PCD 1321 Funding to support children and young people affected by violence and exploitation – Lambeth housing pilot and extension of London Gang Exit activities

PCD 1321 Funding to support children and young people affected by violence and exploitation – Lambeth housing pilot and extension of London Gang Exit activities 

Reducing and preventing violence and protecting people from being exploited or harmed are key priorities in London’s Police and Crime Plan 2022-25.  

Tackling violence is a top priority for the Mayor so, to support this in 2022, MOPAC was allocated funding to further support the reduction of seriousness and frequency of offending and victimisation of children and young people involved or affected by violence and exploitation. 

This decision requests a total of £1,000,000 funding from this allocation, across 2022/23 and 2023/24 to support the following programmes: 

The Lambeth housing-related support service for young males at risk is an innovative project being run by the London Borough of Lambeth. They are commissioning specialist accommodation for young people who are at high risk due to their gang associations but wish to leave that way of life. 

The London Gang Exit programme, led by Safer London, provides specialist one-to-one case work support and help for young Londoners affected by violence and group offending.  

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. Approve the allocation of £350,000 to the Lambeth Supporting People Pilot, to support delivery in 2022/23 and 2023/24. 

2. Approve the expansion of funding to London Gang Exit until 31 March 2024, at a total financial commitment of £650,000 in 2022/23 and 2023/24. 

3. Delegate responsibility for agreeing the specific terms and amounts relating to the extension of individual grants extensions to the MOPAC Director or Commissioning and Partnerships, in consultation with the MOPAC Chief Financial Officer and Director of Corporate Services. 

PART I - NON-CONFIDENTIAL FACTS AND ADVICE TO THE DMPC 

1. Introduction and background  

1. Reducing and preventing violence and protecting people from being exploited or harmed are key priorities in the Police and Crime Plan 2022-25. There is a commitment to continue to invest in the provision of support for young people impacted by violence - including those seen to be offenders but have also often experienced victimisation or been exploited - to reduce the risk of violence to both themselves and others.  

2. In 2022, MOPAC was allocated funding to further support the reduction of seriousness and frequency of offending and victimisation of children and young people involved or at risk of involvement in violence and exploitation. 

3. The funding outlined in this decision will support two projects which provide specialist services to young Londoners affected by violence and group offending. 

2. Issues for consideration 

1. The Serious Youth Violence Problem Profile highlights the risk factors that increase the risk of young people committing violence, which includes housing instability. We know through our commissioned services that this is an acute risk for those already involved or impacted by violence. 

2. The London Borough of Lambeth are commissioning innovative specialist accommodation for young people (16yrs+) who are at high risk due to their gang associations but wish to leave that way of life. This specialist housing will consist of twelve placements across three buildings, and the support offered will include mentoring, psychological support and help with education, training and employment.  

3. This will be run as a two-year pilot including an independent evaluation. Funding contributions have been secured from a number of agencies, and this decision recommends that MOPAC provides £300,000 in support of this pilot. 

4. In addition, up to a further £50,000 is recommended to be allocated to dedicated sustainability planning resource, to enable this pilot to inform future practice across London. 

5. London Gang Exit provides a holistic approach to supporting young people to escape the harmful effects of gangs, both those who are gang-involved and others who may be exploited by them. Most interventions last six to 12 months, over which time emotional and motivational factors will be addressed, as well aspects which provide stability for a young person; education, employment, and accommodation.  

6. Since launch, the programme has received over 2000 referral enquires and over 900 children and young people have been referred onto the programme. There was a significant decrease in violent offending for those on the programme, with 37.4% committing a violent offence in the 24 months prior to intervention start, compared to 28.7% in the 24 months after the start date. This service is delivered by Safer London via a grant. 

7. Funding to this programme has been extended to 31 March 2024 through decision PCD 1294. This decision recommends the expansion of the existing programme, with an additional £200,000 investment in 2022/23 and £450,000 in 2023/24. 

8. This additional investment will enable greater reach and more targeted, one-to-one, specialist provision to ward level, where there is the greatest need for enhancing local capacity and capability. 

3. Financial Comments 

1. The total budget requirement for this work is £1,000,000. The programme will be funded from within the Commissioning & Partnership Directorate’s approved core funding across financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24. 

2. Budget allocations to each project are set out below: 

4. Legal Comments 

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 (1) 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. 

2. Section 143 (1) (b) of the Anti-Social, Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides for MOPAC to provide or commission services “intended by the local policing body to 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.  

3. There are further relevant powers set out in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 at sections 17(1) (a) to (c) which place MOPAC under a duty to exercise its functions with due regard to the likely effect of the exercise of those functions on, and the need to do all it can to prevent, crime and disorder (including anti-social and other behaviour adversely affecting the local environment), reoffending in its area, and the misuse of drugs, alcohol and other substances in its area. The proposed arrangements are consistent with MOPAC’s duties in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. 

4. Paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve business cases for revenue or capital expenditure of £500,000 or above. 

5. Paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve all offers for grant funding. 

6. The delegation of responsibility for the finalisation of planning and grant arrangements, including relevant terms and the signing of agreements, to the Chief Finance Officer is in accordance with the general power of delegation in paragraph 1.7 of the MOPAC Scheme of Consent and Delegation. 

7. Officers must ensure the Financial Regulations and Contract Regulations are complied with. 

8. Officers should ensure that the funding agreements are put in place with and executed by MOPAC and each of the providers before any commitment to fund is made. 

9. Officers confirm that sufficient assurance has been carried out to this Decision to determine that the DMPC has legal authority to agree the recommendations on funding and the expansion of grants and contracts.  

5. Commercial Issues 

1. This decision requests to enter into a new financial arrangement with the London Borough of Lambeth, and to modify the existing grant agreement to Safer London. 

2. MOPAC makes no commitment to provide additional funding to the organisations listed above until suitable agreements have been signed by both parties. These will detail the new performance, monitoring, reporting and payment schedules. 

3. The processing of these agreements will comply with the MOPAC Scheme of Consent and Delegation and the MOPAC Procurement & Contract Regulations. 

6. Public Health Approach  

1. The public health approach led by the Violence Reduction Unit looks at violence as a preventable consequence of a range of factors, such as adverse early-life experiences, or harmful social or community experiences and influences. It includes contextual safeguarding and all factors which could cause harm to a vulnerable child or adult or push them towards violence and exploitation. 

2. The services included in this decision will support children and young people who are at risk of violence and exploitation, through focusing on early identification and intervention, providing stability, advocacy and access to health and wellbeing. Contextual safeguarding practice will be embedded in the delivery of these three projects. 

7. GDPR and Data Privacy  

1. MOPAC will adhere to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and ensure that any organisations who are commissioned to do work with or on behalf of MOPAC are fully compliant with the policy and understand their GDPR responsibilities.   

8. Equality Comments  

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. 

2. This decision supports initiatives for young victims, but particularly those victims of more serious crimes, vulnerable and repeat victims, and particular sections of the community who are over-represented amongst victims of crime. 

3. Violence, exploitation and related criminality involving children and young people are areas of continuing concern, both nationally and in London – particularly in the context of groups and gangs.  

4. Whilst well documented rises in violent crime since 2014 appear to be stabilising – especially for the most serious weapon enabled offences – such criminality remains a significant problem in London, and one that disproportionately impacts specific areas and groups, notably young people in areas of high deprivation.  

5. The recent Serious Youth Violence Problem Profile of Violence, Gangs And Young People found disproportionality across violent crime. Half of weapon enabled robbery suspects (50%) and nearly half (46%) of homicide suspects were Black. Victim profiles are more diverse (42% of weapon enabled robbery victims were white) but the majority of youth homicide victims are male (93%) and Black (60%). 

6. Youth homicide has increased with 23% of homicides having teen victims. Those in their late teens are more likely to be the victims of violence with those 18yrs of age most likely to be victimised for both homicides and overall violence.​ Teenage violence is largely a peer on peer offence, with 77% of the accused also being teenagers.  

7. The services listed in this decision all seek to address need and demand highlighted by the Serious Youth Violence Problem Profile.  

9. Background/supporting papers 

Appendix 1 – Serious Youth Violence Problem Profile 

Appendix 2 – London Gang Exit Impact Report