PCD 1616 OP Soteria, Year Two (Amendments)

PCD 1616 OP Soteria, Year Two (Amendments)

 Operation Soteria is a national programme to transform the policing response to rape.  This decision refers to the period when MOPAC hosted the programme.  Circumstances around certain payments previously covered by DMPC 980/2022  have now been subject to considerable change that a new decision is required to enable payments to be made to institutions who have contributed to this Programme. 

NPCC Programme Leads and Finance have cleared this report and the finance implications (£22,000 from NPCC Home Office Grant in 2023/24). 

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. That approval be given for a contract to be put in place with the Open University to complete the interview research to a sum of £11,986.89 in 2023/24 

2. That approval is given for a memorandum of understanding between MOPAC and the VKPP, Norfolk Constabulary, for the supply of staff to Operation Soteria to a sum not exceeding £47,361.20 in 2023/24 

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

1. Introduction and background  

Op Soteria ambition is to transform the policing response to rape.  It was instigated within MOPAC, and for its first two years MOPAC hosted the Programme.  It was led by the NPCC and funded by the Home Office.  In year three, starting September 2023, the focus is on the national roll out of a new national operating model. To support this the Programme transitioned to a new Joint unit made up of the NPCC, the College of Policing and the Home Office.  However, some mattershave been delayed through no fault of any party while others have remained within MOPAC’s remit for ease of process. 

2. Issues for consideration  

The first part of this decision relates to a  project concerning detailed research of interviews with suspects.  To achieve this a researcher had to listen and view many interviews and code them for analysis.   It was originally a joint project between University of Suffolk and the Open University.  However, this work was considerably delayed by staffing and data protection issues surrounding accessing the interviews.  During this delay the main researcher moved from the University of Suffolk to the Open University.  The University of Suffolk reduced their claim on their grant to reflect this.  It was anticipated that the Open University could simply invoice us for the sum underclaimed by the University of Suffolk.  But such was the delay in completing the work that a new contract has had to be put in place that will support the claim.  All work is complete.  It should be noted expenses allowed for this work were high due to the need for the researcher to travel between Forces to view interviews. 

The second matter concerns payments to the Violence, Knowledge and Practice Programme, VKPP.  This operates as part of Norflok Constabulary, though it will shortly move to the College of Policing.  The VKPP supplied two members of staff to the Programme to support the work in Year 2, that is from 6th September 2022 to 5th September 2023, regarding expansion.  It was agreed that this relationship would be managed by a MOU. The VKPP have continued to supply staff under this MOU from 6th September 2023 and this arrangement will terminate at the end of this financial year.It was understood that the initial decision relating to Soteria DMPC 980/2022 covered this arrangement.  However, it is now considered that a further decision is required to approve this arrangement.  The funding for the staff provided up to 5th September is part of the Home Grant to MOPAC for Op Soteria.  The funding from 6th September is from the Home Office grant through MOPAC to the NPCC.   

3. Financial Comments  

1. The total budget for the contract with Open University will not exceed  £11,986.89 in 2023/24.  The programme will be funded from within the Home Office Grant to MOPAC for Op Soteria, to be claimed as part of the final 2023/24 return. 

2. The total budget for the VKPP staff from 1st April 2023 to 5th September 2023 will not exceed £25,361.20. This will be funded from the Home Office Grant to MOPAC, to be claimed as part of the final 2023/24 return. The total budget from 6th September to the end of this financial year will not be above £22,000.  This cost and funding will be met by the NPCC and from the Home Grant to the NPCC.  NPCC Governance arrangements are in place. 

3. The NPCC cost of £22,000 has been approved by NPCC Finance. 

4. Legal Comments  

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.  

Paragraph 4.13 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve all unforeseen variations and extensions to contracts with an original value of £500,000 or above, when the variation or extension is greater than 10% of the original value and/or is for a period of more than 12 months. 

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. 

5. Commercial Issues  

The commercial arrangements in regard to the interview programme were complied with in regard to the award of contracts in Year One and Two of Op Soteria.  This is an extension of those contractual arrangements.  Circumstances and the part completion of the work under the pre existing contracts precluded any tendering process. 

With regard to the MOU for the VKPP.  This is the only such body in policing and were chosen as a police service provider to ensure the exchange of knowledge and learning within the policing family. 

6. GDPR and Data Privacy  

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.   

7. Equality Comments  

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. 

The entire work of Op Soteria has been subject to and has complied with the public sector equality duty. 

8. Background/supporting papers 

• Appendix 1 DMPC Decision 980/2022