PCD 1717 Extend current Reflective Practice contact with Jigsaw to March 2025

PCD 1717 Extend current Reflective Practice contact with Jigsaw to March 2025 

VRU staff deliver programmes involving teenage homicide, violence, vulnerability and child abuse and since October 2022 have benefitted from reflective support sessions with trained clinical supervisors through Jigsaw.  In recognising the impact and benefit to VRU staff and in consideration of the work areas of MOPAC including VAWG, Victims, Evidence and Insight, a pilot for MOPAC staff commenced in April 2024 with a view to evaluate and move to a procured full MOPAC and VRU provision at the end of the existing arrangements.    

This decision seeks approval to vary the current VRU direct award contract with Jigsaw from ending in October 2024 to ending end of March 2025 and to increase the funding amount by £14,560 to a total contract amount of £83,820. In addition to extend a separate MOPAC pilot arrangement with Jigsaw, which commenced in April 2024, for the same period until end March 2025, increasing costs from £16,520 to £28,000.   

In total the value to Jigsaw and cost to MOPAC and VRU from commencement in October 2022 to end March 2025 is £111,820.   

The purpose of this variation is so that the VRU and MOPAC can ensure there is no gap in provision while they complete a competitive commissioning process.    

The decision also seeks approval for permission to go out to tender for joint Reflective support provision for VRU and MOPAC staff.  Re-commissioning of the services will be carried out jointly by VRU and MOPAC, combining into one contract for better opportunity, costs and offer for staff.  this will cover a two-year contract period, with an optional one-year extension option.  

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. Approve a contract variation to extend the following Reflective Support contracts with Jigsaw to 31 March 2025 with a total value of £111,820 comprising: 

• VRU contract - additional £14,560 cost increasing the contract value to £83,820.  

• MOPAC contract - £11,480 cost increasing the contract value to £28,000.  

2. Approve the request to go out to full procurement for the reflective support provision for VRU and MOPAC staff to a maximum value of £204,000 for a two-year contract with an optional one-year extension.   

3. Approve delegated authority to the Chief Executive for awarding of the contract to the successful provider.  

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

1. Introduction and background  

Reflective support is an independent supportive supervisory session offered by a clinically trained professional to explore impact of vicarious trauma, improve practice and wellbeing and support staff development. This was identified as a need for the VRU, and a contract with Jigsaw via direct award was made in 2022/2023.  

1.2. The VRU and MOPAC deliver a range of pastoral, capacity building, commissioning, data, research, commissioned services, and interaction with victims as well as support for professionals across London. The VRU also employs staff with lived experience of violence. It is recognised that reflective support is best practice for developing and supporting staff and the VRU and MOPAC aim to model this standard.  

1.3. The sessions delivered since October 2022 have had a large supportive effect on VRU staff and the unit overall by allowing them to unpack the impact of deadlines, urgent deliverables and any crises and emotional trauma experienced through their work. Being able to talk through some of the experiences has made staff feel more ‘heard’ and supported in the workplace and contributed to increased productivity.   

1.4 Following the introduction of this provision for VRU staff, and the development of the MOPAC and VRU People Strategy including a key objective to develop resilience and support, MOPAC were keen to offer this provision to a number of staff.  A seven-month pilot April to October 2024, to coincide with the end of VRU contractual arrangements, commenced.  Similar positive feedback and an interim evaluation highlights the influence and additionality this brings to employee support options. MOPAC would therefore be looking to further extend this provision in line with VRU plans going forward and accordingly will be jointly procuring as per recommendation 2 above.   

2. Issues for consideration   

2.1. Reflective support has been evaluated widely within and around the health sector.  MOPAC and the VRU recognises its impact on staff wellbeing, resilience, development, performance and retention and the culminating impact on support for young people and communities via fully developed and supported staff.  

2.2. Previous extensions were made internally due to the low value element of the provision as well as this being adjudged to be the best option to extend the current provider based on user feedback at that time and the need for continuity of relationships for staff with their reflective support supervisor. A further short extension is now being sought to ensure we can enter into a tender process and complete without a gap in provision for staff currently using this reflective support.  

 2.3 Since the previous extension made in October 2023, and the additional MOPAC provision in April 2024, we are now working on a joint service for future plans and one contract across MOPAC and VRU from April 2025. This will enable a more collaborative and efficient offer for all staff with reduced management and potentially reduced costs. All MOPAC and VRU employees are MOPAC employees, and it is right that all can benefit from the same offer.   

 2.4 A procurement strategy has been developed to go to tender to secure provision from April 2025 and will be taken through normal MOPAC governance processes including the Commercial Assurance Group (CAG).  

 Financial Comments   

 3.1 The total cost of the extension is £26,040 comprising £14,560 to VRU and £11,480 to MOPAC, extending the contracts from October 2024 to March 2025. This extension will bring the total value of the contracts to £111,820 with VRU proportion funded from within the existing VRU Mayoral Core Funding and MOPAC portion from HR budgets.  

3.2 The VRU amount of £14,560 is based on an estimate of £295 per day for 48 session days, plus £200 per emergency sessions for 2 days for financial year 2024/25. The MOPAC amount of £11,480 is based on £295 per day for 39 session days. 

3.3. The procurement of service will be at a maximum of £204,000, £68,000 across two years with a potential extension of one year at £68,000. 

4. Legal Comments  

4.1 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. 

 4.2 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 requests to go out to tender for contracts of £500,000 or above. 

 4.3 Officers can confirm that the DMPC has the legal authority to agree this decision in Accordance with the legal framework. 

5.      Commercial Issues  

5.1 This decision is seeking an approval for a total variation of £26,040 to Jigsaw (£14,560 for VRU and £11,480 for MOPAC).  This increases the contract value for VRU from £69,260 to £83,820 and for MOPAC from £16,520 to £28,000 bring the total value of the contracts to £111,820. This is an additional five month extension from 1 November 2024 to 31st March 2024, to that approved in CEOD 31.  

5.2 As the above price variation exceeds £100,000 officers can confirm that the DMPC has the legal authority to agree this decision in Accordance with the legal framework.  

5.3 This request is not the first extension request, but the officers can confirm this decision to extend the current contract is to enable the full open procurement of a new longer-term contract. Please see details in the main body of the report.  

5.4 MOPAC and VRU is seeking approval to carry out a joint competitive tender process for the reflective support provision for all staff. The value of the tender will be up to £204,000 for the period of two years with an optional one-year extension.  

5.5 The procurement strategy proposes using a one stage Open Procedure to encourage competition and the maximum number of bids as the market is limited.  

5.6 The author of the report has demonstrated clear rationale for the proposed extension request, procurement route and contracting arrangements.  

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

• A specification that describes the MOPAC’s requirements in sufficient detail to enable the submission of competitive offers.  

• 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).   

• 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.   

• Notification that Tenders are submitted to the MOPAC on the basis that they are compiled at the tenderer’s expense.   

5.8 Following the evaluation of the tender responses and the relevant compliance checks the approval to award the contracts will be sought from the CFO and the Chief Executive in line with the delegated authority.   

6. Public Health Approach  

6.1 This piece of work has been informed by discussions and feedback from the Violence Reduction Unit including their staff towards taking a public health approach in the work that they do in reducing and preventing violence. 

6.2 There is a growing evidence base to support 'trauma informed approaches’, which acknowledge and understand the effects of trauma on behaviour and health including a need for such an approach to not re-traumatise individuals. Reflective practise is a tool offered for staff to support this approach. 

7. GDPR and Data Privacy  

1. MOPAC and VRU 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.   

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. This provision to enables support to staff with lived experience of marginalisation and discrimination supporting their ability to work in an environment with exposure to and responsibility for reducing violence which is often experienced disproportionately across communities.