Funding for male rape and sexual assault services in 2016/17

The Mayor has provided additional revenue to MOPAC with the intention that £26,000 of this is used to fund male rape and sexual assault services each year (2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19) The Mayor refers to this in paragraph the Final Draft Consolidated Budget for 2016-2017 in paragraph 5.6.

The DMPC is asked to agree:

• for £78,000 of MOPAC’s budget over three years (2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19) to be allocated to funding male rape and sexual assault services.

Decision required – supporting report

1. Introduction and background

1.1 The purpose of this decision report is to allocate £78,000 of MOPAC’s budget over three years (2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19) to funding male rape and sexual assault services.

1.2 In his Final Draft Consolidated Budget for 2016-17 the Mayor provided additional revenue to MOPAC with the intention that £26,000 of this should be used each year in 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19 to provide additional funding for male rape and sexual assault services.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1 MOPAC is investing more than £4.1million in improving services in order to provide the confidence and support necessary to encourage more victims to come forward and report sexual offences. This includes contributing £2.165 million per year towards funding the Havens (London’s Sexual Assault Referral Centres) which provide crucial medical care and immediate support to both male and female victims of rape and serious sexual abuse. London is the only place in the country with a network of Havens and support for victims of rape and serious sexual assault including men and boys. It also includes the allocation of £1,260,000 to support the four Rape Crisis Centres for three years until March 2017.

2.2 The funding of £78,000 funding is intended to commission distinct male rape and sexual assault services that are separate from MOPAC’s other Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) service provision. DMPC Victims funding decision 2016/17 (signed on the 4 September 2015, reference DMPCD 2015 07) outlines funding for MOPAC’s other VAWG related rape and sexual assault services.

2.3 MOPAC intends to use a competitive process to award conditional grant(s) to service provider(s) for male rape and sexual assault services. This process will commence in April 2016/17.

3. Financial Comments

3.1 The Mayor’s final Draft Consolidated Budget for 2016-17 confirmed that MOPAC’s council tax requirement has been increased by £162,834 in 2016-17 compared to the Mayor’s draft budget. The £162k was an adjustment that the GLA provided to MOPAC on the condition that £26k of it is used annually for male rape and sexual assault services. It is the Mayor’s intention that this funding will be added to MOPAC’s baseline and therefore will continue in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

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 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 Operating 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.

6. Background/supporting papers

6.1 Mayor’s final Draft Consolidated Budget for 2016-17

6.2 DMPC Victims funding decision 2016/17