PCD 1526 Violence Against Women and Girls Support Services – 24/25 Commissioning Decisions

PCD 1526 Violence Against Women and Girls Support Services – 24/25 Commissioning Decisions

In March 2022, the Mayor published his new Police and Crime Plan (PCP), and in June 2022, he published his refreshed Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy. These documents set out MOPAC’s strategic priorities for the remainder of the Mayoralty and represent a large and complex delivery programme.  

A key VAWG Strategy commitment is to continue to work with partners, including the VAWG sector, to review how sexual violence service provision can better serve victims and survivors from all backgrounds and with diverse experiences; and how it can reflect learning from the thematic reviews. MOPAC is in the process of undertaking user-led sexual violence services redesign (CEOD 12-2022 refers), which will lead to the re-commissioning of these services in London. 

Whilst this activity is ongoing and a comprehensive transition plan is developed to support the implementation of the new service model, MOPAC’s existing commissioned services will continue to provide the much needed specialist support for victim-survivors of sexual violence in London. This decision therefore seeks approval to extend these services and confirm funding allocations up until 31 March 2025.   

The following 8 services have been identified as key programmes supporting the delivery of the Mayor’s ambition to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls and support victims and survivors: 

• The four London Rape Crisis Centres, covering North, South, East and West London 

• London Survivors Gateway, a partnership providing services for survivors of sexual violence 

• Survivors UK, specialist support for male victims of rape and sexual abuse 

• Galop, specialist support for LGBTQI+ victims of rape and sexual abuse 

• Havens Sexual Assault and Referral Centres (SARCs)  

The total financial commitment for these 8 services in 2024/2025 will be £6,624,956, in line with 2023/24 budget provision.  

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. Approve 2024/25 funding and subsequent extensions for all existing sexual violence support services commissioned by MOPAC, up to a maximum total value of £6,624,956 until 31 March 2025.   

2. Note that the 2024/25 budget is subject to approval, in particular whilst the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) have confirmed that MOPAC will be in receipt of the devolved Sexual Violence Local Test Commissioing (SV LCT) Fund in 2024/2025, the settlement has not yet been confirmed. In the event the level of funding assumed is not received, budget allocations for all affected services will be reduced accordingly. 

3. Note that any further extensions, uplifts, or new funding allocations confirmed are subject to DMPC approval and/or additional funding being identified. 

4. Delegate authority for the finalisation and execution of relevant grant modifications to the Chief Financial Officer, in accordance with the general power of delegation in paragraph 1.7 of the MOPAC Scheme of Consent and Delegation.  

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

1. Introduction and background  

1. The refreshed Mayor of London VAWG Strategy 2022-2025 includes a commitment for MOPAC to “continue to work with partners, including the VAWG sector, to review how sexual violence service provision can better serve victims and survivors from all backgrounds and with diverse experiences; and how it can reflect learning from the thematic reviews conducted by HMICFRS, the government’s Rape Review, Operation Soteria Bluestone and London’s Victims’ Commissioner’s Rape Review.”  

2. There is a need to reform the response to persons who have experienced rape and other sexual violence/abuse in London, specifically there is a need to:  

1. Improve the police response at the point of reporting and subsequent investigation  

2. Move towards holding the perpetrators to account rather than an intrusive investigation of the victim-survivor  

3. Enhance the service provided by the CJS for victim-survivors to enable them to achieve the best justice outcome 

4. Improve the accessibility of services that support a victim-survivor (and ultimately those significant others who have been affected) as currently the demand far outweighs the provision  

5. Significantly improve the timeliness of investigations and administration of justice  

6. Change the environment and societal culture so that we can make this a hostile environment for VAWG, particularly misogyny.  

3. MOPAC is in the process of undertaking user-led sexual violence services redesign of provision in London, in response to the significant increase in demand and strained capacity within services (CEOD 12-2022 refers). This review will help to inform the decisions for the re-commissioning of sexual violence services.   

2. Issues for Consideration 

1. Whilst this activity is ongoing and a comprehensive transition plan is developed to support the implementation of the new service model, MOPAC’s existing commissioned services will continue to provide the much needed specialist support for victim-survivors of sexual violence in London 

2. MOPAC currently commission and/or co-commission the following 8 services to deliver specialise sexual violence services to support victims-survivors: 

• The four London Rape Crisis Centres, covering North, South, East and West London 

• London Survivors Gateway, a partnership providing services for survivors of sexual violence 

• Survivors UK, specialist support for male victims of rape and sexual abuse 

• Galop, specialist support for LGBTQI+ victims of rape and sexual abuse 

• Havens Sexual Assault and Referral Centres (SARCs).  

3. The funding for these services is provided through a combination of sources, including from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). PCD’s 943, 1235, and 1445 confirmed relevant MoJ funding for its national ring-fenced ISVA/IDVA Fund up until 2024/25. MOPAC has therefore already confirmed relevant ISVA/IDVA Fund awards for all 8 sexual violence services until 31 March 2025, in line with MoJ’s grant conditions. 

4. In order for the provision of sexual violence services to continue, this decision seeks to confirm additional funding allocations from relevant sources for all 8 services, from 1 April 2024 until 31 March 2025. Please note, Haven’s SARC’s are subject to additional separate funding from MOPAC as part the co-commissioning of the service with NHS England. This is being managed in a separate decision already in progress.   

5. Table 1 in Section 3 on page 5 provides a breakdown of 2024/25 funding for all 8 services, highlighting both where funding has already been confirmed and where this decision is seeking the approval of additional funding for 2024/25.   

6. All funding arrangements to projects and services have been considered under their own merits; how these contribute towards the Mayor’s aims to make London the safest and most welcoming city in the world; and to ensure that they have demonstrated satisfactory performance and value for money.  

7. Despite an increase in police reported crime, trust and confidence in the MPS to deliver an effective service has been eroded by several high-profile misconduct cases and the publication of the Casey Review. The Casey review found the MPS to be institutionally sexist and had failed to protect women and girls from gendered crime and violence.  The commissioning of sexual violence services  is part of the Mayor’s focus on tackling VAWG and supports the recommendations of the Casey Review to improve women’s trust and confidence.   

3. Financial Comments  

1. This decision requests approval to allocate funding to Violence Against Women and Girls contracts or grants delivered across 8 services detailed in section 2.3, at a total cost of £6,624,956 for the period 2024/25. 

2. The 2024/25 budget is subject to approval, in particular whilst the MoJ has confirmed that MOPAC will be in receipt of the devolved Sexual Violence Local Test Commissioning (SV LCT) Fund in 2024/2025, the settlement has not yet been confirmed.  MOPAC are assuming the allocation to be as in line with 2023/2024. In the event funding is reduced, budget allocations will be reduced accordingly. The Grant Agreements will include terms that allow MOPAC to reduce the value of any of the individual Grant to offset the impact of any potential reduction in funding. 

3. A breakdown of the individual cost per service and associated funding allocations for 2024-25 are set out in the table below:  

*2024/2025 funding already confirmed 

 **2024/2025 Indicative MoJ SVLCT Fund 

4. Payments will be made in line with current arrangements in the contract or grant, following satisfactory performance and contract or grant management meetings. 

5. Funding sources are provisional only and subject to change. Confirmation of funding sources will be finalised as part of the final budget submission. 

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 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. 

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. Under MOPAC’s Scheme of Delegation, the approval of business cases for revenue or capital expenditure of £500,000 and above, are for the DMPC. The strategy for grant giving, the award of individual grants, all offers made and the award of grant funding are also for the DMPC. The decisions in this report can be approved by the DMPC. 

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

6. 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. 

7. Officers confirm that sufficient assurance has been carried out to this decision to determine that the DMPC has legal authority to agree the recommendations on funding and the extension of grants. 

5. Commercial Issues  

1. This decision requests to extend funding to existing grants, as laid out in 2.2 and Table 1 at 3.3, or create new grants where needed, and the uplift is in line with the terms and conditions of the grant agreements. 

2. MOPAC makes no commitment to fund the organisations listed in 2.2 above until grant amendment been signed by both parties. These will detail the new performance and payment schedules, in line with previous arrangements. 

3. The modification requests to the grant agreements will comply with the MOPAC Scheme of Consent and Delegation. 

6. Public Health Approach 

1. VAWG is a public health issue. Grant awards to these services is informed by the Mayor’s public health approach to violence reduction and therefore part of MOPAC’s contribution to overall efforts support victims and perpetrators of violence. The public health approach to violence prevention is being led by London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), which supports the MOPAC work through preventative programmes supporting young people. 

2. Further details on the public health approaches of each project or service can befound in the decisions referenced in 9.1. 

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.   

2. The extension of funding for the projects and services listed in 2.3 to 2.4 will not alter the data protection measures in place for each. Where required, DPIAs will be updated to reflect the extension of the corresponding project or service. 

3. Further details on the data protection considerations for each project or service can be found in the decisions referenced in 9.1 below. 

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 providers listed in 2.2 and Table 1 at 3.3 will be required to have due regard to the protected characteristics of the people and communities relevant to this piece of work 

3. Equality comments for each specific project or service can be found in the decisions referenced in section 9. 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 

1. Previous decisions relating to the programmes laid out in 2.5 – 2.9 and their delivery are listed below: 

• PCD 846 signed in October 2020 committed £2,609,563 to support the 4 Rape Crisis Centres in FY 2021/22. 

• PCD 889 signed in November 2020 committed £674,734 to continue funding of the Drive programme in FY 2021/22. 

• PCD 943 signed in July 2021 committed £252,805 to continue funding to the Male Rape and Sexual violence support service provided by Survivors UK in FY 2021/2022 

• PCD 480 signed in October 2018 committed £514,095 to funding the pan London housing reciprocal for FY 2018/19 to 2019/20 

• PCD 943 signed in July 2021 committed £510,983 to continue funding the LGBT+ and Male sexual violence support service provided by Galop in FY 2021/2022 

• PCD 639 signed in November 2019 committed £925,000 to support the London Survivors Gateway in FY 2020/2021 to 2021/2022. 

• PCD 1068 signed in November 2021 committed £4,378,735 for services to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls in full year 2022/23  

• PCD 1235 signed July 22 Ministry of Justice Funding for Services to Victims of Crime. 

• PCD 1306 signed November 2022 committed £ 4,642,689 for Violence Against Women and Girls Support Services – 23/24 Commissioning Decisions 

• PCD 1440 signed signed July 2023 Ministry of Justice Funding 2023/24 – Sexual Violence Local Commissioning Test and Pre-Trial Outreach Service 

• PCD 1445 signed August 2023 Ministry of Justice Funding 2023/24 – Additional funding