Lighthouse Service Extension and Case Management System Development

This decision seeks approval to extend the funding for The Lighthouse (London Child House) for a further 12 months until September 2021, the Lighthouse funding for 2020/21 and to approve funding for development changes to The Lighthouse Case Management System.

Positive interim evaluation results have been published for the service. NHS England (London Region) and the MPS will also be contributing funding between October 2020 and September 2021. NHS England (London Region) will provide £615,000 as a contribution towards the health costs of the service. The MPS will be providing the salary costs (£120,000) for the two Police Liaison Officers that are embedded within the service.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:

• Approve the extension of the Lighthouse until September 2021.

• Approve the extension of funding to The Lighthouse up to the value of £2 million for 2020/21.

• Approve funding of £45,300 to make developmental changes to Excelicare, The Lighthouse Case Management System (CMS) provided by Axsys. This is included within the £2 million 2020/21 funding and not in addition to it.

1. Introduction and background

1.1. MOPAC and NHS England (London Region) secured funding from the Home Office and the Department for Education (DfE) to pilot the ‘Child House’ model in London, a first for the UK. Both MOPAC and NHSE (London Region) are also contributing funding for the pilot. This is also a commitment within the Police and Crime Plan 2017- 2021.

1.2. The Child House, known as The Lighthouse, is located in Camden and serves the North Central sector in London providing services to children and young people who reside in five London boroughs (Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington). It is expected that the Child House will support approximately 500 children and young people in North Central London per year. The Lighthouse opened in October 2018 and is running as a pilot for two years.

1.3. The Lighthouse is based on a model of international best practice, bringing together medical, investigative and therapeutic services ‘under one roof’, alongside support for child victims to progress more rapidly through the criminal justice and court process. It provides support to children and young people who have been sexually abused or exploited, as well as providing support to their families or carers.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. The Lighthouse opened in October 2018. Funding was agreed for the pilot for two years until September 2020. MOPAC and NHS England (London Region) have recently agreed to co-fund the service for a further 12 months, until September 2021. This extension will allow The Lighthouse to continue to deliver the vital service it provides to vulnerable children and young people. The 12 month extension will also provide further time for MOPAC and partners to look for a longer term sustainable funding solution for the service.

2.2. The Lighthouse uses a Case Management System (CMS) known as Excelicare which is provided by Axsys. The CMS was designed ahead of the service going live in 2018. As a multi-agency pilot service, the care pathways and ways of working have evolved over the course of the pilot. As a result, there are a number of developmental changes required to the CMS to ensure that it can record relevant service user details across the different disciplines of the service as well as capturing the relevant data for continuous improvement and the MOPAC led evaluation.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. This decision seeks approval to the extension of funding to The Lighthouse up to the value of £2 million for 2020/21. This funding is within MOPAC’s approved 2020/21 budget. A subsequent decision will seek approval for funding to cover the remainder of the service extension between April 2021 and September 2021.

3.2. NHS England (London Region) and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) will also be contributing funding in 2020/21. NHS England (London Region) will be providing £713,750 as a contribution towards the health costs of the service during 2020/21. The MPS will be providing the salary costs (approximately £60,000) for the two Police Liaison Officers that are embedded within the service between September 2020 and March 2021.

3.3. The total cost to make the required changes to the CMS by Axsys is £45,300 (excl. VAT). This is incorporated within the 2020/21 £2 million funding and not in addition to it.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. MOPAC’s powers in relation to commissioning are set out in Section 143 (1) (b) of the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014, which provides an express power for MOPAC, as a local policing body, to provide or commission services “intended by the local policing body to help victims or witnesses of, or other persons affected by, offences and anti-social behaviour”.

4.2. In line with section 4 of MOPAC’s Scheme of Consent and Delegation, the DMPC has authority for the approval of requests to grant a lease and for revenue expenditure of £500,000 and above. The delegation of responsibility for the finalisation of planning and contractual arrangements, including relevant terms and the signing of agreements, to the Chief Executive is in accordance with the general power of delegation in section 5.

5. Commercial Issues

5.1. As the existing supplier of the CMS it would not be appropriate or cost effective to competitively retender and purchase a new CMS. Only Axsys can provide the development changes required to their own system.

6. Public Health Approach

6.1. This decision does not sit within the Violence Reduction Unit’s public health approach to reducing violence as it relates to MOPAC’s statutory responsibility for commissioning support services for victims of child sexual abuse.

7. GDPR and Data Privacy

7.1. A Data Protection Impact Assessment has been completed for the service, including the IT provision to ensure that the service is fully compliant with the requirements of the GDPR. The DPIA is reviewed annually.

8. Equality Comments

8.1. 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.

8.2. The service enables a more tailored approach and greater level of accessibility to services for victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation. Links have been made between the Lighthouse and other MOPAC commissioned services such as the Children and Young Person’s Havens, to ensure that victims are well supported and referred into the most appropriate services.

8.3. This decision supports the provision of services and interventions for this extremely vulnerable group of victims, as well as support for their families and/or carers.

9. Background/supporting papers

9.1. DMPC Decision PCD 324 2018 – London Child House