PCD 1719 Direct Award of contract for expansion of the Victim Voice Forum programme

The Casey Review has highlighted that trust needs to be rebuilt between the MPS and victims of crime. The Police and Crime Plan for London commits to increase public trust in the MPS and provide better support to victims. Engagement with individuals with lived experience like the existing Victim Voice Forum (VVF) enables the MPS and MOPAC to gain valuable insight and drive change.  

This decision seeks approval to award a contract to Act by Laura Currer for the provision of facilitation, consultation and engagement with individuals with lived experience to inform MPS and MOPAC practice and services. The contract is to begin development of additional Victim Voice Forums (for victims and survivors of VAWG, disabled victims and LGBTQ+ victims) whilst also assisting MOPAC to develop in-house capability to deliver the full Victim Voice Forum programme and embed good practice around user voice. The value of the contract is a maximum of £96,300 and is for an initial period of 18 months, with the option to extend by a further 18 months at the cost of an additional £96,300. 

In addition, this decision seeks approval to allocate a budget of £100,000 and authority to procure specialist advice on developing MOPAC’s capabilities around working with lived experience and embedding it into MOPAC’s work.  

The Deputy Mayor is recommended to approve: 

• The award of an 18 month contract with a value of £96,300 to ACT by Laura Currer for the provision of development and administration of the Victim Voice Forum programme; and 

• Delegate the authority to extend the contract by a maximum of 18 months at a maximum additional value of £96,300 to the Director of Commissioning and Partnerships, subject to receiving adequate approvals from the Commerical Assurance Group. 

• the commencement of a procurement exercise to source specialist advice to support MOPAC to develop in-house capability around user voice over a three-year period with a total budget of £100,000, the cost of which will be met from the Victim Care Hub budget.  

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

1. Introduction and background 

1. The Casey Review has highlighted that trust needs to be rebuilt between the MPS and victims of crime. The Police and Crime Plan for London commits to increase public trust in the MPS and provide better support to victims. Engagement with individuals with lived experience like the existing Victim Voice Forum (VVF) enables the MPS and MOPAC to gain valuable insight and drive change.    

2. VVF feedback and findings over the last year have fed into the MPS End-to-End Victim Care Programme Board and informed MOPAC’s work. The group has coalesced and gained confidence and is now an established and valued sounding board and source of ideas for improvement of policies, protocols and approach to supporting victims. 

3. To build on this success, MOPAC and the MPS are committed to expanding the number of VVFs to focus on cohorts where trust in the MPS is low, as highlighted by the Casey Report. These groups include victims from Black communities, disabled victims, LGBTQ+ victims, victims of VAWG and parents of young victims.  

2.      Issues for Consideration 

1. PCD 1645 granted authority to proceed with a competitive procurement process to source a provider to deliver the expanded VVF programme. Following the publication of this decision and during resulting procurement process, it was identified that MOPAC’s requirements had changed. MOPAC will now seeking to develop the inhouse capability to deliver this function, i.e. employing someone with relevant skills to do this work rather than procuring the services of an organisation(s). This approach has been agreed with the MPS.  

2. The MPS Victim Care Improvement Programme requires user voice input from the groups identified above and is timebound. Therefore, an interim short term solution is required whilst the in-house capability is developed over longer timescales. 

3. MOPAC therefore wishes to direct award an 18 month contract to ACT by Laura Currer (the preferred bidder from the recent procurement exercise).  

4. Under the terms of the contract, ACT by Laura Currer will take forward three of the VVF groups (victims/survivors of VAWG, disabled victims, LGBTQ+ victims) for this period.  

5. MOPAC has negotiated a price of £40,500 per annum for coordinating of the forums. The Provider will also administer the renumeration and expenses of the volunteers at a maximum cost for both the funds and administration of £16,200 per annum. In addition, the contract with the Provider will include scope for 5 days of ad-hoc support for any additional needs MOPAC has with regards to coordination lived experience at a cost of £7,500.  The maximum cost of 18 months is therefore £96,300.  

6. The expectation is that the three identified VVFs will be mobilised by early in 2025. This will ensure progress as early as possible to assist with the End-to-End Victim Care Programme strand of A New Met for London.  

7. In addition, MOPAC needs specialist advice and support to develop the in-house capability to carry out this work and to ensure MOPAC’s systems and processes are adapted to working directly with large numbers of victims who are volunteering to take part in the forums. This decision therefore seeks approval to commit a total budget of £100,000 and to commence a procurement process to source this specialist advice for a period of up to three years. 

3. Financial Comments    

4. The total cost of the commitments in this decision from the Victim Care Hub budget is £193,600 with an extension option which would commit a further £93,600.  

5. The proposed contract with ACT by Laura Currer is £93,600 for 18 months from 2024/25 to 2025/26 with the option to extend by a further 18 months at an additional cost of £93,600. This will be funded by the Victim Care Hub budget. To minimise any financial risk, payments will be made in arrears for the work delivered/cost incurred in the previous quarter. 

6. Separately, MOPAC will need to arrange suitable meeting places and hospitality for the Victim Voice Forum meetings. This will likely come at additional cost to MOPAC and will also be funded by the Victim Care Hub budget. 

7. The budget for the specialist advice to support the development of MOPAC’s capability around embedding lived experience in its work and in its oversight of the MPS has a maximum value of £100,000 over three years from 2024/25 to 2027/28 and will be funded by the Victim Care Hub budget. 

8. 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.”  

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 Consent and Delegation, the Deputy Mayor has delegated authority for the direct award of contracts with a total value of £100,000 or more.  

5. The delegation of responsibility for the finalisation of planning and of contracts and other arrangements, including relevant terms and the signing of agreements, to the Director of Commissioning & Partnerships is in accordance with the general power of delegation in paragraph 1.7 of the MOPAC Scheme of Consent and Delegation. 

5. Commercial Issues 

1. This Decision seeks to award a contract by exemption from competitive tendering up to the value of £192,600 over 18 months, with a further 18 month extension option available, to ACT by Laura Currer for the provision of development and administrative work on the Victim Voice Forum programme. In accordance with 4.13 of MOPAC’s Scheme of Delegation, the Deputy Mayor has delegated authority for the direct award of contracts with a total value of £100,000 or more. 

2. Further, a foreseen option to extend is included. This would normally require the approval of the Chief Executive Officer in accordance with 5.12 of the Scheme of Delegation, however approval to delegate authority to the Director of Commissioning and Partnerships, subject to receiving adequate approvals from the Commerical Assurance Group, is requested. 

3. In addition, this decision approves a budget of £100,000 to proceed to procurement for the provision of specialist advice to develop MOPAC’s capabilities around user voice.  

4. Both of these requirements fall under the Light Touch Regime and so are classified as a below-threshold contracts. The Exemption from Competitive Tendering Justification and the Procurement Strategy have both been approved by Commercial Assurance Group on 16 September 2024. 

5. The actions proposed can be taken in compliance with procurement legislation and MOPAC’s Contract Regulations. 

6. Public Health Approach  

1. MOPAC will ensure that the Victim Voice Forum expansion adheres to best practice and will prioritise the health and wellbeing of participants above all other considerations.  

2. Guidance from the National Police Chief Council’s ‘Voice of the Victim in Police Service Design’ has been followed throughout. 

7. GDPR and Data Privacy  

1. MOPAC will adhere to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and ensure that any local authorities 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. The proposed Victim Voice Forums cover many, but not all, of these protected characteristics. Those chosen to be represented with a Forum are from groups with well-evidenced lower than average trust and confidence in the MPS and it is, therefore, felt to be key to understand their concerns to positively impact the End to End Victim Care Improvement Programme element of A New Met for London. 

3. In the longer term MOPAC will seek to engage with victims of all protected characteristics to ensure that the provision of support is of the highest quality for all. 

9. Background/supporting papers 

CAJT – Exemption from competitive tendering – VVF Expansion