PCD 1447 Change in Provider – Grant Funding for Land Search for a new London SCH

PCD 1447 Change in Provider – Grant Funding for Land Search for a new London SCH

There are currently no Secure Children’s Homes in London, with London children being placed an average of 124 miles from home, which is disruptive for the child, their families and the services supporting them. The Department for Education has awarded just over £3.5 million in funds for feasibility work for the design and build of Secure Children’s Homes provision in London. 

A previous Decision, PCD 1159 approved the grant funding of £65,000 to the West London Alliance for a land search in London for the provision of Secure Children’s Homes.  

Since the previous decision, the West London Alliance are no longer managing the project, and funding for the project is being managed by the London Borough of Barnet. 

This Decision requests authorisation to grant fund the London Borough of Barnet £65,000 for a Land Search to support the feasibility work for a London Secure Children’s Home. 

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. Approve the grant funding of £65,000 to the London Borough of Barnet for a land Search in London for the provision of Secure Children’s Homes.  Noting this replaces a previous Decision, (PCD 1159) to award grant funding to the West London Alliance. 

2. To approve the carry forward of funds from the Gangs - Consistent Services budget line totalling £7,400. 

1. Introduction and background 

1. There are currently no Secure Children’s Homes in London, meaning that children from London are placed far away from their homes (an average of 123 miles). Vulnerable children need to be placed closer to home to ensure that they receive continuity in the support services accessed and are able to maintain ties with family and educational provision. 

2. Secure Children’s Homes provide Welfare placements for children and young people placed in secure accommodation by a local authority, and Justice placements for children and young people on sentence by the criminal courts or if they are refused bail and remanded to local authority accommodation with secure conditions attached. It is not uncommon for young people to fall within both welfare and justice categories. 

3. Placements for boys and girls aged between 10 and 17 and include full residential care, educational facilities and healthcare provision. A very high level of intensive help is offered to each young person, with low children to staff ratios. It is the most vulnerable young people who are placed within Secure Children’s Homes. 

4. This project originated from a review commissioned by the Association of London Directors of Children’s Services and NHS England to address concerns around the availability, distance travelled, outcomes achieved and high costs of secure placements for London’s children and young people. MOPAC contributed funding to this review. Analysis suggested an estimated average of 33 children or young people from London were accommodated in Secure Children’s Homes at any point of time.  This was made up of 21 welfare and 12 justice placements. 

2. Issues for consideration  

1. This decision follows on from a previous decision, PCD 1159, which approved grant funding to support the development of a new London Secure Children’s Home through land search provision. 

2. The London Borough of Barnet have given assurances that this funding will be used towards the commissioning of site search consultants, to undertake a full search of sites across London and to progress sequential testing and engagement work to further progress the site search and move towards a planning submission. 

3. Since the previous decision there has been a change in the management arrangements for this project, therefore funds now need to be transferred to the London Borough of Barnet, who are managing all funding for the project. The West London Alliance are no longer managing this project and therefore cannot accept the funding. 

3. Financial Comments  

1. The total budget requirement for this work totals £65,000 and includes the carry forward of funds totalling £7,400 from the Gangs - Consistent Services budget line which is subject to DMPC approval. 

2. Funding will be allocated via a grant agreement to the London Borough of Barnet. 

  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 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. 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 bids for grant funding. 

3. The delegation of responsibility for the finalisation of planning and contractual/grant arrangements, including relevant terms and the signing of agreements, to the Chief Operating Officer is in accordance with the general power of delegation in paragraph 1.7. 

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

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

  6. Officers confirm that sufficient assurance has been carried out to this Decision to determine that the DMPC has legal authority to agree the recommendations. 

5. Commercial Issues  

5.1 This Decision asks for the approval of the issuance of a grant to a local authority and is not commercially sensitive. It has also been discussed at the MOPAC Procurement Contracts and Grants Oversight Board for compliance and governance purposes. 

6. Public Health Approach 

6.1 This proposal is consistent with a public health approach, seeking to locate young people within secure accommodation where parents/carers and professionals will have easier accessibility to provide support and guidance and provide the best opportunities to specifically challenge individuals to change their lifestyle to move away from behaviour associated with increased risk of violence. 

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. The children placed in SCHs via both justice and welfare routes are some of the most vulnerable in society, with high incidence of mental health issues and high rates of suicidal ideation and self-harm. The lack of provision in London means that these children are often placed far away from home and therefore vital support networks.  

3. The provision of appropriate London SCHs is vital to ensure that these vulnerable children are provided with the support that they need and to avoid the disproportionality driven by a lack of availability of SCH beds in the London area. 

9. Background/supporting papers 

PCD 1159