Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 27
27
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 118
Government guidance on retail crime lacks urgency and sufficient practical advice for employers.
Conclusion
The guidance provided by the Government and the National Retail Crime Steering Group, published nearly 10 months after the response to the call for evidence, amounts to eight A4 pages of highly general advice followed by 10 pages of example statements and reports. While elements such as the short de-escalation training video and links to tool kits and guidance provided by the Information Commissioner’s Office are certainly useful, we feel these resources reflect a distinct lack of urgency on the part of Government to address the scale of problem.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government acknowledges that while useful resources have been created, more is needed, and commits the Home Office and NRCSG to review existing resources and fully consider the Committee's recommendation for future work.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
118
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
We recommend that the Government’s resources, which would be particularly beneficial for independent shops and small businesses, additionally include specific ‘tool kit’ style material to support all employers to take the following actions: An internal communication campaign to encourage staff to report all incidents of violence and abuse; Guidance and templates for employers on creating internal and external reporting processes which are as simple, accessible and quick as possible; Guidance on procedures for banning repeat offenders from stores; Further online training resources for retail workers on managing conflict and dealing with difficult situations; and Guidance for employers on how to assess the vulnerabilities of their shop and suggestions for appropriate measures such as changing store layout, erecting protective barriers or adding signage to manage specific risks. (Paragraph 118) The NRCSG and the Task and Finish groups have created useful resources for retailers in accordance with the actions set out in the Government response to the Call for Evidence on Violence and Abuse Toward Shop Workers. However, the Government recognises there is still more to do. The Home Office, working with the NRCSG, will review the resources already produced and give full consideration to the HASC’s recommendation when considering how to take the work forward. We also encourage large national retailers to play a leading role in local business partnerships, working with local councils and the police to encourage and include small independent high street retailers in security measures including CCTV or local communication networks for sharing intelligence on incidents or repeat offenders. We welcome the further rounds of the Safer Streets Fund which should also be used to help improve safety and support for staff working in small and independent retailers. We recommend that local authorities work with local retailers and with the police to identify smaller high streets and areas with many small independent shops which have less capacity to tackle security issues and draw up plans including bids to the Safer Streets Fund to support shopworkers in those areas. (Paragraph 119) This recommendation is for local authorities. The response to recommendation 21 above sets out the scope and timescales of the bidding process for the Safer Streets fund.
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