2 years ago

#CovidMarshall #Covidfine #Antimask Purpose of revised guidance:
This guidance was first published on 8 October 2020 to help local authorities understand the purpose of £30 million ringfenced COVID-19 compliance and enforcement funding which was allocated to all district and unitary authorities including metropolitan borough and London borough councils in England on that date. Local authorities have used the resource in innovative ways. Examples are included in a compliance and enforcement good practice framework.

In the 2021/22 financial year, COVID-19 compliance and enforcement work of local authorities will remain equally important. However, the main funding support will now be through the £400 million Contain Outbreak Management Fund. This guidance has therefore been updated to explain the new funding and strategic context, as well as make further small clarifications to the text. We will continue to keep this guidance under review as the delivery of the Prime Minister’s roadmap evolves, working closely with local enforcement of officers and the local government sector.

Funding for compliance and enforcement:
On 22 February 2021, the Prime Minister announced the government’s Covid-19 Response – Spring 2021 - the roadmap. On 18 March 2021, the government produced a revised Contain Framework, which sets out how national, regional and local partners will work with each other, the public, businesses, institutions (including schools, prisons, hospitals, care homes and homelessness settings) and other local system partners in their communities to prevent, manage and contain outbreaks of COVID-19.

Compliance and enforcement is a core component of the Contain Framework. It is one of seven themes that councils’ Local Outbreak Plans must cover, alongside higher risk settings and vulnerable and underserved communities.

In addition, the Covid-19 Relative Needs Formula allocates funding to both Upper Tier Local Authorities (UTLAs) and Lower Tier Local Authorities (LTLAs) split by a ratio of 0.79:0.21 respectively. This split recognises that, while LTLAs do not hold statutory public health responsibilities, they do activities which are critical to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes leading on compliance and enforcement activities which forms a core component of the local response to the pandemic and the measures that COMF funding is intended to support, as well as involvement in such areas as support for and engagement with hard to reach and vulnerable communities.

District councils share the delivery of a number of the Contain Outbreak Management Fund Priorities, including having a leading role on compliance and enforcement activity. County Councils are encouraged to allocate a greater share of the funding to district authorities if local plans indicate this is needed.

Compliance and enforcement activity:
This guidance sets out the types of compliance and enforcement activity which local authorities can choose to use the COMF funding for. This list is illustrative, recognising the wide range of compliance activity local authorities already undertake. There is flexibility over how the COMF funding is used, provided it is for the purposes outlined within the COMF conditions.

Where appropriate, we encourage local authorities to continue deploying COVID-19 Secure Marshals, or their equivalents, to support compliance. The guidance therefore focuses on supporting local authorities who are deploying marshals, wardens, stewards, ambassadors or similar roles to support compliance with social distancing in public places.

[NOT TO ENFORCE]The role of COVID-19 secure marshals or equivalents is not to enforce COVID-19 regulations, or have any enforcement powers, which should remain the remit of the police and designated local authority compliance and enforcement officers. COVID-19 secure marshals or equivalents should instead engage, explain and encourage best practice and national COVID-19 secure guidance. LINK HERE https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-local-authority-compliance-and-enforcement-grant/guidance-to-support-local-authority-compliance-and-enforcement-activity-including-covid-19-secure-marshals-or-equivalents THEY CANT FORCE YOU

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