Key information
Executive summary
The Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) budget enables us to fund a range of ambitious and crucial programmes that are designed to improve the environments, relationships, or actions that, if unaddressed and unsupported, may otherwise lead to violence. The VRU approach to violence reduction means putting communities, young people and their families at the heart of tackling the issue; and particularly in those parts of London most affected – often taking a place-based approach to violence reduction. The VRU’s current research & feedback from community stakeholders elevates the need for long term sustainable funding.
The Mayor of London has allocated funding for the consecutive fiscal years 2022-2025 to support the VRU’s vital work. The VRU has taken the opportunity to extend many of its high-performing programmes of activity & this Decision sets out budget allocation including carry forward from 2021-2022, use of reserves & allocation of ongoing funding across a suite of VRU programmes.
Recommendation
The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to approve funding to a number of programmes at a total cost of £19M for the 3 year period 2022/23 – 2024/25, which includes but is not limited to:
- After school programmes for children in communities affected by violence
- Support and leadership for local Community Safety Partnerships to deliver violence and vulnerability action plans
- Participation and leadership through the VRU Young Person’s Action Group for a further three years
- Delivery of an evidence-based approach to professionalising the grassroots and community youth work sector for upskilling & training
- A repertoire of parent and carer support programmes including peer support for parents and carers affected by violent threats against their children in the community
- A strong research and evaluation programme to interrogate the drivers of violence & evaluate what works to reduce violence
- Longer term mentoring provision for girls and young women in London who face multiple forms of violence and vulnerability
- Continuation & enhancement of a fund to support communities following a critical incident of violence or homicide
Non-confidential facts and advice to the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC)
1. Introduction and background
1.1 The VRU’s budget enables us to fund a range of ambitious and crucial programmes that are designed to improve the environments, relationships, or surrounding professional networks that, if unaddressed and unsupported, may otherwise lead to violence.
1.2 The VRU’s approach to violence reduction means putting communities, young people and their families at the heart of tackling the issue; and particularly in those parts of London most affected – often taking a place-based approach to violence reduction. This includes work programme interventions to support those neighbourhoods which have experienced sustained and high levels of violence. The VRU has also commissioned various pieces of research which have been published within 2021-2022 which have made clear recommendations for funding longer term initiatives. , ,3 The Perceptions of Violence Research (due to be published March 2022) analysed violence at a neighborhood level across London and found that the short-term nature of initiative funding is seen as potentially harmful. Projects often end before significant trust has been built with the communities and young people – meaning communities are less likely to engage with future schemes and services.
1.3 The VRU work programme takes into consideration a consistent review of the challenges we face and how they relate to young people impacted by violence. COVID-19 has had a significant and unprecedented impact on London and London’s communities, families and young people. Further, 2021 was sadly a year which saw the highest number of homicides of children within serious youth violence since 2008, so the VRU has reinforced its focus on joining up strategic programmatic activity on the likes of education, actions plans for community partnerships on violence reduction, violence against women and girls, the after-school period where children are at risk, children in custody & work with parents.
1.4 These relationships all link to the wider whole family approach and need for keeping young people in education and reducing exclusions, and better equipping and recognising youth practitioners for a consistent approach. Earlier Decisions have set out funding models for education & custody approaches for young people (PCDs 1078 & 881)
The VRU work plan is divided into five key priority areas:
1. Youth Work
2. Education, Schools and Settings
3. Early Intervention and Whole Family
4. Neighbourhoods & Local violence Reduction Plans
5. Young People – giving them their voice
The key areas will be refreshed as part of the planned VRU Strategy Refresh in 2022-2023.
1.5 The VRU has developed an intricate research, evidence, monitoring and learning framework which measures throughput and impact across programmes and activity. This is undergoing enhancement and awaits further resourcing, but early reporting is used to align funding focus to existing evidence of reach and impact where possible.
1.6 The VRU is seeking to sustain, extend, develop or expand fifteen programmes of work utilising: £6,454,415 Mayoral Core Funding, £3,150,000 funding from original Council Tax Precept, £1,034,800 VRU Earmarked Reserves, the Carry Forward of allocated budgets which have not been spent in 2021-2022 to the year 2022-2023, the London Crime Prevention Fund £1,600,000 & Home Office (HO) budget of £4,800,000 (HO budget notified in letter from Policing Minister and awaiting written agreement).
2. Overview of requests & funding
2.1 Table 1 and 2 below provides an overview of recommendations for 2022-2023, 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 commissioned activity (in line with MOPAC’s Contract Regulations). Table 3 can be found in the Appendix and fully details costs to each programme against each funding source within the VRU budget: totalled over the three year period 2022-2025.
Table 1: Overview of recommendations for 2021-2022 commissioned activity
Table 2: Rationale for funded activity
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Rationale for 2022-2023, 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 funded activity |
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Young People’s Action Group (YPAG) |
Listening and promoting the voices of young people is one of the London Violence Reduction Unit’s VRU) core values. In that spirit, the VRU has recruited a Young People’s Action Group (YPAG) to embed young people’s perspectives into the Unit’s work. The voice of our Young Leaders can be used to engage local communities and their peer circles in a more dynamic, creative, and culturally sensitive way, and thereby creating meaningful engagement in our efforts to reduce violence. VRU’s Young People`s Action Group will continue to focus on sharing their views and experiences with VRU senior managers and external partners to help shape how we fund programmes, manage campaigns and influence policies. Attending the Young People's Action Group meetings and participating in training. Being an ambassador of hope, advocating for real opportunities for young people whilst informing your peers and other young people about our projects and opportunities. Leading on projects that matter most to them, for a minimum of 12 months. To this end, the VRU Young Leaders are paid for their time at the London Living Wage rate; are supported with a professional and personal development plan, providing them with the skills and support to undertake their role; and have been provided with the equipment to work effectively as part of the VRU team. The YPAG Work programme objectives are designed to support: Developing an understanding of the models of engagement and participation, how services can be delivered to best support and meet the needs of young people. Encouraging greater sharing of information and best practice on current interventions available to support young people at risk of violence. Engaging young Londoners in framing the conversation about violence in ways which empowers new perspectives, approaches and thinking. |
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Rise Up Youth Leadership Programme |
DMPC decision PCD 673 & PCD 759 & PCD 1000 allocated £1,648,509 funding for the Rise Youth Practitioners programme & prior pilot. £659,373 has been spent up until April 2022. This programme has been successful (statistics from the independent evaluation are below) and the VRU would like to commission a further year of programme delivery in addition to the development of a paid practitioner advisory board. The rationale for the advisory board can be found in PCD 1000. This award will be made following a competitive tendering process.
*Rise M2 Impact Report 2021 |
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After School Provision ‘Stronger Futures’ |
The Unit values the work of the community grassroots sector in supporting young people who are at risk of violence. These organisations can reach young people in their communities, providing them with confidence, skills, opportunities and support. The VRU has invested in 17 targeted projects that are working with young people after school and at weekends, to improve educational outcomes and reduce school exclusions, as well as to improve employability prospects and mental health and wellbeing. The VRU’s Stronger Futures programme is delivering prevention and early intervention work with young people aged between 10-18 who may be at risk of violence, exploitation or grooming. A strong focus of all projects is on mentoring, in recognition of the importance of a role model in a young person’s life. Youth workers are delivering one-to-one mentoring sessions with young people to focus on decision-making, conflict resolution and how to access positive opportunities. The programme is also delivering dedicated, tailored support for young women and girls as research suggests the needs of young women are not always met in the same way as they are for boys. It is proposed to extend this programme: Funding for this afterschool provision has been previously approved in DMPC 673 and DMPC 821. It is the intention that this funding will continue to be managed by an external managing agent. Therefore, up to 10 percent of this funding will be used to engage a grants management organisation to facilitate the programme delivery through a competitive tender process. |
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Girls and Young Women Mentoring Programme |
Please see PCD 1016 for the original rationale for this service. At the point the VRU wrote that Decision, it was not confirmed what funding would be received for 2022-2025. However, now with the confirmed funding the VRU aims to provide a much longer girls and young women mentoring programme. This will be subject to learning from the commissioned evaluation (PCD 1114). The VRU aims to extend to provide longer term sustainable programmes for girls and young women who are at risk of facing violence against women and girls. |
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Violence and Vulnerability Plans |
PCD 945 previously approved direct grant allocation of £4,400,000 to all 32 Local Authorities for the VRU Local Crime Prevention Fund, which allows boroughs to fund local violence reduction initiatives ranging from mentoring and outreach services, parent and carer support, minimising exclusions projects and reducing reoffending programmes. This funding supports elements of delivery aligning to the boroughs Violence and Vulnerability plans which sets out each Community Safety Partnerships strategic response to violence and vulnerabilities. Continued funding with an uplift of £110,000 will allow boroughs to provide ongoing intervention to support vulnerable young people and reduce violence across London. |
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Critical Incident Drawdown Budget |
The fund allows Local Authorities to bid for up to £5,000 following a critical incident, to support borough response. The fund has been utilised over the past financial year to provide additional CCTV in the location/hot spots, additional outreach and mentoring, therapeutic support for victims' families and community engagement and reassurance. Due to the increase in proposals, additional funding will allow for more grants to be allocated to boroughs to support immediate partnership response. |
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Borough Capacity Building |
The VRU is supporting the 24 boroughs that are not My Ends areas, through funding for 12 months delivery. This funding will be extended for a further 12 months to help support progress of additional partnership work and could include areas such as community engagement, supporting outreach through organisations coming together, providing training and development of champions as well as supporting strong and sustainable local networks of community members so that they are well placed to respond to local emerging needs and help advance and test new initiatives to tackle serious youth violence. |
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Power the Fight |
The VRU funded Power the Fights Therapeutic Intervention for Peace research report. The TIP report focused on the gaps in culturally competent therapeutic services for families and peers affected by traumatic loss through youth violence, and for those at risk of becoming involved in violence. The research identified the lack of appropriate provision and support services currently offered in the aftermath of incidents or identification of risk for a young person, and the impact of these gaps on individuals and communities from racial minority backgrounds, as well as those who work with them. The report also made several recommendations for improving the availability and quality of these vital support services. The VRU has allocated funding to deliver a pilot based on the research recommendations and findings in 3 school settings. The programme co-designed with the schools includes therapeutic workshops and one to one sessions with young people identified by the different schools as being at highest risk of violence, alongside staff training and reflective practice sessions, and therapeutic workshops for parents. The additional funding will enable Power the Fight to continue delivery until the end of the school year. |
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Parent Support Programme |
The parent support programme original rationale can be found in PCD 1000. We are proposing to fund an additional year of this programme including delivery of community-based parenting support in Camden and Islington. The project aims to test new ways of working with families affected by violence through a community based, peer-to-peer support approach. This collaborative, project led by Camden and Islington Public Health, seeks to build on existing relationships and cross border working across the two boroughs to share and extend good practice and improve outcomes for families living in EC1 and in the Caledonian Road area. |
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Supporting Children and Young People Impacted by Domestic Abuse |
The VRU funding for CYP Impacted by Domestic Abuse (DA) seeks to identify a single provider who will develop a service that supports children and young people who have been impacted by domestic abuse. The rationale for this programme was specified in PCD 1000. The programme itself has had some slippage in terms of commissioning due to a range of competing issues such as delays in recruitment. Therefore, the VRU requests carry forward of funding to ensure effective budgeting for the commissioned service which is as of February 2022 closing its invitation to tender. The successful recipient of the tender award will interface with the wider MOPAC commissioned CYP victim service. |
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Parenting/Carer Network Developments |
This area of funding will support additional requirements for parent carer networks, including peer and voluntary sector support for parents whose children have been directly affected by violence, inclusion of parental representation on assessment panels for commissioning of services and delivery of pan-London events for parent champions. |
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Project response to Child and Adolescent to Parent Violence research |
This programme has not mobilised yet at the research report which is to evidence the design of a project response has only just been completed after several delays. The VRU is holding an event to launch the findings with the Mayor & after this the VRU will develop a project response, with stakeholders attending and engaging with the event. Therefore, this fund will be carried forward to ensure effective funding allocated for this project response when it is ready. |
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Research |
Commissioning high quality research is essential for the VRU to achieve its objectives. Research is a critical way that the VRU can build knowledge and facilitate meaningful learning to better understand the complex system of violence reduction. The VRU has already commissioned multiple research projects that worked to fill identified gaps in the evidence base and underpin funding focus. This includes recent research on online harms experienced by young people which found that children and young people want to see improved monitoring, swift action and accountability from tech organisations; and a project looking at the need across London relating to children/adolescent to parent violence and abuse (CAPVA), which highlighted the hidden nature of CAPVA and the lack of effective multi-agency support. Through the unit’s Research Strategy, including sector consultation, priority areas for future research projects have been identified, including research on missing young people. |
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Evaluation |
Generating a robust evidence base in terms of ‘what works’ in violence reduction is a fundamental part of the VRU’s approach. A significant portfolio of externally commissioned evaluations is attached to the current work programme, providing essential learning in terms of both the process of implementation and impact. Recent evaluation reports have highlighted important insights in terms of both overall process (Ecorys) and intervention level efficacy (Rise Up!). Several large-scale evaluation reports are due in the coming months and will further contribute to learning, informing future commissioning, and strategic and operational decision making within the unit and across partners. It is essential that that the VRU continues to build a robust understanding of what works through a programme of evaluation with an emphasis on developing the evidence base for innovative approaches (My Ends; Your Choice; Stronger Futures). The evaluation budget is also contributing to the development & implementation of a robust performance monitoring framework, enabling a full and transparent assessment of work of the VRU and the extent to which we are meeting our stated objectives. Together, intervention-level evaluation and unit wide outcomes focused performance monitoring are vital in demonstrating the impact of the VRU. |
3. Issues for consideration
3.1 The Violence Reduction Unit are in the process of obtaining increased funding from both the Mayor & the Home Office for the next 3 financial years. This Decision focusses on the core funding & programmatic activity which has been developed over the past 18 months but there will be further Decisions to follow which set out the allocation of predicted further funding.
3.2 The research commissioned by the Violence Reduction Unit into Neighbourhoods and pathways to violence, carried out by Kane et al, found that ‘pilotism’ can cause limited if no affect in communities for reducing violence. This Decision sets out the importance of providing longer term solutions & utilises the Mayor’s 3-year commitment to provide this for children, parents & communities in London.
4. Financial Comments
4.1. This paper is seeking approval to award funds totalling £19,052,960 over the 3 year period 2022/23 – 2024/25. A detailed breakdown of projects, their costs and their funding sources is provided at Appendix One.
4.2. The proposals include:-
4.3. (a) Funding from the Home Office totalling £4,800,000 which is yet to be confirmed, any reduction in Home Office funding will need to be met with a corresponding reduction in the proposed spend or an alternative funding source identified. The VRU has received a letter from the Policing Minister notifying grant potential and the VRU is undergoing a process to confirm this funding. This is a similar position the VRU has been in in previous years when formal allocation was not received
4.4. (b) Carry forward of underspends from 2021/22 totalling £1,848,545 which are subject to approval.
5. Legal Comments
5.1. Paragraph 4.8 (8) and 4.13 (1), (2) of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to:
• Approve bids for grant funding made and all offers made of grant funding; and/or where appropriate a strategy for grant giving.
• Approve the strategy for the award of individual grants and/ or the award of all individual grants whether to secure or contribute to securing crime reduction in London or for other purposes.
• The procurement strategy for all revenue and capital contracts of a total value of £500,000 or above, such determination to include decisions on the criteria and methodology to be adopted in the tendering process, any exemptions from procurement requirements, and any necessary contract extensions.
• All requests to go out to tender for contracts of £500,000 or above, or where there is a particular public interest.
5.2 MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Chief Executive has delegated authority for;
• As per Paragraph 5.5, the approval of: Business cases for revenue or capital expenditure for MOPAC expenditure of £50,000 to £499,999
• As per Paragraph 5.12, The approval of: The procurement strategy for all MOPAC revenue and capital contracts of a total value of between £50,000 and £499,999.
6. Commercial Issues
6.1. Paragraph 4.13 (5) of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve all unforeseen variations and extensions to contracts with an original value of £500,000 or above, when the variation or extension is greater than 10% of the original value and/or is for a period of more than 12 months.
6.2. Whilst there are 2 programme-level grant variations (although some programmes contain 32 London authorities), this in line with the above detailed in 6.1, as well as contract exemption options available to us according to the MOPAC Contract Regulations section 3.1 in conjunction with section 8.22 - (See section 4) and in the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation (See Annex 1).
6.3. The evidence provided to support these awards have been provided in Table 2 and is satisfactory to justify the decisions.
6.4 The Capacity Building services to support the delivery of Incident Response across 24 Boroughs services will be delivered through grant awards to all boroughs not awarded the MyEnds funding, teasing out critical local issues through a compliant grant award process. The Parent/Carer champions network funding will also be delivered through grant awards as an opportunity for all 32 boroughs.
6.5 The VRU intends to conduct an open competitive tendering process to award a contract or identify a contractual delivery partner to deliver the services in line with the objectives of the VRU on the Rise Up contract, Girls Mentoring, Project response to Child and Adolescent to Parent Violence research & any externally commissioned research or evaluation tenders.
6.6 The standard MOPAC tendering evaluation criteria of Quality 70% and Price 30% will be adopted. The process will comply with the Public Contract and Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015), with award selections to include, Responsible Procurement requirements; payment of London Living Wage to all staff delivering to the contract, awareness of Modern Day Slavery, delivery of Social Value and all aspects of ethical procurement delivery.
7. Public Health Approach
7.1 London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) is taking a public health approach to violence reduction, that is contextual; looking at the context and influences that impact on individuals at significant points in their life.
7.2 Evidence-based practice is fundamental to the implementation of a public health approach to reducing violence. Therefore, more research including the delivery and gather of good practice and ‘what works’ is required to deepen and broaden the evidence base around violence reduction, diversion and prevention in London. The delivery to date for these programmes still require further support to address the ‘what works’ question and support ongoing good practise.
7.3 The key areas which are being focussed on as part of this approach are:
1. Youth Work
2. Education, Schools and Settings
3. Early Intervention and Whole Family
4. Neighbourhoods & Local violence Reduction Plans
5. Young People – giving them their voice
The key areas will be refreshed as part of the planned VRU Strategy Refresh in 2022-2023.
8. GDPR and Data Privacy
8.1 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
9. Equality Comments
9.1 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.
9.2 All programmes being extended have had initial screening around equality impact and it was established that a full EQIA was not required. Initial screening for new programmes will be undertaken to establish if a full EQIA is required.
9.3 The VRU, along with MOPAC, have commissioned EDI consultants to work with the teams to develop training, awareness and recommendations for future work programme and action plan developments to ensure the VRU are developing their equality, diversity and inclusion work practices as much as possible going forward. For both the team and stakeholders, as well as for the Londoners we serve.
10. Background/supporting papers
Appendix: Table 3 (see pdf)
Signed decision document
PCD 1147 VRU 22-23 Funding Programme Mayoral Spend