upon delivery of public services during the afternoon' 'Special thanks to Ian Johnston and Matthew Ellis - why PCCs will work' 'Great opportunity to understand changes due to PCC arrangements and network with likeminded individuals' 'Session on the challenges of the new governance framework, funding and commissioning arrangements and stage 2 transfer were particularly useful'