PCD 1461 Programme Response to City Hall’s Comprehensive Needs Assessment into CAPVA

PCD 1461 Programme Response to City Hall’s Comprehensive Needs Assessment into CAPVA

In April 2022, the Mayor published the outcome of ground-breaking research into Child and Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse (CAPVA) in London. Our research highlighted the difficulties in measuring CAPVA due to underreporting because of the persistent shame, stigma and fear of criminalisation attached to this form of domestic abuse. The research found a continued misconception across society that CAPVA is symptomatic of parental failure, and a misunderstanding of the distinct dynamics of CAPVA as a form of domestic abuse.

The research includes 10 key recommendations to improve the identification and response to CAPVA in London. This included recommendations for practitioners working with families, the VRU and national policy makers.

The VRU designed an Invitation to Bid to enable local authorities apply for a grant to put the recommendations of our research into practice. The purpose of the grant is to strengthen the way CAPVA is identified and responded to at a local level, and thereby:

• Reduce the use of violence and abuse within the family home
• Repair familial relationships and improve feelings of safety in the home
• Improve awareness of CAPVA, and improve system and partnership responses to CAPVA at a local level

The VRU ran a competitive Invitation to Bid process whereby local authorities were required to demonstrate an understanding of the local need and how the funding will enable systems improvements.

This decision requests approval for the allocation of £754,000 across 24 months to support local authorities to improve their local response to CAPVA.

We intend to utilise the learning from these programmes to inform national policy in relation to CAPVA, including advocating for a statutory definition of CAPVA and accompanying statutory guidance for all agencies with safeguarding responsibilities.

The VRU will run a competitive tender process to identify an independent researcher to conduct an evaluation to run alongside the programme, and to develop learning materials and guidance that can be disseminated widely and shared as best practice. This decision therefore also requests approval for the allocation of up to £100,000 across 30 months for an evaluation partner to explore and highlight the key learning from the programme.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:

• Approve the allocation of £200,000 to the London Borough of Merton
• Approve the allocation of £554,316 to London Borough of Enfield. The London Borough of Enfield will hold responsibility for distributing funding to partners, including the London Borough of Haringey.
• Approve the allocation of up to £100,000 for an evaluation/learning partner

Approve delegating the final contract award decision for the evaluation of the programme to the Director of the VRU.

1. Introduction and background
2. 1. The VRU are committed to better understanding the complex, underlying causes of violence. A consistent concern has been the prevalence and dynamics of violence and abuse by children towards parents and carers, and in April 2022, the VRU published a ground-breaking comprehensive needs assessment into the issues of CAPVA in London.

1. 2. In January 2023, the VRU hosted a round table event, and invited experts across sectors, including education, the voluntary community sector, child protection, policing, and local authorities. Together, partners reviewed the recommendations and provided feedback on how the recommendations could be put into practice. Our key findings were focussed around 5 components;

1. Delivery of whole-family support for families affected by CAPVA (including siblings)
2. Improved multi-agency collaboration between agencies when addressing CAPVA and safety concerns
3. Improved awareness of CAPVA as a form of abuse, and workforce development on how to respond
4. Development of safeguarding policies and risk assessments to ensure that CAPVA is identified at the earliest opportunity
5. Improved data collection to ensure a better understanding of CAPVA dynamics and prevalence

1. 3. The VRU launched an Invitation to Bid process in which local authorities were required to outline how they would meet each component of the approach, whilst also adopting the approach to local development needs and context.

1. 4. The ITB was issued on 22^nd March 2023 and closed on 24^th April 2023. The evaluation and moderation were completed between 25^th April and 3^rd May. The VRU received 10 bids, 3 were from single local authorities, 7 were collaborative bids. See the outcome of moderation below;

1. 5. All applicants were evaluated in accordance with the award criteria included in the Invitation to Bid. The criteria included the following;

1. 1. 1. A description of CAPVA prevalence and presenting need in their area  
      2. Outline the key partners that will be involved in the programme? How will they bring partners together to improve their local response to CAPVA?   
      3. An outline of their proposal to deliver each element of the 5 components of the approach outlined in paragraph 1.2
      4. A mobilisation plan
      5. Breakdown of costs and how many children, families, and professionals will be supported through the proposal.

1. 6. The 2 bids that scored the highest were a collaborative bid with Haringey and Enfield, and London Borough of Merton. With scores of 75% and 69% respectively.

1. 7. See a short overview of the proposals below;

1. 8. Following contract award, we work with the boroughs to finalise arrangements for mobilisation and delivery.

2. Issues for consideration

1. 1. CAPVA is an underreported and misunderstood form of violence and abuse. Research by the Office for the National Domestic Abuse Commissioner highlights a ‘policy silence’ surrounding CAPVA, owing to the ambiguity and secrecy surrounding the issue. As such, CAPVA fails to ‘fit neatly’ within youth justice, child welfare or domestic abuse policy frameworks- and therefore there is ambiguity of how the problem should be addressed, and who is responsible locally with responding to it. Our recent engagement with partners reinforced this issue, with examples given of agencies struggling to know how to respond when CAPVA is identified, and the inadequacy of forums such as the MARAC in responding to domestic abuse where the ‘perpetrator’ is a child.

1. 2. Both the VRUs comprehensive needs assessment, and Domestic Abuse Commissioners research calls for a statutory definition of CAPVA and a dedicated national CAPVA policy, to provide statutory guidance to agencies, services and practitioners supporting families experiencing this form of family abuse.

1. 3. Through this programme, the VRU have a distinct opportunity to increase the profile of CAPVA and ensure it connects to policy development- at a national level. We intend to appoint an independent evaluation/learning partner to support us to understand and disseminate key learning from the programme and produce materials that can inform ‘best practice’ documents for London, and national guidance. To identify an evaluation/learning partner we will run an open procurement process.

1. 4.  Alongside this, we will develop powerful comms materials to support awareness raising and discussions around the issue- putting the experiences of young people at the forefront.

1. 5. The VRU will mobilise a strategic group to gather learning from the programmes, identify promising practice and policy change opportunities in this area. The group will include experts from across the voluntary community sector and statutory safeguarding agencies, and work closely with the evaluation/learning partner to inform direction.

3. Financial Comments

1. 1. This decision requests approval to provide funding of £854,316 for the financial period 2023/24 – 2025/26 to support local authorities to improve their local response to Child and Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse (CAPVA) in London and to evaluate the programme.

1. 2.  Of this £754,316 will be awarded to the London Borough of Merton and London Borough of Enfield (collaborative bid) to improve their local response to CAPVA, and £100,000 will be used to fund the evaluation of the programme.

1. 3. The London Borough of Enfield will act as ‘lead borough’ and hold responsibility for distributing funding to partners- including the London Borough of Haringey.

1. 4. Further detail is set out in the table below.

4. Legal Comments

1. 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.

1. 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 victims or witnesses of or other persons affected by offences and anti-social 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 thinks appropriate

1. 3. 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.

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

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

5. Commercial Issues

1. 1.  An invitation to Bid was sent out to all Local authorities which included the specification, award criteria, Terms and Conditions and all other documentation specified on paragraph 11.4 of the MOPAC Contract Regulations. Budget thresholds was set as:

1. This grant is for a maximum of £100,000 per annum, for a period of 2 years (maximum £200,000 for 2 years) per Local Authority.  
2. Collaborative bids with multiple local authorities could apply for up to £300,000 per annum. (maximum £600,000 for 2 years). 

1. 2. The grants will be awarded to the two top scorers which are:
      1. London Borough of Enfield/London Borough of Haringey
      2. London Borough of Merton

1. 3. Following a compliant tendering process officers can confirm that the grant awards comply with the MOPAC Contract Regulations.

1. 4. This decision seeks to approve the allocation of £100,000 for the VRU to enter a competitive tender process to commission an external evaluation partner.

1. 5.  As stated in MOPAC Contract Regulation, all tender documentation shall include as a minimum the following:

1. 1. 1. A specification that describes the MOPAC’s requirements in sufficient detail to enable the submission of competitive offers.
      2. A requirement for tenderers to declare that the Tender content, price or any other figure or particulars concerning the Tender have not been disclosed by the tenderer to any other party (except where such a disclosure is made in confidence for a necessary purpose).
      3. A requirement for tenderers to complete fully and sign all Tender documents including a form of Tender and certificates relating to canvassing and non-collusion.
      4. Notification that Tenders are submitted to the MOPAC on the basis that they are compiled at the tenderer’s expense

1. 6. The services will be procured using the open procedure all tender documentation including the above requirements will be published on Contracts Finder and the MOPAC website. A panel will evaluate in line with the criteria set out and the bidder with the top scores will be awarded the contract following an award decision in line with the delegated authority requested in the recommendations.
   7. The author of the report has demonstrated clear rationale for the proposed procurement route and contracting arrangements.

6. Public Health Approach

1. 1. London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) is taking a public health approach to violence reduction, that is contextual; looking at the context and influences that impact on individuals at significant points in their life.

1. 2. Two key areas which are being focussed on as part of this approach, and align with this programme are:

• • Children and Young People – reducing Adverse Childhood Experiences and building resilience

• • Families and Home – Support & enable families to nurture and protect young people

• • Evidence-informed decision making is fundamental to taking a public health approach, and an evaluation/learning partner will support the VRU to achieve this, whilst also expanding the evidence base on what works to reduce violence

7. GDPR and Data Privacy

1. 1. As this is an extension to an existing project, there are no changes to GDPR implications.

8. Equality Comments

1. 1. The VRU have prioritised tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), recognising that women and girls are disproportionately affected by intersecting domestic abuse, sexual violence and exploitation, and the significant impact such violence has on children exposed to it. The investment in CAPVA reflects this prioritisation and supports the Mayor’s Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.

9. Background/supporting papers

1. 1. The Comprehensive needs assessment into CAPVA is available here;

Mayor announces ground-breaking research into child-to-parent violence | London City Hall