Stop Hate UK Hate Crime Support Line Funding 2023 – 2025

Report reference number:: 139 – 23
Classification:: Not protectively marked
Title of report:: Stop Hate UK Hate Crime Support Line Funding 2023 – 2025
Area of county / stakeholders affected:: Countywide
Report by:: Greg Myddelton (Strategic Head of Partnerships and Delivery)
Date of report:: 22 August 2023
Enquiries to:: [email protected]

1. Executive Summary

1.1. This report seeks approval for the allocation of a total grant of £45,000 over two financial years to Stop Hate UK for the provision of a 24/7 hate crime support, information and reporting line.

2. Recommendations

2.1. That the PFCC approves the allocation of two annual grants of £22,500 from the 2023-24 and 2024-25 Victims’ Fund to Stop Hate UK for the delivery of a hate crime support line.

3. Background to the Proposal

3.1. Stop Hate UK provides a dedicated 24/7 advice, reporting and information helpline which can also provide emotional support to victims of hate crime. Stop Hate UK also provides advice for victims on criminal justice processes, where appropriate. The support line can also provide advice and information
to professionals, including police officers and staff in how to deal with hate crimes or incidents.

3.2. The support line has been operating in Essex since 2016-17. The PFCC previously approved the continuation of the service via decision report 36-22.

3.3. The support line received an average of 36 enquiries and 13 incidents per quarter between 2021 and 2023.

4. Proposal and Associated Benefits

4.1. Stop Hate UK will provide Essex professionals and victims with a dedicated hate crime helpline. This can provide advice and information as well as emotional and practical support direct to victims. The service is free to access and is available 24/7.
4.2. As part of the Stop Hate UK support line offer, Essex will receive training sessions for professionals to raise awareness of hate crime and the service available via Stop Hate UK. This should improve recognition of hate crime and encourage increased engagement with the help line. These sessions will be virtual and made available to 30 – 50 individuals per session. The focus of the three sessions will be online hate, general hate crime, and disability hate crime.

5. Options Analysis

5.1. Stop Hate UK’s helpline offers a dedicated help line to victims of hate crime. This means a bespoke and specialist response which is tailored to those that need it. The PFCC could opt to end this annual arrangement, but that would remove the only dedicated hate crime support offer for Essex residents and
professionals.

6. Consultation and Engagement

6.1. Stop Hate UK representatives regularly attend and provide performance information to the Essex Strategic Hate Crime Prevention Partnership. There is support for this service from the SHCPP.

7. Strategic Links

7.1. This service allows the PFCC to deliver on the Police and Crime Plan commitment to “…support initiatives to tackle other forms of crime that affect businesses and their staff such as Human Trafficking, Hate Crime and Domestic Abuse”.

8. Police operational implications

8.1. The Stop Hate UK service supports police officers and staff to refer victims for support and allows them and other professionals to access information and advice.

9. Financial implications

9.1. A total allocation of £45,000 would be provided to Stop Hate UK to provide the support line from January 2023 to end December 2025.

9.2. The PFCC would allocate two annual grants of £22,500 each from the 2023- 24 and 2024-25 Victims’ Fund. As this is a recurring annual grant, this funding is factored into the victims’ budget annually.

10. Legal Implications

10.1. This funding will be subject to the PFCC’s standard funding agreement.

11. Staffing implications

11.1. There are no staffing implications associated with this decision report.

12. Equality and Diversity implications

12.1. Stop Hate UK is accessible to all, and its purpose is to support those that have been victimised on account of their protected characteristics.

12.2. The PFCC will use grant monitoring information as well as receiving contributions from Stop Hate UK through the SHCPP to understand the profile of hate crime and abuse, and use that intelligence to inform decisions on resource allocation and prioritisation of other projects.

13. Risks and Mitigations

13.1. No risks have been identified.

14. Governance Boards

14.1. Stop Hate UK provides quarterly performance information to the PFCC, Essex County Council and the Essex SHCPP.

15.Links to Future Plans

15.1. Stop Hate UK’s engagement in the Essex SHCPP ensures that learning from the local and national helplines can be fed into the development of Essex’s strategic approach to tackling all forms of hate.