PCD 1514 Integrated Offender Management (IOM Neurodiversity and Mentoring services)

PCD 1514 Integrated Offender Management (IOM Neurodiversity and Mentoring services)

Executive Summary: 

Integrated Offender Management (IOM) is the national multi-agency partnership that manages the most persistent, repeat offenders. In 2021 a specific IOM framework for London was launched by MOPAC, MPS, London Probation and partners which, focuses partners on persistent offenders most likely to reoffend violently. In recognition of the importance of this work, Mayoral funding has been allocated to deliver IOM interventions as part of work to address serious violence.  

This decision seeks approval to co-commission with London Probation two new services to support IOM work across London. These two new interventions, one for Neurodiversity support and one for community Mentoring, will support current activity to reduce the reoffending of this group. MOPAC will lead the procurement, which will involve accepting up to £300,000 from London Probation as well as committing £773,000 of MOPAC funding for spend between March 2024 and December 2025.   

This will be the second phase of co-commissioning for London IOM, with PCD 1291 previously agreeing the arrangements for the mental health and service user engagement service. 

This decision also seeks approval for the procurement strategy and delegated authority for contract awards. 

Recommendation: 

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:  

1. Approve the acceptance of up to £300,000 of funding from London Probation in 2023/24 to support this co-commissioning process.  

2. Approve the commencement of a procurement process to co-commission with London Probation two new services to support IOM work across London at a total cost of £1,073,000 from March 2024 to September 2025. 

3. Approve the carry forward of up to £633,000 from the IOM commissioning 2023/24 budget, with up to £334,000 being allocated to 2024/25 and up to £299,000 being allocated to 2025/26. 

4. It is recommended that the Director of Commissioning and Partnerships, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer are granted delegated authority, to award contracts following procurement and for signing future documents in relation to this decision, including contracts and variations. Approval of this decision remains with DMPC as per MOPAC’s Scheme of Delegation. 

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

1. Introduction and background  

1. Integrated Offender Management (IOM) is the national multi-agency arrangement that manages the most persistent, repeat offenders in London. In recent years MOPAC has worked with partners to implement a new framework for IOM in London. The IOM framework is increasing consistency in London IOM and measuring outcomes and impact.  The framework has also re-focused IOM specifically on repeat offenders who in addition pose a medium to high risk of violent reoffending. The current London IOM caseload is overwhelmingly male, with the two biggest age groups being 25-34 and 35-44. 

2. Evidence clearly shows that persistent IOM offenders have a significant impact on the crime rate in London, with adult offenders with 11+ previous offences making up 38% of all adult reoffenders in London but committing over 75% of all adult proven reoffences. Violence is also increasing within this group, with the proportion of London IOM eligible cases with a violent index offence growing from 10% in 2013 to 40% in 2020. For these reasons reducing IOM reoffending is a specific aim of the Police and Crime Plan. 

3. In addition to working with partners to implement the London IOM framework, the medium-term financial plan includes funding totalling £2.1m over the three-year period 2022/23 to 2024/25 to support improved IOM interventions to reduce the risk of violence posed by this group. This decision seeks approval to use £773,000 of this funding alongside additional investment from London Probation. 

4. Since April last year MOPAC has been meeting with key partners involved in IOM delivery to convene a co-commissioning process for improved IOM interventions. This has resulted in agreement with London Probation that they will contribute up to £300,000 to co-commission two new IOM interventions; for Neurodiversity and Mentoring. This is in addition to the London Probation funding previously provided for phase one of co-commissioning as detailed in PCD 1291. 

5. The Neurodiversity service will address the specific needs of neurodivergent individuals and achieve outcomes in relation to assessments, tailored support and staff training and awareness. By offering specialist support for neurodivergent individuals, this provision aims to improve engagement with CJS services and reduced risk of violence and reoffending. Neurodivergent individuals have unique needs and challenges that contribute to their involvement in offending behaviour. By commissioning a neurodiversity service, these underlying issues can be identified, and appropriate support can be provided. A tailored neurodiversity services will increase the chances of successful rehabilitation and reduce the likelihood of reoffending. The approach to this area has been developed through intensive consultation with stakeholders and experts across the health and justice sector and is in line with the current evidence base, the findings of the HMIP Review on Neurodiversity in the CJS and the MoJ national action plan for this area. 

6. The Mentoring service will cater specifically for males within Integrated Offender Management, aiming to address their thinking, behaviour, and attitudes, while also providing practical assistance. Through the mentoring process, individuals will be guided to identify, and challenge limiting beliefs, foster a growth mindset, refine decision-making skills, and build resilience. Additionally, the service will extend practical help to tackle various challenges service users may encounter, such as attending appointments and removing practical barriers around starting work, opening a bank account and attending vocational training. These are all factors that have been linked to reducing the risks of violence and reoffending posed by this group in London. 

7. Both services will be fully integrated and evaluated as part of the London IOM framework, which works to reduce reoffending from the most persistent, violent offenders in London. The planned process and performance evaluation of London IOM will include these services. 

2. Issues for consideration 

1. This decision seeks approval to commission two new interventions for London IOM from March 2024 to December 2025, one a dedicated Neurodiversity support service and one a Mentoring provision. This will be a co-commissioning process, using combined MOPAC and London Probation funding, to meet the needs as outlined above.  

2. The Neurodiversity (ND) service will offer dedicated practitioners across London, who will be integrated into local IOM arrangements. All London IOM service users in the community will be screened for neurodiversity needs, to pick up the hidden individual needs in this area and also to build a comprehensive evidence base about the scale and type of this need within the London IOM cohort. The ND provider will also refer those service users who seek a diagnosis to the appropriate NHS service. Individuals who may not meet the clinical diagnostic threshold will still benefit from adjustments to how IOM interventions are delivered as their needs emerge. The provider will plan and negotiate what specialist support can be provided within the scope of this contract to meet specific needs. The overall aim of this service will be to reduce reoffending and violence by providing reasonable adjustments and specialist support to IOM service users and improving practitioner knowledge and confidence. 

3. The Mentoring provision will use mentors who possess lived experience and/or are highly relatable to CJS service users. This one-to-one service will be delivered across London, with the provider taking an assertive approach by offering outreach mentoring to service users outside of IOM offices, where it is deemed more effective. In addition to the practical support on offer to remove common barriers to risk reduction and progress, mentors will effectively link service users into other networks of support and build their motivation to engage. The combination of personalised mentoring and practical support ensures that service users receive the necessary guidance and resources to reduce risk and repeat offending. 

4. The funding for these services will consist of £773,000 included in the MOPAC medium term financial plan 2022/23 – 2024/25 and £300,000 of funding from London Probation. This co-commissioning process will be underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Justice. 

5. To maximise the resources for these interventions and the effective use of match funding, approval is also requested to carry forward £633,000 allocated to IOM commissioning for this finance year, with £334,000 being allocated to 2024/25 and £300,000 being allocated to 2025/26. 

3. Financial Comments  

1. This decision seeks approval to commission two new services to support IOM work across London at a total cost of £1,073,000 for the 3-year period 2023/24 – 2025/26. Costs will be met from £773,000 of MOPAC funding and income of up to £300,000 from London Probation.  

2. The table below sets out the costs and how these will be funded. As part of the decision, approval is being sought to carry forward funds of £633,000 from the 2023/24 Commissioning and Partnerships IOM budget to fund the project in future years and maximise the grant funding available.  

4. Legal Comments  

1. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 at sections 17(1) (a)to (c) places 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. These proposed commissioning arrangements are consistent with MOPAC’s duties in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. 

2. Section 143 (1) of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides an express power for MOPAC, as a local policing body, to provide or arrange for the provision of (a) services that in the opinion of the local policing body will secure, or contribute to securing, crime and disorder reduction in the body's area and (b) services “intended by the local policing body to help victims or witnesses of, or other persons affected by, offences and anti-social behaviour.”  

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

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 business cases for revenue or capital expenditure of £500,000 or above. The release of funding in accordance with the proposals set out in this decision form is accordingly to be approved by the DMPC. The delegation of responsibility for the finalisation of planning and contractual/grant arrangements, including relevant terms and the signing of agreements, to the Chief Executive Officer, is in accordance with the general power of delegation in paragraph 1.7, and more specifically paragraphs 5.4, 5.12 and 5.13.   

5. Officers must ensure that the arrangements comply with the Financial Regulations and the Contracts Regulations.  

6. The Mayor's Office for Policing Crime is a contracting authority as defined in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("the Regulations"). All awards of public contracts for goods and/or services valued at £181,302 or above will be procured in accordance with the Regulations 

5. Commercial Issues 

1. This co-commissioning arrangement with London Probation will be underpinned by a MoU to define the purpose, roles and responsibilities of each commissioning partner and the agreed financial contributions. 

2. MOPAC will be the lead commissioner for this competitive procurement process and contracts will be awarded in line with Procurement Contract Regulations 2015 (PCR2015). The process and the procurement strategy for these new IOM interventions was previously approved at Procurement, Grants and Contracts Oversight Board. 

3. This procurement will take account and comply with the GLA Group’s Responsible Procurement (RP) Policy. 

6. Public Health Approach 

1. The provision of a neurodiversity service for London IOM, which will include a trauma informed and evidence-based approach to reducing triggers for offending and violence, is entirely consistent with a public health approach to violence reduction. The role of neurodiversity in repeat offending and violence is not yet known and part of this intervention will be to develop the evidence base about effective health approaches in this area that might reduce reoffending. 

2. Specialist mentoring provision for London IOM, that uses dedicated support and lived experience to increase the motivation to change of persistent offenders, thus reducing their risk of violence, is also part of a public health approach.  

3. Details of this approach have been shared and agreed with the Violence Reduction Unit and GLA Public Health colleagues. 

7. GDPR and Data Privacy 

1. For the new services MOPAC and London Probation will be joint Data Controllers. 

2. A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) will be produced to identify and minimise risks to data subjects. This document will also reflected evaluation plans for London IOM to ensure that sufficient data is available to enable this. 

3. All providers funded by MOPAC are required to comply with the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. 

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 proposed Neurodiversity provision will be dedicated to addressing existing disparities and (often hidden) disabilities, with a proactive approach to reducing social disadvantages and fostering positive health and personal outcomes. Culturally sensitive and inclusive interventions will be at the core of the service, ensuring full access and engagement to service users who have previously faced barriers while trying to access mainstream support services. Data reveals that women with neurodivergent conditions often mask their ND needs differently compared to the general population. Thus, special attention will be given to comprehending and meeting the unique requirements of this diverse group. The ultimate goal of the Neurodiversity Service is to create an environment where the service users feel understood, respected, and empowered to change their own behaviour. This service, which has been developed in collaboration with health colleagues across the system, will also build an evidence base for the ND need within the London CJS and test which approaches and adjustments are most effective in responding to these needs. 

3. The mentoring service will be aimed for males, with other specialist gender informed support available for women via the co-commissioned “Women in London CJS service”. The IOM service will be designed and delivered in a manner that recognises and respects the unique challenges faced by the IOM cohort from different backgrounds. By adopting an inclusive approach, the service will contribute to promoting diversity, breaking down barriers, and fostering a more equitable environment for all those service users seeking support.  

4. Both services will be culturally sensitive and gendered alongside understanding neurodiversity and mentoring needs 

5. Background/supporting papers 

None