MoJ Funding for services supporting victims of sexual violence

MOPAC receives an annual grant from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) for the local commissioning of victim and witness support services in London. The MoJ has now awarded an additional £1,175,000 to MOPAC to increase the capacity of sexual violence support services.

This decision seeks approval to accept the additional grant funding, which is being made available as an addendum to the 2020/21 grant agreement with approval from the MoJ to carry forward the funding into 2021/22, and to sign the grant addendum.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:

1. Accept the additional £1,175,000 grant funding from the MoJ for sexual violence support services, and approve the carry forward of these monies into 2021/22 in line with the approval granted by the MoJ; and

2. Delegate authority to the MOPAC Chief Finance Officer to sign the grant addendum to the 2020/21 MoJ victims grant.

1. Introduction and background

1.1. Since 2014, responsibility for regional commissioning of victim services was devolved to Police and Crime Commissioners. The funding to enable this comes from the Ministry of Justice's Victims Fund and Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund.



1.2. This funding is used to pay for core victims services including: the London Victim and Witness Service; Sexual Assault Referral Centre; Children’s and Young People’s Service; Empower Young People’s Advocates; and Rape Crisis Centres.

1.3. Following discussions with the MoJ regarding the impact of the court backlogs on London’s critical support services for victims of sexual violence, the MoJ have awarded an additional £1.75m to MOPAC to increase the capacity of these services.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. The MoJ is awarding the £1.75m to MOPAC as a grant addendum to the 2020/21 victims grant agreement, the acceptance of which was approved by PCD 768. The MoJ has given MOPAC approval to carry forward this funding so that it can be spent in 2021/22.

2.2. The additional funding has been awarded to enable MOPAC to increase the capacity of the London Survivors’ Gateway and more broadly to support the resilience of its commissioned sexual violence support services. The funding will also support the delivery of longer-term workforce development activities and a pilot exploring the use of digital support interventions for victims of sexual violence.

2.3. The grant addendum does not require match funding from MOPAC. The conditions attached to this funding are the same as those attached to the victims grant for 2020/21. MOPAC incorporates those requirements in the grant and contractual agreements for services that are funded from this source. The reporting requirements for this funding include the submission of mid-year and end of year performance returns as well signing a statement confirming compliance with the minimum standards.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. This decision requests authority to receive £1,175,000 in additional grant funding from the Ministry of Justice to support sexual violence commissioned services.

3.2. The grant is earmarked to support key elements of sexual violence delivery requirements as set out in paragraph 2.2.

3.3. The award will be recognised as part of 2020/21 grant allocation to MOPAC. Timeline of the £1,175,000 allocation has been agreed with the MoJ to have the grant award recognised as part of funding commitments in the new financial year starting in April 2021.

3.4. This award will form part of the approved 2021/22 budget for MOPAC’s Criminal Justice Commissioning service and will be used in accordance with the grant conditions set out by the Ministry of Justice.

3.5. This grant addendum to MOPAC revises the 2020/21 MoJ Victims grant award from £12,214,568 to 13,389,568 and recognises the grant agreement does not require match funding from MOPAC.

3.6. A detailed review of workstreams to be commissioned will be supported by Finance to ensure funding plans are achievable within agreed timelines with the MoJ.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. 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 approve all offers of grant funding.

4.2. Paragraph 4.6 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides the DMPC authority to delegate those functions which are reserved for the DMPC.

4.3. These recommendations are in line with the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent.

5. Commercial Issues

5.1. All grant agreements which utilise this funding will incorporate the relevant terms from the grant agreement between MOPAC and the Ministry of Justice to ensure compliance.

6. Public Health Approach

6.1. The VRU will be consulted on services commissioned using this funding to ensure alignment with VRU activity and wider public health approach to tackling violence in London.

7. GDPR and Data Privacy

7.1. 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

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. MOPAC will ensure Equalities considerations form part of all work commissioned with this funding.

9. Background/supporting papers

N/A