PCD 1442 Parent Carer Champion Network(PCCN)

PCD 1442 Parent Carer Champion Network(PCCN)

This decision requests the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime to approve an uplift in the FY 2023/2024 funding allocation for the Parent Carer Champion Network which incorporates carry forward funding from previous years.  This decision is an extension of previous decision (PCD 1263) and would see the total spending for FY 2023/2024 increased from £2,000,000 to £2,190,144. 

Currently 27 local authorities have taken up the funding for Parent Carer Champion Networks (PCCN) and have thriving and successful networks supporting hundreds of parents across London, and there’s funding set aside for a further 5, bringing the total up to 32 local authorities. Current funding allocates £62,500 per local authority, and this decision will increase that to £68,442. The additional spend will be made up of £171,880 carried forward from PCCN underspend from previous years, and £18,264 from Parenting Developments PCD 1295, and will allow for additional work with fathers and a focus on supporting children through education transition years. 

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:  

• Approve an uplift in the allocation of funding in 2023-2024 for delivery of PCCN in 32 local authorities of £190,144. The £190,144 increase will be funded by £171,880 carried forward from PCCN underspend from previous years, and £18,264 from Parenting Developments (PCD 1295) 

• Note this will increase the total allocation in 2023/24 for PCCN from £2,000,000 to £2,190,144 

1. Introduction and background – 

1. The VRU’s budget enables us to fund a range of ambitious and crucial programmes that are designed to improve the environments, relationships, or behaviours that, if unaddressed and unsupported, may otherwise lead to violence. 

2. The VRUs approach to violence reduction means putting communities, young people and their families at the heart of tackling the issue; and particularly in those parts of London most affected – often taking a place-based approach to violence reduction. This includes work programme interventions to support those neighbourhoods which have experienced sustained and high levels of violence. 

3. Parent Carer Champion Network was initially developed in 2020 with all 32 boroughs being able to access VRU funding to support the delivery of Parent support within boroughs to enable safe spaces to share experiences, receive training and to receive peer-to-peer support from those within the community. Delivery on a borough-by-borough basis to ensure borough needs are met. While supporting a public health approach to improve outcomes for CYP.  

4. Parents/carers of children of an adolescent age (11 to 24 years) who may be at risk of/have experienced youth violence, exploitation and/or grooming and Parents who need support navigating the education, criminal justice, or social care system(s) supporting early intervention. It has been identified through PCCN feedback and engagement that as way of prevention PCCN can be offered to the wider community and support in areas such as Transitional stages from primary to secondary. 

5. PCCN has previously been delivered over 6-month programmes, extending to 9 months, this has resulted in the programme retention being impacted with Parent Carer networks being on pause during gaps in funding. The additional funding is supporting a yearlong delivery which will enable the networks to extend support to larger cohorts and deliver on additional areas such as holiday programmes to build better relationships, SEND to support increased understanding. To build stronger and more resilient families. 

6. PCCN reach 2022/23 included 501 PC champions trained, Group session extended reach to 2780 parents and carers, 1.2.1 support for those identified with additional support needs outside of group work, 600 workshops and coffee mornings and 204 Training sessions to improve knowledge and understanding and empowerment of both Champions and Parents and Carers engaged through the network.  

7. Summary of delivery partners – PCCN successfully Deliver across 27 boroughs 2023/24 with 5 remaining boroughs on boarding for 2023/24.  

8. Delivery is supported by the VRU outcomes framework ‘Families ‘: Family members are supported to improve their wellbeing and foster supportive, healthy family relationships. 

• Improved relationships with family 

• Improved family functioning 

• Increased confidence in parenting 

2. Issues for consideration 

1. This decision is an extension to PCD1263 and PCD1295 where £2,000,000 was originally approved for spend on the Parent Carer Champion Network. The increased funding of £190,144 is to be made up of £171,880 carried forward from PCCN underspend from previous years, and £18,264 from Parenting Developments PCD1295. 

2. The increase in funding per borough of £5,942 will allow for additional work with fathers and a focus on supporting children through education transition years. 

3.       Financial Comment 

1. This decision seeks approval to uplift the allocation of funding in 2023-2024, for delivery of PCCN in 32 local authorities by £190,144.  

2. The total budget required for PCCN across FY 2023-2024 is 2,190,144. This will be made up of:- 

• £2,000,000 Mayoral Core funding PCD1263 and PCD1295 

• £171,880 carried forward underspend from previous years, the opening balance on the carry forward reserve for 2023/24 is £171,880 and therefore this decision will exhaust the carry forward 

• £18,264 Parenting Developments Budget PCD1295 

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.” This is a broad power, and the initiatives appear to be part of a number of proposals which are aimed at supporting victims of crime to enable the efficiency and effectiveness of the police service. In addition, under Schedule 3, paragraph 7 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. Under MOPAC’s Scheme of Delegation, the award of individual contracts of £500,000 and above is reserved to the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime. This includes the responsibility for signing the contractual agreements. 

3. Officers must ensure that the arrangements comply with the Financial Regulations and Contract Regulations.  

4. Officers can confirm that the DMPC has the legal authority to agree this decision. 

5. Commercial Issues  

1. This decision is seeking approval to increase funding to all 32 boroughs to further increase the Parent Carer Champion work.  

2. All 32 boroughs will be sent a Grant Agreement which will include the mandatory requirements, specification, reporting requirements and our outcomes. The Local Authorities pricing to deliver the services is in line with their existing pricing schedule with 10% going towards management costs and the rest of the funds will go towards the PCCN activities. 

6. Public Health Approach  

1. The spend plan takes a public health approach to tackling violence, which means looking at violence not as isolated incidents or solely a police enforcement problem. Instead, this approach looks at violence as a preventable consequence of a range of factors, such as adverse early-life experiences, or harmful social or community experiences and influences.  

2. Evaluation of good practice to answer the question ‘what works and for whom?’ which must also happen before policy and programmes can be effectively scaled up and sustained to contribute to population level outcomes (a core requirement for public health programmes). 

3. This piece of work has been informed by discussions and feedback from stakeholders including the use of data to take evidence informed approach to investment. 

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. Suppliers will be asked to provide a Data Protection Impact Assessment. 

2. All contracts will include clear provisions relating to compliance in this area, and in relation to the processing of personal data. These terms have been drafted following consultation with MOPAC’s GDPR Project Manager.  

8. Equality Comments 

1.  Under s.149 of the Equality Act 2010 (the Equality Act), as a public authority the Deputy Mayor/MOPAC must have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and any conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act; and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. Protected characteristics under the Equality Act are age, disability, gender re-assignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and marriage or civil partnership status (the duty in respect of this last characteristic is to eliminate unlawful discrimination only). 
    

2. The VRU are committed to promoting equality and participation in all their activities, whether this is related to the work we do with our external stakeholders or whether this is related to our responsibilities as an employer. As public authorities we are also required to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations when making decisions and developing policies. To do this, it is necessary to understand the potential impacts of the range of internal and external activities on different groups of people. 

3. We will be carrying out an equality impact assessment across the Talk Matters and Difference Matters programmes to ensure that all protected characteristics are considered in the commissioning and delivery of this work.  

9. Background/supporting papers 

n/a