PCD 1816 Redthread to Catch 22 Contract and Grant Novation for the Hospital Based Youth Work Programme 2025-2026

Executive Summary:  

• The VRU are seeking permission to novate the current Redthread grant (MOPAC 882) and contract (MOPAC 878) to Catch 22 from 1st April 2025. This is due to Redthread merging with Catch 22 as of 1st August 2024.  

• VRU officers have worked closely with both Redthread and Catch 22 throughout the merger process and are confident in Catch 22’s abilities to deliver the hospital based youth work programme and deliver a service that reduces risk and keeps children and young people safe who present at hospital after an injury caused by violence or exploitation.  

Recommendation:  

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. Approve the novation of the current Redthread grant (MOPAC 882) to Catch 22 from 1st April 2025, for the value of £527,910.  

2. Approve the novation of the current Redthread contract (MOPAC 878) to Catch 22 from 1st April 2025, for the value of £748,334.  

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

1. Introduction and background  

1. London’s VRU was established by the Mayor of London to pioneer a partnership approach to tackling violence that is rooted in prevention and early intervention.  We know the best time to stop violence is before it starts. This includes measures to support families, funding to keep young people in education and safe after-school through activities and opportunities, targeted interventions to support girls and young women, investment in the vital role played by youth workers and mentors, and support and resources for communities to tackle the issues affecting their neighborhoods. The VRU’s work is divided into five key priority areas: Children and Young People: Reducing Harm; Children and Young People: Positive Opportunities; Families; Education; Community and Place. 

1.2 Along with our refreshed strategy, the VRU has an established an Outcomes Framework, which sets out the shorter-term change needed to achieve and progress the longer-term goals. The Framework allows the VRU to take a data-driven approach, measure progress against outcomes and demonstrate impact. The ability to robustly monitor and evaluate programmes, as well as listening to London’s communities, is critical in developing an understanding of what works and supports while advocating for effective policy and systems change.  

3. On February 10th  2025 the VRU received confirmation of the £9,397,400 settlement from the Home Office which has enabled us to commit to continued funding to a number of vital programmes including our pan London hospital based youth work service. 

2. Issues for consideration  

1. The VRU are seeking permission to novate the current Redthread grant (MOPAC 882) and contract (MOPAC 878) to Catch 22 from 1st April 2025. This is due to Redthread merging with Catch 22 as of 1st August 2024.  

2. Since December 2023, the VRU have worked closely with Redthread to support them to navigate financial difficulties ensuring the VRU funded services continue to deliver to support young people. In the Spring of 2024, Redthread undertook a process to explore a potential merger to ensure the continuation of vital Redthread services.  After extensive work and a selection process, the Redthread board of trustees made the decision to merge with Catch 22. 

3. On 12th August 2024 a transfer agreement was signed and Catch 22 became the sole member of Redthread. A transition period begun, with all of Redthread’s corporate staff TUPE’d into Catch 22 whilst the Redthread service staff remained within Redthread’s organisational set up. To govern this process, a transitional trustee board was set up with a delegation of both Redthread and Catch 22 trustees. Three Catch 22 directors were seconded into Redthread to ensure operational stability and as little as possible disruption to services. As the majority funder of Redthread’s work, the VRU worked alongside Redthread and Catch 22 trustees and SLT throughout this process to ensure stability of service and oversight of delivery options for the future. 

4. As of 31st March 2025, the Redthread entity will cease delivery, and all services will be transitioned into Catch 22. Catch 22 will then begin the wind-up process of the Redthread entity. Having previously worked with Catch 22 on the VRU’s Social Switch Programme and having received requested information exploring experience and expertise via technical questions, the VRU are satisfied that Catch 22 are a credible provider to deliver the hospital-based youth work services. The VRU therefore request permission to novate the current grant and contract from Redthread to Catch 22.  

3. Finance Comments 

1. Financial due diligence checks have been completed for Catch 22 and no concerns raised. 

2. The value of the contracts to novate align to decision PCD 1792 - VRU Home Office funding 2025-2026 and LCPF 2025-2028. 

4. Legal Comments 

1. 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: 

1. Approve bids for grant funding made and all offers made of grant funding; and/or where appropriate a strategy for grant giving. 

2. Approve the strategy for the award of individual grants and/ or the award of all individual grants whether to secure or contribute to securing crime reduction in London or for other purposes. 

2. Officers must ensure that any variations to existing grant agreements are undertaken in accordance with MOPAC’s Scheme of Consent and Delegation and Contract Regulations and that appropriate documentation is put in place and executed by MOPAC and funding recipients before any alteration to provision of funding occurs. 

3. 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. This proposed novation is an unforeseen variation of contracts.  

4. Officers can assure that this contract novation is permissible under Regulation 72(1)(d)(ii) of the Public Contract Regulations where a new contractor replaces the one to which VRU had initially awarded the contract as a consequence of universal or partial succession into the position of the initial contractor, following a merger, acquisition or insolvency, of another economic operator that fulfils the criteria for qualitative selection initially established, provided that this does not entail other substantial modifications to the contract and is not aimed at circumventing the Regulations. 

5. Commercial Issues 

1. The VRU is seeking approval to novate the current Redthread grant (MOPAC 882) and contract (MOPAC 878) to Catch 22 from 1st April 2025 to 31 March 2026 for the value of £748,334.  

1. The contract will stay with Redthread until 31st March 25 then novate on 1st April 2025. 

2. When the novation is agreed and completed, the contract we will have exercised a 12 month extension 1st April 25 to 31st March 26 and will have a further 12-month extension option up until 31st March 27 to be exercised, further DMPC permission will be sought if the last extension options is the needed. 

2. Officers can assure that based on evidence provided that novation to the new supplier is the best course of action to maintain continuity of service. 

3. Officers provide assurance that the same responsible procurement obligations that were placed on the original contractor will apply to the new supplier. 

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

6. Public Health Approach  

6.1 Evidence-based practice is fundamental to the implementation of a public health approach to reducing violence. Therefore, more research, evaluation and learning including the gather of good practice and ‘what works’ is required to deepen and broaden the evidence base around violence reduction, diversion and prevention in London. The delivery to date for programmes relating this funding show promising practise and impact. 

6.2 Evaluation of good practice and wider impact is part of this programme.  

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.    

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. Screening for all programmes will take place around equality impact as part of common practise in the commissioning for the VRU; and where required a full EQIA will be completed.