Key information
Executive summary
MOPAC fund Safer London to deliver its Empower programme in across 10 London boroughs. Delivery of this current programme of work comes to an end in September 2017. Empower provides Young People’s Advocates (YPA) to support girls and young women who are involved in or at risk of gang involvement and/or at risk of sexual violence and exploitation.
The Police and Crime Plan commits to funding youth independent sexual violence advocates, and DMPC Decision 2016 44 - Integrated Victims Services Commissioning Plan proposes that further funding is provided to continue Empower programme.
This decision sheet outlines the proposal to continue and extend funding for Empower beyond September 2017 for a further three years throughout this Mayoral term until March 2020. The budget required to continue to fund and invest in expansion of the Safer London’s YPA programme for a further three years until March 2020 (from F/Y 17-18 to F/Y 19-20) is £1,518,000.
Recommendation
That DMPC approves an award of a conditional grant up to the total of £1,518,000 to Safer London to enable it to continue and expand the Empower programme until March 2020.
Non-confidential facts and advice to the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC)
1. Introduction and background
1.1. The Police and Crime Plan priority of ‘Keeping Children and Young People Safe’ commits that ‘MOPAC will in particular will increase the number of youth Independent Sexual Violence Advocates who can offer support to children and young children. This provision will be integrated within local partnership teams to improve the outcomes for victims’. Under the priority of ‘Keeping children and young people safe’ there is a commitment ‘to work with local boroughs to invest in the earlier identification of young people at risk of CSE’.
1.2. It further commits ‘with NHS England and other London partners to invest in an extended and joined up approach to commission victim support services for these young victims of sexual violence’. This commitment is supported in the DMPC Decision 2016 44 -Integrated Victims Services Commissioning Plan (see para 4.3 DMPC Decision 2016 44).
1.3. Since September 2014 MOPAC has funded Safer London’s Empower YPA programme, which currently translates to six Young People Advocate posts, specially supporting girls and young women who are involved in or at risk of gang involvement or, at risk of sexual violence and exploitation, across 10 London boroughs.
1.4. The programme came to the end of its current funding cycle in March this year, with delivery due to finish at the end of September 2017. This decision sheet makes recommendations to continue to fund and expand Empower over the next three years, throughout this Mayoral term, until March 2020.
1.5. It is proposed that the existing provision is retained and that it is extended with a view to alignment with the MPS Safeguarding pilots (in Camden/Islington and Barking & Dagenham/ Redbridge/ Havering).
1.6. The map below shows Safer London (and WGN) provision overlaid on the 2016/2017 recorded CSE crimes map. It outlines that Camden/ Islington already have YPA provision locally, so focus for expansion will be on the East of London where demand is high but existing provision is limited. The expansion will therefore be directed in areas that need further/new CSE services for young women. It is proposed that these are:
• Newham, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, and Havering
• Greenwich and Bexley.
1.7 In addition, a number of other expansion activities will be undertaken, including;
• Undertake further work with WGN to extend their delivery and increase joined up learning and influence
• Map services to better understand the extent of delivery of services across London and populate this graphically on a map equivalent to the above.
• Engage with local areas and services to better understand the reasons behind the extent of reporting in some boroughs over others i.e. is it that established services have worked with local areas to increase identification rates and reporting or is it that there is a more widespread problem in some areas?
• Where there is provision that is not fully utilised by local authorities work to understand the problem and suggest solutions to enhance partnership working.
• Build relationships with well-established programmes such as Women’s Aid in Bromley and enhance the partnership working with WGN.
• Embed learning and form a VCS network of service delivery across London mapping provision and making this available for all boroughs for signposting.
2. Issues for consideration
2.1. The YPA service is both comprehensive and successful. Between 2014 and March 2017, key achievements include:
• Working directly with 115 young women
• Providing expert advice to 710 practitioners to ensure that young people receive appropriate support and referral pathways
• 2,589 professionals have received training from Safer London to ensure that young people are getting identified as being at risk and effectively supported
• 11,513 sessions have been delivered to young people in school settings to ensure they are engaged in a dialogue about healthy relationships and consent.
• This work is delivered via education for professional and young people, early intervention via mentoring, group work and intensive 1:1 support with young individuals in their communities.
2.2 Empower is the key MOPAC-commissioned service supporting victims of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE). The recently published CSE Needs Assessment shows that there is a future need to provide a more consistent service to these victims, as coverage is not yet sufficiently extensive across London and to address need. Alongside the development of London’s first Children’s and Young Persons Victim and Witness Service in 2018-19, it is essential that Safer London’s YPS service continues to support CSE victims in a joined up way, and provides support in boroughs where provision is needed but limited.
2.3 This decision allocates uplift in investment to Safer London enabling an extension of service. This uplift will commence in 2018-19, any additional resource will look towards ensure a broader coverage that links into structural changes in MPS BOCU formation and the development of the MPS’s approach to Protecting Vulnerable People and safeguarding, as well as integration with to the Children’s and Young Persons victims service.
3. Financial Comments
3.1 The £1,518,000 (over three years) will be met from MOPAC’s Victims budget. This decision seeks permission to consider the year on year amounts as an overall youth ISVA service budget.
F/Y 2017-18 F/Y 2018-19 F/Y 2019-20
£414,000 £552,000 £552,000
4. Legal Comments
4.1 This will be a continuation of an existing funding arrangement, and bound by the issued of a Grant agreement addendum.
4.2 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.
4.3 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 victim or witnesses of, or other persons affected by, offences and anti-social behaviour”. Section 143(1) (3) allows MOPAC to make grants in connection with such arrangements and any grant may be subject to any conditions that MOPAC thinks appropriate.
4.4 Under MOPAC’s Scheme of Delegation, approval of the strategy for the reward of individual grants and the award of all individual grants (for crime reduction or other purposes) is a matter generally reserved to the DMPC. The release of funding in accordance with the proposals set out in this decision form can accordingly be approved by DMPS. The delegation of responsibility for the finalisation of planning and contractual / grant agreements, including relevant terms and the signing of agreements, to the Chief Operating Officer is in accordance with the general power of delegation.
5. Equality Comments
5.1. Safer London’s work is aligned to MOPAC strategic priorities, which are intended to deliver a safer London for everyone. Their work is focused on young people - keeping them safe and engaging them in productive activities – and is located in those areas of highest crime and deprivation. Safer London’s empower programme works to improve the lives of young people.
5.2. 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.
5.3. Evidence in the IIA indicates that young people are disproportionately impacted by crime as both victims and offenders. It showed that serious youth violence has increased steadily for the past three years, with 6,600 young victims in the 12 months to September 2016. 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 to becoming offenders themselves.
6. Background/supporting papers
Safer London is an independent charity working with vulnerable young people to prevent and address gang violence, vulnerability and sexual exploitation. They provide needs led intensive support earl intervention and mentoring to help enable young individuals to change their lives.
Empower is Safer London’s longest running programme, they have been pioneering services for young people who have experienced sexual exploitation since 2011. They work one-to-one with young women and Men. They give them a safe and confidential space to talk about their experiences and relationships.
Signed decision document
PCD 240