Major Trauma Centre Youth Domestic Violence Service Grant Award

Following an open and competitive tender process, Solace Women's Aid has been selected to deliver the Major Trauma Centre (MTC) Youth Domestic Violence Service for a value of £103,000.



This is part of the wider Home Office Innovation Fund ISTV programme and follows the DMPC Decision to allocate funding from the Home Office Police Innovation Fund to appoint a provider through a

competitive process to deliver a specialist domestic violence service within the four London MTCs (see decision DMPCD 2015 80).

That the DMPC approve:

a) The award of a grant of £103,000 to Solace Women's Aid to deliver the Major Trauma Centre Youth Domestic Violence Service, who will be working to Redthread.

b) The award of a grant of £15,000 to Redthread as a contribution to their management costs to ensure provision is integrated within their existing model, based in the Major Trauma Centres.

1. Introduction and background

1.1 In June 2014, the London Crime Reduction Board's Strategic Ambitions for London: Gangs and Serious Youth Violence was published. One of our ambitions was for all London Trauma Centres to have access to specialist support for victims of gang-related violence . Since April 2015, all London Major Trauma Centres (MTCs) now have access to the MOPAC commissioned, Redthread service, who deliver front-line specialist support to young victims of serious violence and sexual exploitation. MOPAC is now looking to expand this service to provide support in a health setting to young people who are victims of domestic violence.

1.2 The youth domestic violence and abuse service will provide the four London MTCs consistent, dedicated support and access to Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (lOVAs). The service will be delivered for young people (both male and female) up to the age of 25 presenting at the four MTCs (King's College Hospital, Royal London Hospital, St. George's Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital). This will complement and extend the existing provision through the MOPAC pan-London domestic violence service. The provider will be required to work to Redthread, ensuring effective service intagration.Likewise, the provider will be required to work with the provider of the pan- London domestic violence service Mctim Support) to ensure maximum use of the IOVA resource across health settings.

1.3 On 27 July 2015, the Deputy Mayor agreed to allocate funding from the Home Office Police Innovation Fund to appoint a provider through a competitive process to deliver a specialist domestic violence service within the four London MTCs (see decision DMPCD 2015 80).

1.4 Following an open and competitive grant process we have selected a preferred provider and it Is recommended that we award a grant of £103,000 to Solace Women's Aid to deliver the Major Trauma Centre Youth Domestic Violence Service. Outcomes will include ensuring that all young victims/survivors get access to the right services, more vulnerable young people accessing pathways of support, a reduction in repeat re-admission to MTCs and delivering effective integration with other local services and organisations, maximising the value of all local provision.

2. Commissioning process

2.1. An open and transparent commissioning approach has been taken from the beginning of this programme, including a market engagement event for perspective bidders (held on the 29 September 2015). Documents are posted on MOPAC's website to allow for an open and transparent commissioning process.

2.2. One bid was received from Solace Womens Aid. This was assessed against a set of mandatory essential criteria and passed. The bid was then scored against a single set of quality criteria by a panel which included MOPAC and Redthread. The bid scored highly across the desirable criteria.The overall criteria and scoring standards are set out below.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. The total cost of the grant is £103,000, which Is being funded through a successful application to the Home Office Police Innovation Fund.

3.2. Solace Women's Aid will be providing additional match funding of £22,166.

3.3. Solace Women's Aid will second staff to Redthread, who are the lead organisation for this service.

Therefore, £15,000 will be awarded to Redthread as a contribution to their management costs as the

lead organisation for this work.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. 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

0 policing body to help victims or witnesses of, or other persons affected by, offences and anti-social

behaviour.- Section 143(3) allows MOPAC to make grants in connection with such arrangements

and any grant may be made subject to any conditions that MOPAC thinks appropriate.

4.2. 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 victim of crime are to be provided. Section 143 creates a statutory basis for the proposals set out in this decision form, namely to award grant funding as set out above for the provision of victim-support related services.

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 4.8).The release of funding in accordance with the proposals set out in this decision form can accordingly to be approved by 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.

5.2. As highlighted through the independent review of victims' services commissioned by MOPAC and through analysis of police crime data, there are some communities that are over-represented

amongst victimisation data and/or who fall within the scope of the EU Directive on Victims of Crime, i.e. victims of more serious crimes, vulnerable victims, particularly those whose circumstances make it difficult for them to access support, and repeat or persistently targeted victims, who must receive a prioritised service. In addition, the analysis indicates that those living in more deprived neighbourhoods are more likely to be targeted.

5.3. The programme of work outlined in this decision will support the provision of services and interventions for all victims, but particularly those of more serious crimes, vulnerable and repeat

victims, and particular sections of the community who are over-represented amongst victims of crime.

5.4. The commissioning process included a requirement for the successful provider must demonstrate commitment to equal opportunities and understanding of equality issues,and for all providers and services to be compliant with the public sector equality duty set out in section 149(1) of the Equality Act2010.