Victims Services - 2022/23 Commissioning Decisions

The Mayor has committed to putting victims at the heart of London’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision requests continuation and extension of funding to the end of March 2023 to the following projects and services to ensure victims continue to have access to specialist support they need and to raise awareness of hate crime.



The following have been identified as vital for achieving the Mayor’s key aims:

• The Children and Young People’s Service; and

• National Hate Crime Awareness Week.

The total financial commitment will be £1,025,000 in 2022/23.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:

1. Approve the extension through 2022/23 of funding relating to projects supporting children and young Londoners and raising awareness of hate crime, at a total financial commitment of £1,025,000; and

2. Delegate responsibility for agreeing the specific terms and amounts relating to individual grants, contracts or extensions 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 commissioned services, requiring delivery models to significantly adapt and flex. The funding outlined below takes into consideration the compounding effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on rates of exploitation and harm to Londoners.

1.2. In order to expedite the decision process and meet our commitment to give providers and commissioners 6 months’ notice of funding for 2022/23, the projects and services for which extension is requested have been grouped into themes. This decision relates to delivery of services to help keep children and young people safe and to raise awareness about hate crime.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. All funding arrangements to projects and services which are due to expire in March 2022 have been considered under their own merits; how these contribute towards the Mayor’s aims to improve support for victims and tackle hate crime; and to ensure that they have demonstrated satisfactory performance and value for money. The projects and services below are requested for extension to the end of March 2023:

2.2 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. MOPAC has commissioned Victim Support to deliver the CYP Service to discharge these responsibilities. This partial extension to the current grant arrangements will enable the phased recommissioning of the CYP Service which will be subject to a further decision.

The CYP Service provides:

• support to young people who have been affected by crime to cope and recover; and

• support to young witnesses attending court.

2.3 National Hate Crime Awareness Week (NHCAW)

MOPAC provides an annual grant to the National Hate Crime Awareness Week (NHCAW) which is the charity that has coordinated National Hate Crime Awareness Week every October for the last 9 years. This grant enables the purchase of resources to support community-based events across London during the week.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. This decision requests approval to extend the contracts or grants delivered by the providers in 2.2 to 2.3, at a total financial commitment of £1,025,000, per year from 1st April 2022 until 31st March 2024. An overview of the individual allocations and their funding source is set out in the table below.

3.2. Budgets to support the services will be met from MoJ annual grant to MOPAC along with £25,000 from MPS core funding.



3.3. Funding sources are provisional only and subject to change. Confirmation of funding sources will be finalised as part of the final budget submission.

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 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 and contracts.

5. Commercial Issues

5.1. This decision requests to extend existing grants and contracts, as laid out in 2.2 to 2.3, or create new grants where needed.

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, and is in line with the terms and conditions of the contract variations or grant agreement amendments, as relates to extensions.

5.3. MOPAC makes no commitment to fund the organisations listed in 2.2 to 2.3 above until grant amendment 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 2.2 to 2.3.

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

6. Public Health Approach

6.1. The public health approach led by the Violence Reduction Unit in relation to violence, includes contextual safeguarding and all factors which could cause harm to a vulnerable child or adult or push them towards violence and exploitation. A significant area is trauma informed support for young people who are affected by violence.

6.2. 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.

6.3. The Violence Reduction Unit supports the approach set out as a way to meet current levels of demand and need and ensure that support remains available for victims and witnesses of violence in London.

7. GDPR and Data Privacy

7.1. The extension of the projects and services listed in 2.2 to 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 2.2 to 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 providers listed in 2.2 to 2.3 will be required to have due regard to the protected characteristics of the people and communities relevant to this piece of work.

8.3. Equality comments for each specific project or service can be found in the decisions referenced in section 9. As part of the quarterly performance monitoring of each service we collect demographics information, which helps us to understand who is accessing each service and how any barriers to accessing may be overcome.