PCD 1599 NPCC Soteria Grant Agreement v5 Signed

PCD 1599 NPCC Soteria Grant Agreement v5 Signed

This paper seeks approval for the acceptance of Home Office grant funding of £2,450,000 in 2023/24, and up to £2,500,000 in 2024/25, to support the Joint Soteria Unit in implementing the roll out of the national operating model for the investigation of rape and other serious sexual offences (RAOSO) 

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. Approve receipt of £2,450,000 in financial year 2023/24 and an indicative value of £2,500,000 for financial year 2024/25 in grant funding for the upkeep of the NPCC and College of Policing components of the Joint Soteria Unit (joint with the Home Office.)   

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

1. Introduction and background 

1. MOPAC host the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). 

2. Operation Soteria Bluestone was launched by the Home Office in June 2021 as a core action in the Government’s End-to-End Rape Review to help deliver the ambition to more than double the number of adult rape cases reaching court by the end of this Parliament. 

3. A new National Operating Model (NOM) for the investigation of rape and other serious sexual offences (RAOSO) has been developed and access given to all 43 police forces in England and Wales. 

2. Issues for consideration 

1. A joint unit comprising NPCC, the College of Policing (CoP) and the Home Office (HO) has been established from July 2023 to rollout the implementation of the National Operating Model (NOM) to improve policing response to rape. 

2. The Home Office has awarded funding to support the NPCC deliver the Joint Soteria Unit including NPCC and College of Policing staffing and associated programme costs.   

3. Financial Comments 

1. The grant award for 2023/24 for the period from July 2023 to 31 March 2024 is £2,450,000.   The Home Office has provided an indicative grant award for 2024/25 of up to £2,500,000. 

2. These funds will be managed by ACC Dee Perkins as lead for the NPCC contingent of the Joint Unit which in turn will be overseen by the joint Home Office/NPCC Soteria Senior Responsible Officers. 

3. The NPCC assure that the grant will fund all the expected costs of the Joint Unit with respect to the NPCC and CoP staffing contingent and associated programmatic spend (e.g. CPD events). If there is any overspend the NPCC will meet the cost from within its own resources. 

4. The NPCC assure that the grant funding will be spent in 2023/24.  

4. Legal Comments 

1. This grant will be paid to the MOPAC, as the host organisation for the NPCC, in exercise of the power conferred upon the Secretary of State for the Home Department under Section 56 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. 

2. The MPS Directorate of Legal Services has confirmed that the grant can be lawfully accepted under Schedule 3, Paragraph 7 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. 

3. Under paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Consent and Delegation the DMPC has delegated authority to approve “Bids for grant funding made and all offers made of grant funding; and/or where appropriate a strategy for grant giving”. 

5. 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 NPCC assure that receipt of HO funding does not involve the use of personally identifiable data of members of the public, so there are no GDPR issues to be considered. 

6. 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 NPCC assure that no issues have been identified relating to equality or diversity. Metropolitan Police Service and their processes are followed in relation to recruitment and promotion of NPCC staff. 

7. Background/supporting papers 

• Appendix 1 – MPS Report - Home Office funding for the Joint Soteria Unit