Victims Services 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:

• A one-year extension of the Children & Young People’s Victim and Witness Service until the end of March 2022; and

• An 18-month extension to the Small Grant Fund arrangement with the London Community Foundation until the end of March 2022.

The total indicative maximum financial commitment will be £540,000 in 2020/21 and £1,940,000 in 2021/22.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:

• Approve the extension through 2020/21 of projects relating to Victims, at a total financial commitment of £540,000; and

• Approve the extension through 2021/22 of projects relating to Victims, at a total indicative maximum financial commitment of £1,940,000.

• Delegate responsibility for agreeing the specific terms relating to the individual grant agreements and contract including confirming the final grant and contract amounts, up to the value of the indicative maximum financial commitments outlined above, 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 either for a year until the end of March 2022, or where appropriate, until the end of March 2023.

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 in the area of MOPAC’s core, universal provision of support services for victims of crime.

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:

• Children & Young People’s Victim Service (CYP Service)

MOPAC has a statutory responsibility to provide both support to victims of crime under 18 years of age and pre-trial support for young witnesses going to court. The CYP Service is run by Victim Support and provides:

o an increased focus on victims of serious violence, including an ability to target the service in areas of high violence;

o support to traumatised young people who witness violence and are currently not able to easily access the kind of support they need to help them cope and recover; and

o support to young witnesses attending court.

• Small Grants Fund

The fund is run on behalf of MOPAC by the London Community Foundation. The objectives of the fund are aligned with the Police and Crime Plan commitments and aim to:

o target organisations working with victims of specific types of crime as prioritised in the PCP, for example, hate crime, violence against women and girls, and crimes against young people;

o ensure clear and achievable outcomes with appropriate measurement;

o support VCSE capacity building for improved victims’ services in line with MOPAC ambitions; and

o encourage VCSE sector support and capacity building to develop partnerships/consortia to deliver victims’ services.

The current grant agreement for this service comes to an end on 31st October 2020.

2.3. The CYP Service and its delivery by Victim Support is covered by decision PCD 568. The Small Grants Fund and its delivery by the London Community Foundation is covered by decision PCD 377.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. This decision requests approval to extend the contracts or grants delivered by the providers in 2.2, at a total indicative maximum financial commitment of £540,000 from 1st November to 31st March 2021 and £1,940,000 from 1st April 2021 until 31st March 2022. An overview of the individual allocations and their funding sources is set out in the table below.

3.2. This expenditure is budgeted from the Ministry of Justice Victims Grant and the £21.5m Mayoral growth funding awarded to MOPAC as part of the budget setting process for 2020/21. As the total funding available to MOPAC from the MoJ Victims Grant will not be confirmed until later in 2020/21, the total financial commitment 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.

3.3 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. 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.

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

4.5. 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

4.6. 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 grant agreements, as laid out in section 2.

5.2. MOPAC makes no commitment to fund the organisations listed in section 2 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.

5.3. Further details on the commercial issues for each project or service can be found in the decisions referenced in 2.6.

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

6. Public Health Approach

6.1. The CYP Service supports young victims and witnesses of crime in London to cope and recover from their experiences. The approach aligns with the emerging delivery model for the Violence Reduction Unit through trauma-informed needs assessments and established referral pathways with other specialist support and local services.

6.2. The Violence Reduction Unit is supportive of the approaches as a way to meet current levels of demand and need and ensure that support remains available for victims and witnesses of crime in London.

6.3. Further details on the public health approaches of each project or service can be found in the decisions referenced in 2.6.

7. GDPR and Data Privacy

7.1. The extension of the projects and services listed in 2.6 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 2.6.

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 2.6 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 2.6.

9. Background/supporting papers

• PCD 568

• PCD 377