London Child House

MOPAC and NHS England (London Region) have secured funding from the Home Office and the Department for Education, alongside match funding from MOPAC and NHS England (London Region), to pilot the Child House model for victims of child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation in North Central London.

The DMPC is asked to:

• Approve the overall £7.5m programme spend to deliver the Child House model in London, comprising of funding from the Home Office, Department for Education, NHS England (London Region) and MOPAC; and as specified in Grants from the Home Office and Department for Education.

• Approve the transfer of £2.12m funding to NHS England (London Region) across 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 as contribution to the health and wellbeing service lead provider contract to be held by NHS England (London Region).

• Approve up to £400,000 spend for the hardware, software and telephony including annual maintenance across 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 to North and East London Commissioning Support Unit (NELCSU).

• Approve £354,500 spend to Camden Council for the provision of a social care mobilisation resource and two social care liaison officer posts across 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20.

• Approve £200,000 to commission an external organisation to deliver a learning strategy and sustainability plan for the Child House across 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20.

1. Introduction and background

1.1. MOPAC and NHS England (London Region) have secured funding from the Home Office and the Department for Education (DfE) to pilot the ‘Child House’ model in London, a first for the UK. Both MOPAC and NHSE (London Region) will also be contributing funding for the pilot. This is also a commitment within the Police and Crime Plan 2017- 2021.

1.2. It is estimated that 1 in 20 children in the UK are victims of sexual abuse. Abuse can derail a child’s development and can have serious physical and psychological impacts. The trauma of abuse can be made worse if a child has to undergo assessments and interviews in multiple, adult settings. But with timely, co-ordinated support children and young people can get back on track and can give their best evidence to help bring perpetrators to justice.

1.3. The London Child House will be based on a model of international best practice, bringing together medical, investigative and therapeutic services ‘under one roof’, alongside support for child victims to progress more rapidly through the criminal justice and court process. It will provide support to children and young people who have been sexually abused or exploited, as well as providing support to their families or carers.

1.4. The Child House will be located in Camden and serve the North Central sector in London providing services to children and young people who reside in five London boroughs (Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington). It is expected that the Child House will support approximately 700 children and young people in North Central London per year. The Child House will open in 2018 and run as a pilot for two years.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. The Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the Child House programme is the Chief Executive of MOPAC, who chairs a multi-agency monthly programme board which includes MOPAC, NHS England (London Region) and Home Office representation amongst other key partners.

2.2. The programme comprises of a number of different workstreams including estates, IT, service design and commissioning, evaluation and communication. Ahead of the service going live in 2018/19, a number of elements require authorisation to facilitate the implementation and mobilisation of the service.

2.3. IT – MOPAC has commissioned NELCSU to project manage and deliver all IT and telephony requirements for the Child House.

2.4. Service design and commissioning – a lead provider will be responsible for delivering the health and well-being service within the Child House. The contract for the two-year pilot has been commissioned by NHS England (London Region), who will hold the contract with the lead provider. Although MOPAC will not hold the contract, the contract will be jointly managed between MOPAC and NHS England (London Region).

2.5. Home Office funding – this funding has been secured for 2017/18 and 2018/19 and is not ring-fenced to fund a particular part of the programme.

2.6. Department for Education funding – this funding has been secured for 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 to fund three elements: i) social care mobilisation resource and two social care liaison officer posts, to be hosted by Camden Council; ii) development of a sustainability plan for the Child House beyond the two-year pilot; and iii) development of a learning strategy and toolkit to help inform any future Child Houses in London or nationally. The second and third elements will be commissioned out to an external organisation.

2.7. A separate decision will be submitted to cover the estates aspects of the programme at a later date.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. The funding amounts and profile for the Child House pilot is set out in the attached document.

3.2. Home Office funding will be released every six months following completion of a return, to evidence delivery and spend. The DfE funding will be released every three months following completion of a return, to evidence delivery and spend.

3.3. DMPC Decision “Integrated Victim and Witness Services Resource Plan 2017-2020” – PCD 174 (2017) has previously approved the MOPAC funding contribution to the Child House pilot.

3.4. As a large programme, MOPAC will monitor spend closely in consultation with all funding partners and in particular the Home Office as the majority funder.

3.5. The funding profile matches the programme budget to ensure the two year pilot is fully funded.

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. MOPAC has statutory duties to hold the MPS Commissioner to account for the exercise of child safeguarding duties under sections 10 and 11 of the Children Act 2004 as well as to discharge its own functions having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, as outlined in the same legislation. Keeping children and young people safe is core priority within the Police and Crime Plan 2017 – 2021. Child safeguarding runs through almost every strand of MOPAC’s work and we will continue to provide strategic oversight of the MPS’s work in this area and to work with agencies across London to ensure that we do everything we can to protect children in the capital.

4.4. Under MOPAC’s Scheme of Delegation, approval of business cases for revenue or capital expenditure of £500,000 and above is a matter generally reserved to the DMPC (paragraph 4.8). 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 arrangements, including relevant terms and the signing of agreements, to the Chief Executive is in accordance with the general power of delegation in section 5.

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. The service will enable a more tailored approach and greater level of accessibility to services for victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation. Links will be made between the Child House and other MOPAC commissioned services such as the Children and Young Person’s Havens, to ensure that victims are well supported and referred into the most appropriate services.

5.3. The Police and Crime Plan 2017-21 Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) takes into account feedback from the public and stakeholders and makes an assessment of its impact on a number of objectives including Crime, Safety and Security, Equality and Inclusion and Social Integration. The Impact Assessment shows that young people are disproportionately impacted by crime as victims.

5.4. Responding to the needs of young victims of crime, particularly for the most appalling cases such as child sexual abuse, must be seen in a challenging local and national context. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has carried out nearly 16,000 investigations into child abuse over the past year. Nearly 1,600 children in London have been identified by the MPS as being at risk of sexual exploitation.

5.5. This decision supports the provision of services and interventions for this extremely vulnerable group of victims, as well as support for their families and/or carers.

6. Background/supporting papers

6.1. This decision supersedes the previous DMPC Decision “Home Office Innovation Fund – Child House”– PCD 39 (2016).

6.2. DMPC Decision “Integrated Victim and Witness Services Resource Plan 2017-2020” – PCD 174 (2017).