PCD 1378a Community Engagement Funding 2023/24

PCD 1378a Community Engagement Funding 2023/24

The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) is responsible for making arrangements for obtaining the views of the community and victims of crime on matters concerning policing in London and for overseeing the delivery of policing by the Metropolitan Police Service. 

These functions are discharged through a variety of mechanisms, including the Community Monitoring Groups (CMGs) and Safer Neighbourhood Boards (SNBs), which are established mechanisms for delivering local police accountability and engagement, and through targeted engagement on specific areas of work.  

In addition, MOPAC has supported the provision of a digital Neighbourhood Watch communications platform and it is proposed that this will continue until March 2024. 

This decision seeks approval of the 2023/24 funding for the community engagement work programme referenced above totalling £741,500. 

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime approves the allocation of the 2023/24 Community Engagement Fund £741,500 as follows: 

1. Interim funding of up to £700,000 for the continuation of the borough level community engagement mechanisms, including Safer Neighbourhood Boards, and associated funding for local community engagement and crime reduction projects;  

2. Contribute up to £41,500 to secure OWL’s continued operation until March 2024;  

3. Delegate the signing of related grants and contracts to the Chief Executive Officer and/ or Director of Strategy in line with the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation. 

PART I - NON-CONFIDENTIAL FACTS AND ADVICE TO THE DMPC 

1. Introduction and background  

1.1 The Police and Crime Plan 2021-25 (PCP) sets out the Mayor's ambitions for policing and community safety in London. There are four key priorities set out in the PCP and the community engagement programme is key to delivery across all the priorities, including MOPAC and the MPS’ efforts to improve trust and confidence.  This decision will support and enable MOPAC’s work to promote trust and confidence in the Metropolitain Police Service by supporting and further developing MOPAC’s work to improve community engagement, accountability and transparency at both the local and pan-London level. 

1.2 This decision sets the key elements of the 2023/24 community engagement programme and seeks approval for the associated budget.  

0. 2. Issues for consideration  

2.1 The 2023/24 community engagement programme comprises of mechanisms for community scrutiny and engagement as we develop and transition to a new framework, including the roles of Community Monitoring Groups, Safer Neighbourhood Boards and the provision of the Online Watch Link (OWL) digital communication system for local Neighbourhood Watch Schemes.  
3. Financial Comments  

3.1 Implementing the recommendations of this Decision amounts to a cost of £741,500. This cost will be funded from MOPAC core 2023/24 budget held within the Strategy and MPS Oversight Directorate. 

3.2 The funding will be allocated as follows: 

• up to £41,500 to maintain the provision of a digital Neighbourhood Watch communications platform; and  

• up to £700,000 to maintain the existing community engagement, (i.e. Safer Neighbourhood Boards) that will continue to operate at the borough level. Appendix A lists the individual allocation to each SNB and is inclusive of £5,200 ringfenced for administrative costs. 
   

4. Legal Comments  

4.1 The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is authorised to take this decision by the MOPAC Scheme of Consent & Delegation, Section 4, “Delegation to the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime”, “Financial administration” para 4.7: “The approval of …MOPAC expenditure, income and funding of annual revenue budgets and capital programme”. 

4.2 The activities set out in this decision are in accordance with MOPAC’ s responsibilities under section 14 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (the 2011 Act), to make arrangements for obtaining the views of the community on policing in the area. MOPAC’s general powers are set out in the 2011 Act. Section 3(6) of the 2011 Act provides that MOPAC must "secure the maintenance of the metropolitan police force and secure that the metropolitan police force is efficient and effective." Under Schedule 3, paragraph 7 of the 2011 Act, MOPAC has wide incidental powers to “do anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the exercise of the functions of the Office”.  Paragraph 7(2) (a) provides that this includes entering into contracts and other agreements. 

4.3 In addition, section 143 (1) (b) of the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides an express power for MOPAC, as a local policing body, to provide or commission services "intended by the local policing body to help victims or witnesses of, or other persons affected by, offences and antisocial behaviour." Section 143(3) specifically allows MOPAC to make grants in connection with such arrangements and any grant may be made subject to any conditions that MOPAC deems appropriate. The proposals set out in this decision support MOPAC's duties under and are in accordance with MOPAC’s powers under that section. 

4.4 Under Section 5.23 of MOPAC’s Scheme of Delegation, grant agreements under the value of £150,000 may be signed by the relevant MOPAC Director in line with their individual Scheme of Delegation. 
5. Commercial Issues  

5.1 Where applicable, open and competitive procurement processes will be followed to secure additional capacity and/or support for the wider community engagement programme, leading to the award of contracts for services rather than a grant agreement. This approach complies with the MOPAC contract regulations.  

5.2       MOPAC has made an annual commitment to fund provision of a digital Neighbourhood Watch communications platform that serves a small number of Neighbourhood Watch Schemes since December 2019. The current agreement expires on 31 March 2023.  

5.3        Whilst money is allocated to each Borough so there is access to support, money is only spent by those Boroughs who have functional SNBs who complete the MOPAC procurement processes to receive their funding. 
  5.4 Legal advice has been sought in respect of the provision of further funding to support this platform and two key issues have been examined (i) potential conflicts with procurement law and (ii) the provision of state aid.  In this case, the proposed funding [and cumulative effect] will fall within the De Minimis Regulation for aid not exceeding the €200,000 limit and would not therefore be unlawful.  In addition, any impact will be further mitigated by the confirmation that there will be no provision to further extend support for OWL outside of a formal procurement process.  It is therefore proposed that these arrangements be extended until 31 March 2024 with no further extensions beyond this date. 
6. Public Health Approach  

6.2 A public health approach is rooted in good multi-agency working and close working with communities, focused on prevention, and informed by the systemic use of evidence. The public health approach and working closely with local communities is embedded into the action plan programme and will continue to be incorporated into the work as it is implemented. 

7. GDPR and Data Privacy  

7.1 GDPR matters have been discussed with the Data Protection Officer, who has confirmed that no Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) is required for these programmes of work.  However, the personal details of any individuals or organisations with whom contact is made for the purposes of the engagement will be managed in accordance with MOPAC’s wider Privacy Notice.  Any organisation that is contracted to conduct work in support of this programme will be required to sign a MOPAC contract that will specify their GDPR responsibilities. 

8. Equality Comments 

8.1 MOPAC is required to comply with the public sector equality duty set out in section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010. This requires MOPAC to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations by reference to people with protected characteristics. The protected characteristics are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. 

8.3 An Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) has been completed for activities pertaining to the delivery of the Mayor’s Action Plan and each individual action.  The EIA has been reviewed and some areas for further development have been identified. SNBs and CMGs are under review. In the interim, there are two key areas in which they can have a positive impact: (i) by addressing the disproportionate impact of crime and policing on different areas and communities and (ii) by seeking to involve and represent diverse communities in police-community engagement. Though these structures may change as a result of the review, these two principles will continue to underscore MOPAC’s community engagement delivery in this area and the allocation of funding to this work will have a positive impact across all protected characteristics.  

8.4 As a result of the consideration of the equalities impact of this work programme, targeted work to better engage, involve and understand the impact of crime and policing on under-represented communities that have the lowest levels of trust and confidence and/or whose views and experiences continue to be under-represented in the community engagement programme, have been and will continue to be undertaken through the review and our existing community engagement programme. This includes working with LGBTQ, disabled and Black and minoritised communities, and a focus on better understanding intersectionality.  

  9. Background/supporting papers 

• Appendix A List of SNB allocations  

Appendix A - 2023/24 Safer Neighbourhood Board/local engagement allocations 

Whilst money is allocated to each Borough so there is access to support, money is only spent by those Boroughs who have functional SNBs who complete the MOPAC procurement processes to receive their funding.