2018 MOPAC Small Grants Fund for Victims Services

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime approved PCD 174 Integrated Victims Service Portfolio Resource Plan on 27 March 2017. The 2017-20 victims budget makes provision for the small grants fund and a total £2,790,000 has been allocated for the purposes of the small grants fund for this period. This decision seeks approval in line with previous decisions and the programme budget.

The Police and Crime Plan (PCP) 2017-21 puts victims at the heart of everything we do and makes significant commitments to ensuring better services that are responsive to the changing nature of crime and victimisation. The Integrated Victim and Witness Services Resource Plan 2017-2020 includes a commitment to building capacity and capability within the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector through a Small Grants Fund aligned to the priorities of the PCP to commission a range of specialised, local and tailored services for victims of crime who would not otherwise have sought or received support.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is asked to approve £467,896 for the Small Grants Fund.

The DMPC is asked to:

• approve £467,896 for the award of grants to VCSE sector organisations via the London Community Foundation for 2018-19;

• delegate authority to sign any individual grant or contract agreements related to the work described in section 2 to the Chief Executive Officer.

1. Introduction and background

1.1. The Integrated Victim and Witness Services Resource Plan 2017-2020 makes provision for building capacity and capability within the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector through a Small Grants Fund. The fund is aligned to the priorities of the Police and Crime Plan (PCP), commissioning a range of specialised, local and tailored services for victims of crime who would not otherwise have sought or received support.

1.2. £930k (including administration fees) was approved in the victims’ budget profile detailed in DMPCD 174 for financial year 2018-19 with budget a total budget allocation £2,790,000 over the three financial years (2017/8, 2018/19 and 2019/20).

1.3. The objectives of the Fund align with the commitments stated within the Police and Crime Plan and aim to:

• target (although not limited to) 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;

• ensure clear and achievable outcomes with appropriate measurement;

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

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

The budget for the award of the grants of the fund for 2018 are detailed in section 3.

1.4. 11 programmes were approved for three-year awards from the 2016/17 funds totalling £418,189 (including administration fees) was approved in DMPCD 203, small grants fund 2017. £467,896 excluding administration fees remains to be assigned to programmes via this application process and is detailed in this decision.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. The London Community Foundation (LCF) have been commissioned for the provision of a Small Grants Fund to organisations for VCSE sector organisations for their work to help victims of crime cope and recover. LCF have significant expertise in this area and have managed a number of large and high-profile funds, including the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund and the Comic Relief Local Communities Programme. The fund supports smaller organisations to apply for funding to deliver services directly to victims and to build capacity within their own organisation. LCF advertise, promote and actively administer the grant awards. This administration includes the completion of due diligence, managing individual grant agreements, scrutinising monitoring reports and ensuring continual value for money.

2.2. The overall allocation as detailed in DMPCD 174 has enabled the potential for multi-year funding for the first time. A proportion (approx. 40%) of the grant awards will be for a two-year period, which will provide some stability and sustainability to enable VCSE organisations to build and support a client base according to their longer term needs, strengthen their project skill base and retain their valuable workforce – all issues that arise from the provision of short term funding.

2.3. The 2018 fund was advertised for 10 weeks and a total of 67 applications were received, 56 from single organisations and 11 from partnerships. 21 applications totalling £832,712 were shortlisted. Due diligence checks and further assessments were carried out by LCF on all 21 projects.



Grant awards were decided at a panel meeting on 7th March 2018 comprising MOPAC representatives and LCF representatives. The panel was advised by specialists from across MOPAC’s CJC directorate.

Assessments and recommendations were made using the following criteria

o alignment with the commitments stated within the Police and Crime Plan;

o capacity building for improved victims’ services;

o working with specific types of victims, for example, hate crime, violence against women and girls, young people, restorative justice;

o clear and achievable outcomes with appropriate measurement;

o support for developing partnerships/consortia with a view to deliver victims’ services;

o geographical and thematic spread of services across London, and;

o previous performance and outcomes (if they had been funded by MOPAC previously).

2.4. A total of four single applications and one partnership application are recommended for two-year funding.

2.5. Four single applications and two partnership applications are recommended for one-year funding. Appendix 1 details the projects funded, their amounts and period of funding.

2.6. The projects funded address the priority themes (detail in Appendix 1) and are reasonably spread across London. Three projects are funded for pan London projects and nine projects will operate across 14 of the 32 London boroughs.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. This decision is for the allocation of £467,896 for new projects.

3.2. The total project costs for the 2018 fund are £914,159. This breaks down to £870,000 for the total award of grants, of which £402,104 was allocated in the 2017 funding round, and, £44,159 towards LCF’s fees for the administration of the grant (fees are comprised as follows: £16,085; 4% contribution to management costs of continued programmes and £28,074; 6% contribution to management costs for new programmes). These proposals are included as part of the in-year victims budget (DMPCD-174). In 2017/18, £18,485 of unallocated funds were carried forward into 2018 and were earmarked to conduct some evaluation work. It has not been necessary to conduct that work and it is proposed that that sum be added to the funds available for the next round of small grants.

3.3. The London Community Foundation has been commissioned to administer and manage the grants fund on behalf of MOPAC. They have significant expertise in this area and have provided this service for MOPAC for two previous funding rounds. As part of the service they provide the Foundation has undertaken due diligence exercises with those receiving grants and will be responsible for ensuring the grant recipients adhere to the terms and conditions of grant (which are inclusive of MOPAC and Ministry of Justice requirements) and provide the necessary monitoring returns.

3.4. Appendix 1 details the organisations funded and their individual grant awards

3.5. In total 82 grants have been awarded through the small grants fund since 2014. In order to protect MOPAC’s investment for multi-year awards, only the current financial year’s funding (2018/19) will be confirmed as payable at the start of the funded period and payment will be subject to compliance with the terms and conditions of the grants.

In addition, all funding for the next financial year (2019/20) will be dependent on:

a) the availability to MOPAC of sufficient Ministry of Justice Victims Grant funding to meet the provisionally agreed amounts; and

b) satisfactory progress against the agreed outcomes.

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 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 an express power for MOPAC, as a local policing body, to provide or commission services “intended by the local policing body to help 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. The powers in section 143 were given to MOPAC following the Government’s response to the consultation Getting it Right for Victims and Witnesses (2 July 2012) in which it set out a package of reforms to the way in which support services for victims of crime are to be provided. Section 143 creates a clear statutory basis for the delivery of a small grants fund to support the delivery of services to victims of crime.

4.4. Under MOPAC’s Scheme of Delegation, approval of the strategy for the award of individual grants and the award of all individual grants (for crime reduction or other purposes) is a matter generally reserved to the DMPC (paragraph 5.6). The release of funding in accordance with the proposals set out in this decision form is accordingly to be approved by the DMPC. The delegation of responsibility for the finalisation of planning and contractual/grant arrangements, including relevant terms and the signing of agreements, to the Chief Executive Officer is in accordance with the general power of delegation in paragraph 1.7.

5. Equality Comments

5.1. 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.

5.2. This programme of work and MOPAC’s wider work programme focussed on providing effective support for victims will generate additional information and data that will further inform the development and delivery of services to address the range of victim needs across London.

5.3. The fund is aligned with the priorities detailed in the Police and Crime Plan and associated commissioning plans are based on two clear principles of putting victims first and reducing inequalities in communities.

5.4. The fund is also clearly aligned to the MOPAC targeted priorities directed at those people who are disproportionately affected by crime. The priorities aim to provide specialised services that safeguard the most vulnerable in society and reduce evident existing inequalities. These priorities are reflected in the decision-making process when awarding grants, as set out in this decision form.

They are:

• Keeping Children and Young People Safe – a small number of bids were received and will be considered as part of the knife crime

• Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls

• Standing together against extremism, hatred and intolerance.

Appendix 1 outlines the priorities that are addressed by the 2017 grant.

5.5. MOPAC is clear that the outputs from these grant awards will provide a better service to victims whilst having a greater positive impact on certain groups in society who are disproportionately vulnerable to and affected by crime.



5.6. The assessment has been conducted to determine whether proposed priorities would have any negative impact on any protective characteristics. In conducting the assessment, the potential impact has been assessed as positive across all objectives.

Age

5.7. During the 12-month period May 2015 to April 2016, 29% of all total notifiable offences (TNO) victims were aged between 25-34, with 20% aged 35-44 and 19% aged 45-59. The evidence indicates that young people are disproportionately impacted by crime as both victims and offenders. Evidence shows that serious youth violence has increased steadily for the past three years. The number of knife crimes with injury committed against Londoners under the age of 25 is, at 1,782 offences in the year to September, the highest level since 2012. Children and young people are particularly vulnerable to becoming victims of crime and hence feature as a priority area for this fund

Disability

5.8. 26.72% of Victim Support’s clients self-identify as having a disability. The Police and Crime Plan has published a specific priority relating to extremism, hate crime and intolerance, with the development of a zero-tolerance approach to all hate crime and the broadening of the hate crime victim advocates scheme.

Race

5.9. During the 12-month period May 2015 – Apr 2016. 44% of all TNO victims were White with 13% Black and 12% Asian. Service data from the current grant arrangement with Victim Support shows that fewer than half their clients describe themselves as White British. Data from the MPS is shown in the table below and shows that victims’ ethnicity generally follows the overall population ethnicity trends. In the year to September 2016, 25% of hate crime victims have been of an Asian background, 28% have been black, and 27% from a white European background.

Table can be found on the attached document

Religion and Belief

5.10. In the year to September 2016 there were 482 anti-Semitic offences recorded by the MPS, a 1.7% increase on the previous 12 months. In the last year (Oct 2015 – Sep 2016) the MPS recorded 1,343 Islamophobic offences, a 65.6% increase on the same period (Oct-Sep) the previous year. The MPS has recorded 2,110 faith hate offences during the most recent 12 months, an increase of 45.1% compared to the previous 12 months.

Sex

5.11. During the 12-month period May 2015 – Apr 2016, 46% of all TNO victims were male with 39% recorded as female. Data from the year to September 2016 shows just over three out of four victims of Domestic Abuse and Violence were female. In the same period, almost nine in ten victims of sexual offences were female.

Sexual orientation

5.12. Sexual orientation hate crime has increased by 12.8% when comparing the 12 months to September 2016 with the previous 12 months. This equates to 221 more offences recorded. Men are predominately more likely to be victims of this crime (77% compared to 21% female). The focus on hate crime aims to impact positively on those who fall victim to these crimes.

5.13. The fund is purposely aligned to the Police and Crime Plan priorities relating to violence against women and girls and extremism, hate crime and intolerance and keeping children and young people safe.

5.14. Many of the programmes recommended address multiple priority areas and include:

• 4 projects working with BAMER clients,

• 4 related to violence against women and girls

• 4 related to sexual abuse/violence

• 4 related to hate crime; and

• 1 related to young victims of crime.

6. Background/supporting papers

6.1. Appendix 1- Table of Funded Projects

Table can be found on the attached document