PCD 1440 Ministry of Justice Funding 2023-24 Sexual Violence Local Commissioning Test and Pre-Trial Outreach Service

PCD 1440 Ministry of Justice Funding 2023-24 Sexual Violence Local Commissioning Test and Pre-Trial Outreach Service 

The Mayor is determined to see that victims of crime in London are better supported as a result of the steps set out in his Police and Crime Plan 2022-25.  He is clear that the police, justice agencies and other partner organisations must work together if support is to be improved for victims pursuing their case through the justice process and for those who choose not to report. 

MOPAC receives funding from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to partially pay for victim and witness support services MOPAC commissions in London. In August 2022 PCD1235 accepted Ministry of Justice funding via two grant agreements (known as Core and General), confirming some of MOPAC’s funding allocation for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25. Under the General Grant, the MoJ has now confirmed the remaining elements of funding for 2023/24 only – Sexual Violence Local Commissioning Test funding and Pre-Trial Outreach Service. This will enable MOPAC to formally extend these elements of provision within existing services supporting victims and witnesses until March 2024.  

This decision seeks approval to accept the grant funding, sign the MoJ General Grant Addendum, and manage the onward distribution of the funding to victim and witness services. The total additional funding now confirmed for 2023/24 is £3,348,887.80, broken down as £2,860,055.80 for Sexual Violence Local Commissioning and £488,832 for Pre-Trial Outreach Service. 

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. Accept the now confirmed additional General Grant funding of £3,348,887 from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) for victim and witness services for 2023/24.  

2. Approve the uplift of funding for all relevant victim and witness services in receipt of this funding.   

3. Delegate authority to the MOPAC Chief Finance Officer to sign the necessary grant addendum to accept this funding from the MoJ.  

4. Delegate authority to the MOPAC Chief Finance Officer to sign the applicable variations to the existing contracts/grant agreements to disburse this funding.  

5. Note that the 2023/24 budget will be updated to reflect the additional funding. 

1. Introduction and background 

1. Since 2014, responsibility for regional commissioning of victim services has been devolved to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs). The funding to enable this comes from the Ministry of Justice's (MoJ) Victims Fund and Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, provided to MOPAC via two grant agreements – Core Grant and General Grant. 

  2. This funding has traditionally been used to pay for core       victims services including: the London Victim and Witness Service; Children’s and Young People’s Service; and Rape Crisis Centres. In addition, the Ministry of Justice has provided additional funding in recent years, including the ringfenced Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence funding (PCD 1190 and PCD 1235) under its General Grant and additional ‘Core Grant’ funding in September 2022 (PCD 1300).  

3. The MoJ have now confirmed the final elements of funding remaining under its General Grant for 2023/24 only - Sexual Violence Local Commissioning Test funding and Pre-Trial Outreach Service.  

4. The following is an updated breakdown of MOPAC’s confirmed multi-year allocation for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25. The allocations in bold are the updated allocations, all other amounts have previously been approved: 

2. Issues for consideration  

1. In order to support the MPS in achieving the priorities set out in its Turnaround Plan 2023-25 and the recommendations from the Baroness Casey Review, it is important that the services supporting and protecting the most vulnerable victims in London receive the funding they need to do so.  

2. The services commissioned by MOPAC who will receive this confirmed funding will be able to continue to support victims and witnesses as they navigate the criminal justice system and/or receive the help they need to be able to cope and recover from their experiences.  

3. To accept this funding, MOPAC is required to sign an Addendum to its General Grant Agreement from the MoJ which sets out the conditions by which this funding is to be spent (including the respective ring-fenced amounts as above) and the reporting requirements. The Addendum does not require match funding from MOPAC. MOPAC will incorporate these requirements in the grant and contractual agreements for services that are funded from this source. 

4. The reporting requirements for this funding include the submission of mid-year and end of year performance returns as well signing a statement confirming compliance with the terms and conditions of the funding. 

5. The funding will be distributed by MOPAC by varying existing contracts and grants as laid out below in sections 2.6 and 2.7. This decision delegates authority to the Chief Finance Officer to sign variations for the applicable contracts/grant agreements to disburse this funding to the relevant organisations.  

6. MOPAC is proposing to allocate the Sexual Violence Local Commissioning Test funding to the following services by uplifting the existing grants/contracts:  

7. MOPAC is proposing to allocate the Pre Trial-Outreach Service funding (£488,832) to the London Victim and Witness Service, delivered by Victim Support, by uplifting the existing contract.  

8. Baroness Casey’s review into the standards of behaviour and internal culture of the MPS found it to be institutionally misogynistic and homophobic. The de-prioritisation and de-specialisation of public protection, including an overworked and inexperienced workforce and lack of infrastructure, has put women at greater risk than necessary. The Met is not prioritising the crimes that affect most women and girls.  The relationship between London’s LGBTQ+ community has been significantly damaged. Trust in the Met has fallen significantly amongst the LGBTQ+ community. 

9. The MPS’ Turnaround Plan commits to protecting the most vulnerable and those Londoners who are most likely to be at highest risk of harm from crime, focusing resources to protect and remove them from harm.  

10. Providing specialist tailored support to victims of sexual violence and those supporting cases through the criminal justice process is crucial to both ensuring they receive the support and/or criminal justice outcomes they deserve and improving the trust and confidence of London’s women and girls and its LGBT+ community. 

3. Financial Comments  

1. MOPAC receives funding from the MoJ to partially pay for victim and witness support services MOPAC commissions in London. In August 2022 PCD1235 accepted MoJ funding via two grant agreements (known as Core and General), confirming some of MOPAC’s funding allocation for 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25. The 2023/24 budget currently has MoJ Core and General grant funding of £18,687,441. 

2. This decision requests authority to accept additional MoJ grant funding of £3,348,887.80 (£2,860,055.80 for SV Local Commissioning Test and £488,832.00 for Pre-trial support services) in 2023/24 for the provision of victim services in London. The annual allocations and ring-fenced amounts are set out in paragraph 1.4 above.  

3. The total grant award will be recognised as part of Commissioning and Partnerships budget planning to support service delivery and development over the specified timeline confirmed by MoJ. 

4. It is noted the grant awards require no match funding from MOPAC. 

4. Legal Comments 

1. MOPAC’s general powers are set out in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). Section 3(6) of the 2011 Act provides that MOPAC must “secure the maintenance of the metropolitan police service and secure that the metropolitan police service is efficient and effective.” Under Schedule 3, paragraph 7 (1) 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.   

2. Section 143 (1) (b) of the Anti-Social, Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides for MOPAC to provide or commission services “intended by the local policing body to help victims or witnesses of, or other persons affected by, offences and anti-social behaviour.”   

3. There are further relevant powers set out in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 at sections 17(1) (a) to (c) which place MOPAC under a duty to exercise its functions with due regard to the likely effect of the exercise of those functions on, and the need to do all it can to prevent, crime and disorder (including anti-social and other behaviour adversely affecting the local environment), reoffending in its area, and the misuse of drugs, alcohol and other substances in its area. The proposed arrangements are consistent with MOPAC’s duties in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.   

4. Paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve all offers of grant funding.  

5. Paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve the award of all individual grants whether to secure or contribute to securing crime reduction in London or for other purposes.  

6. Paragraph 4.13 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve all unforeseen variations and extensions to contracts with an original value of £500,000 or above, when the variation or extension is greater than 10% of the original value and/or is for a period of more than 12 months. 

7. Paragraph 4.6 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides the DMPC authority to delegate those functions which are reserved for the DMPC.   

8. These recommendations are in line with the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent.  

9. Officers must ensure the Financial Regulations and Contract Regulations are complied with.  

10. Officers should ensure that the funding agreements are put in place with and executed by MOPAC and each of the providers before any commitment to fund is made. 

5. Commercial Issues  

1. All grants and contracts which utilise this funding will incorporate the relevant terms from the grant agreement between MOPAC and the Ministry of Justice to ensure compliance.  

2. All variations to existing grants and contracts will be made in line with MOPAC’s Contract Regulations and national procurement regulations. 

6. Public Health Approach  

1. This decision provides funding to enable a better informed and more cohesive partnership approach to improving outcomes for victims in London which will align with and support the VRU’s public health approach to tackling the causes of violent crime in London.  

7. GDPR and Data Privacy  

1. MOPAC will adhere to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and ensure that any organisations who are commissioned to do work with or on behalf of MOPAC are fully compliant with the policy and understand their GDPR responsibilities.   

8. Equality Comments  

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. 

2. As highlighted in Baroness Louise Casey’s review standards of behaviour and internal culture of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), women and girls have been left further behind due to various reasons such as the de-prioritisation and de-specialism of certain areas of public protection. This includes rape and serious sexual offences, crimes that disproportionality impact women and girls.  

3. MOPAC will ensure Equalities considerations form part of all work commissioned with this funding. As part of the quarterly performance monitoring of each service we collect demographics information, which helps us to understand who is accessing each service and how any barriers to accessing may be overcome. 

4. Given the findings of institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia in the Casey review there should be enhanced assurance that the recommendations incorporate actions to address this.   

9. Background/supporting papers 

• Appendix 1 PCD 1235 Ministry of Justice Funding for services to victims of crime