Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

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Chapter 3 – Effective interventions
Case study 29
Bobbies on the Beat
The Bedfordshire Police Partnership Trust, a charity which works with the North Bedfordshire Community
Safety Partnership, has been operating a Bobby Scheme since 1997 to support elderly and vulnerable
victims of repeat crime.
The scheme has targeted five areas which are among the most deprived in the borough in terms of low
income, poor education, skills and training, barriers to housing services and child poverty.
As well as providing general crime reduction advice and reassurance, the scheme offers a free service
which includes a home security survey and installation of security equipment.
Since its launch, in cases where the Bobby Scheme has responded, repeat victimisation has dropped
to 1% across the county. Nationally, the percentage of repeat victimisation is 14%. According to the
Bedfordshire Crime Study 2005, the rate of repeat victimisation for Bedfordshire is an average of 9%.
v) Health
In recent years national health policies have recognised the need to improve social inclusion to improve the
overall health of the population.
Choosing Health
The public health white paper Choosing Health, which was launched in November 2004, recommends that
health improvement and tackling inequalities should become integral to NHS mainstream planning and
delivery of services. There is a particular emphasis on health inequalities and mental health issues
including the mental health of children, older people and Black and ethnic minorities.
The Choosing Health delivery plan highlights how the Department of Health and the NHS with other partners,
within the framework of government policies, will help more people make more healthy choices and reduce
health inequalities. It outlines the priorities for delivery at national, regional and local levels and how these
will be achieved.
Our Health, Our Care, Our Say: a new direction for community services
The white paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say: a new direction for community services, published in
January 2006, sets a new direction for the health and social care system. It confirms the vision set out in
the Department of Health green paper, Independence, Well-being and Choice and proposes a shift in the
way in which services are delivered, ensuring that they are more personalised and that they fit into people's
busy lives. The white paper aims to achieve four main goals:
• better prevention services with earlier intervention
• people to have more choice and a louder voice
• more to be done to tackle inequalities and improve access to community services
• more support for people with long-term needs.