Epsom and Ewell review

The Home Office guidance Firearms Licensing: Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police, February 2023, should be strengthened to include the need for applicants to declare the use of private GPs or medical consultants, and the use of on-line medication prescribing services. The strengthened guidance should then translate to Police authorities amending their application/renewal forms.

The Home Office guidance Firearms Licensing: Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police, February 2023, should be strengthened to specifically ask applicants to declare the number of units of alcohol they consume per week (with accompanying guidance that assists the application – see, for example the NHS website: NHS Alcohol units). Where information is either provided by the applicant, or by the GP, which indicates high usage, the licensing Police authority should examine this further to assist their decision making.

The Home Office guidance Firearms Licensing: Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police, February 2023, should be strengthened to allow licensing Police authorities the option, based on the particular circumstances of the applicant, the option to seek the views of other adult members of the applicant’s household about the licence application, the holding of weapons in the home, any relevant medical conditions i.e. alcohol consumption, or additional issues including the presence of domestic abuse, coercion and control. The views of other adult members of the applicant’s household should be sought separately, and not in the presence of the applicant, to avoid any fears or concerns about disclosure.

The Home Office guidance Firearms Licensing: Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police, February 2023, should be strengthened to explicitly require an assessment of the suitability of the location of where any weapons are to be held that goes beyond assessing the arrangements for the secure physical storage of any shotgun or firearm e.g. in a property on an educational establishment grounds.

Following steps already taken by the Independent Schools Bursar’s Association, which has introduced a new clause in the Service Occupancy Agreement that expressly prohibits an employee (or any persons occupying any accommodation provided to them) from being in possession of, or storing, an offensive weapon and/or ammunition, the Association should formally promote annual reviews of the Agreement to check on any change to circumstances.

The Home Office & the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s Office should promote the Public Health England & Business in The Community Domestic Abuse Employer Toolkit. This toolkit helps employers of all sizes and sectors make a commitment to respond to the risk of domestic abuse and build an approach that ensures all employees feel supported and empowered by their workplace to deal with domestic abuse. Alongside this, the Partnership should raise the profile of this toolkit and the Employers Initiative on Domestic Abuse (http://eida.org.uk/) across all partner agencies, to raise awareness that supports all employees, regardless of role, status and position held, seek help if they are a victim of domestic abuse.

The Epsom & Ewell Community Safety Partnership should work with relevant agencies and other strategic partnerships to examine methods for reaching into local communities that encourage adults (particularly adult males) to seek support about emotional or mental health worries or any mental distress they may be troubled by.