VAWG 2021/22 Commissioning Decisions

In order to provide funding certainty at this time of crisis, and realign commissioning with the postponed Mayoral election and new administration, this decision requests the extension until the end of March 2022 of the following projects and services relating to Violence Against Women and Girls/Victims:

• the 4 London Rape Crisis Centres, covering north, south, east and west London;

• the Havens, London’s Sexual Assault Referral Centres;

• Survivors UK, specialist support for male victims of rape;

• the Stalking Threat Assessment Centre (S-TAC); and

• Drive, a programme working with serial high-risk perpetrators of domestic abuse.

The total indicative maximum financial commitment requested is £5,883,689 in 2021/22.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:

• Approve the extension through 2021/22 of projects relating to tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, at a total indicative maximum financial commitment of £5,883,689; and

• Delegate responsibility for agreeing the specific terms relating to individual grant agreements including confirming the final amounts, up to the value of the indicative maximum financial commitment of £5,883,689, to the Director of Commissioning and Partnerships.

1. Introduction and background

1.1. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a wide-reaching impact on MOPAC, the MPS and MOPAC’s commissioned services. At this time of crisis, it is more important than ever for commissioners and providers to have certainty of funding.

1.2. A large proportion of MOPAC’s commissioned services and grants are due to expire on 31st March 2021. This aligned with the original dates for the Mayoral election and production of the new Police and Crime Plan, however as a result of the pandemic the election has now been postponed until May 2021. This means that these services face a cliff-edge of funding at the end of this financial year.

1.3. Another impact of the pandemic has been to GLA budgets for 2020/21 and 2021/22. The GLA Group faces a forecast £493 million budget shortfall over the next two years as a result of an unprecedented loss of business rates and council tax income.

1.4. Based on the current ‘reasonable worst-case’ estimate, MOPAC will have to save £45.5 million in 2020/21 and then £63.8 million in 2021/22. These savings will be split between MOPAC and the MPS.

1.5. Due to these budgetary pressures, MOPAC has gone through a process of internal review to identify sources for savings, while minimising the impact on frontline services. This has included a review of all commissioned services to assess their performance, impact and value for money.

1.6. In order to realign commissioning with the postponed Mayoral election and production of the new Police and Crime Plan, this decision sets out those projects and services which are due to end in March 2021, where performance has been at least satisfactory, and requests that they be extended for a year until the end of March 2022.

1.7. In order to expedite the decision process and meet our commitment to give providers and commissioners 6 months’ notice of funding for 2021/22, the projects and services for which extension is requested have been grouped into themes. This decision relates to projects and services tackling Violence Against Women and Girls.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. All projects and services which are due to expire in March 2021 have been considered under their own merits, to ensure that they have demonstrated satisfactory performance and value for money. They have also been considered as part of MOPAC’s wider commissioning, budgets and priorities.

2.2. The projects and services below are requested for extension to the end of March 2022:

• Rape Crisis Centres: London’s 4 Rape Crisis Centres, run by Women and Girls Network, Nia, Solace Women’s Aid and RASASC, provide specialist support, including counselling and the provision of an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA), to women and girls who have experienced rape, sexual violence, or sexual abuse at any time;

• Havens (London’s Sexual Assault Referral Centres): the Havens provide forensic medical examinations (FMEs), counselling and ISVAs for victims of sexual violence in the Capital, regardless of age or gender. MOPAC provide approximately 40% of the funding for the Havens, with the rest of the funding provided by NHS England;

• Survivors UK: provision of specialist support, including counselling, an ISVA service and groupwork, to male victims of sexual violence and abuse;

• Stalking Threat Assessment Centre (S-TAC): S-TAC is a multiagency programme led by MOPAC and including Safe Lives, Respect, Barnet and Enfield Health, NPS and MPS which provides a collaborative, co-located, specialist team established to improve the service provided to victims of stalking across London; and

• Drive: a programme addressing the behaviour of high harm domestic abuse perpetrators to improve outcomes for adult and child victims, and perpetrators. The programme includes a focus on increasing victim safety working alongside Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs).

2.3. The Rape Crisis Centres and Havens and their delivery is covered by decision PCD 448. Survivors UK and its delivery is covered by decision PCD 724. S-TAC and Drive and their delivery is covered by PCD 559, PCD 663 and PCD 664.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. This decision requests approval to extend the contracts and grants delivered by the providers listed in 2.3, at a total indicative maximum financial commitment of £5,883,689, from 1st April 2021 until 31st March 2022.

3.2. An overview of the individual maximum allocations and their funding sources is set out in the table below.

3.3. This expenditure is budgeted from:

• the Police Grant;

• the Ministry of Justice Victims Grant;

• the £15m Mayor’s VAWG Fund, which was part of the £20.4m Mayoral growth funding awarded to MOPAC as part of the budget setting process for 2019/20; and

• the £21.5m Mayoral growth funding awarded to MOPAC as part of the budget setting process for 2020/21.

3.4. The funding from the MoJ Victims Grant includes an allocation from the MoJ Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, ring-fenced within the terms of the MoJ Victims Grant for services supporting victims of sexual violence. The allocations above for the Rape Crisis Centres and Survivors UK include funding from both the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund and the core Victims Grant.

3.5. As the total funding available to MOPAC from the MoJ Victims Grant, including the ring-fenced allocation within it from the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, will not be confirmed until later in 2020/21, the total financial commitment set out above remains indicative and represents the maximum allocation approved under this decision. Any increase in allocation of funding to these services would require a further DMPC Decision. The final confirmation of the MOJ funds will take place in March 2021 and this will be the level at which MOPAC can fund up to.

3.6. Payments will be made in line with current arrangements in the contract or grant, following satisfactory performance and contract or grant management meetings.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. 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.

4.2. 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.” Section 143 (3) specifically allows MOPAC to make grants in connection with such arrangements and any grant may be made subject to any conditions that MOPAC thinks appropriate.

4.3. 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.

4.4. Under MOPAC’s Scheme of Delegation, the approval of business cases for revenue or capital expenditure of £500,000 and above, are for the DMPC. The strategy for grant giving, the award of individual grants, all offers made and the award of grant funding are also for the DMPC. The decisions in this report can be approved by the DMPC.

4.5. Officers must ensure the Financial Regulations and Contract Regulations are complied with.

4.6. Officers should ensure that the funding agreements are put in place with and executed by MOPAC and each of the providers before any commitment to fund is made.

4.7. Officers can confirm that sufficient assurance has been carried out to this decision to determine that the DMPC has legal authority to agree the recommendations on funding and the extension of grants/ contracts.

5. Commercial Issues

5.1. This decision requests to extend existing grants and contracts, as laid out in 2.3.

5.2. There are no procurement issues with this decision, as where contracts are in place, the value of these contracts is not being increased by more than 50% of the current value or is in line with the terms of the contract relating to extension.

5.3. MOPAC makes no commitment to fund the organisations listed in 2.3 until grant or contract variation letters have been signed by both parties. These will detail the new performance and payment schedules, in line with previous arrangements.

5.4. Further details on the commercial issues for each project or service can be found in the decisions referenced in 2.3.

5.5. The modification request to the grant agreement/contract will comply with the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent.

6. Public Health Approach

6.1. Violence against women and girls is a public health issue. Grant award to these services is informed by the Mayor’s public health approach to violence reduction and therefore part of MOPAC’s contribution to overall efforts support victims and perpetrators of violence.

6.2. Further details on the public health approaches of each project or service can be found in the decisions referenced in 2.3.

7. GDPR and Data Privacy

7.1. The extension of the projects and services listed in 2.3 will not alter the data protection measures in place for each. Where required, DPIAs will be updated to reflect the extension of the corresponding project or service.

7.2. Further details on the data protection considerations for each project or service can be found in the decisions referenced in 2.3.

8. Equality Comments

8.1. Under s149 of the Equality Act 2010 (the Equality Act), as a public authority the Deputy Mayor/MOPAC must have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and any conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act; and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. Protected characteristics under the Equality Act are age, disability, gender re-assignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and marriage or civil partnership status (the duty in respect of this last characteristic is to eliminate unlawful discrimination only).

8.2. The extension of these projects and services will ensure that, at this time of crisis, vulnerable Londoners do not face a reduction in support.

8.3. The providers listed in 2.3 will be required to have due regard to the protected characteristics of the people and communities relevant to this piece of work.

8.4. Equality comments for each specific project or service can be found in the decisions referenced in 2.3.

9. Background/supporting papers

• PCD 448

• PCD 559

• PCD 663

• PCD 664

• PCD 724