PCD 1584 Continuing the Y2A Hub 24/25

PCD 1584 Continuing the Y2A Hub 24/25

MOPAC manages and co funds the Youth 2 Adult Hub, a pilot project which aims to reduce reoffending and improve outcomes for young adults on probation in Newham. This decision seeks approval to extend the Hub by 12 months to March 2025 by committing £250,000 in MOPAC funding and receiving £50,000 from the London Borough of Newham. This extension will also be supported by Probation, as they continue to commit resources to the hub and NHSE and HMPPS through the commitment of £50,000 from the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway to the hub wellbeing service.    

The Y2A Hub has been operational since April 2022 and this extension provides an important window of opportunity to seek sustainable funding beyond March 2025 following receipt of evaluation reports. 

Under the above funding the Hub will operate an adapted model with some services (accommodation, service user engagement and staff training) extended for 2 months while a funding bid and procurement process is undertaken for the remaining delivery period. £30,000 is to be granted under the MoU for the women co-commissioned service to the MoJ to allow for the continuation of dedicated provision for young women in Newham. £72,000 will be granted to NHSE to allow for the continuation of the wellbeing service.   

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to: 

1. Approve the commitment of £250,000 of MOPAC funding to enable the extension of the Youth 2 Adult Hub under an adapted model for a period of 12 months from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.  

2. Accept funding of £50,000 from LB Newham to support the continuation of specialist accommodation support in the Hub. 

3. Approve the following grant funding: 

1. £30,000 to the MoJ under an existing MoU to continue support for young women in the hub. 

2. £72,000 to NHSE to enable delivery of the Wellbeing service in the hub.  

3. £10,000 to Catch-22 to manage the essential services fund for the hub. 

4. Approve the following 2-month contract extensions: 

1. Step Ahead (accommodation support, £10,000) 

2. User Voice (service user engagement, £6,670) 

3. Interface Enterprise (staff training, £3,800), followed by a procurement exercise to extend the accommodation provision by a further 10-months (up to £50,000).  

5. To approve procurement of provision for service user engagement and staff training as set out in appendix 2. 

6. To delegate authority to the CEO or Director of Commissioning & Partnerships (depending on value) to award contracts and grants and sign future documents in relation to this decision (including contracts, grants and variations) and to make budget movements, according to MOPAC’s scheme of delegation. 

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

1. Introduction and background 

1. MOPAC manages a pilot hub for 18-25 year olds on probation and 17-year olds transitioning from the Youth Offending Service to adult probation in Newham. The pilot involves:  

• Commissioned services designed to respond to young adults’ needs and life stage, such as mental health, accommodation support and mentoring, collocated alongside probation;  

• a trauma-informed, welcoming hub co-designed by young adults;   

• a comprehensive programme of staff training and ongoing workforce development.   

2. The pilot was originally funded by His Majesty’s Treasury’s Shared Outcomes Fund until 31 March 2023 and was extended under a co-commissioning approach in 23/24 to allow sufficient time to evidence impact, with MOPAC acting as programme manager and lead commissioner. MOPAC and London Probation were the principle funders of the 23/24 extension, with funding also provided by the Barrow Cadbury Trust and the London Borough (LB) of Newham.  

2. Issues for Consideration  

1. The Youth 2 Adult Hub pilot is currently due to come to an end on 31 March 2024. In 2023/24 the hub, and the services offered within it, were extended for 12 months following the end of funding from the HM Treasury’s Outcomes Fund, to support the evaluation and longer sustainability decisions in relation to the Transitions Hub approach.   

2. Evaluation of the pilot so far has been positive. The second interim process report highlight several key strengths of the model, including co-location and the multi-disciplinary approach; a separate distinct young adults offer; the rehabilitative ethos, the services on offer, and the physical space.   

3. Between January and April 2024, the impact analysis, financial evaluation and final process report will be submitted, which will inform a decision on the future of the project.  

4. MoJ officials have given their current intention to submit a multi-year Spending Review bid to continue the Newham hub and roll the model out to numerous other areas across the country in 25/26, subject to continued positive evaluation.   

5. A 12-month extension of the Youth to Adult (Y2A) Hub is being sought in order to be able to leverage the opportunities presented by major political milestones on the horizon and secure a longer-term funding solution for the Newham Hub and wider roll-out.  

6. Over the past six months, MOPAC has engaged numerous partners to explore opportunities to keep the hub going in 3724/25 and there has been agreement from the Programme Board to continue with an adapted model approach. This decision presents a proposal to keep the Hub going under a minimum viable model through a co-commissioning approach. 
   
    

7. The adapted model, developed by MOPAC based on learnings from the pilot, consists of the following essential services/components: 

• MOPAC programme management 

• Mentoring 

• Wellbeing (including Speech and Language Therapy) 

• Accommodation support 

• Additional probation staff 

Under this model, two services will be discontinued in their current model of delivery due to low referral levels – restorative justice and meaningful activities.  

MOPAC will submit a funding bid to an external funder for in-year funding which would be used to extend the service user engagement and staff training services, which add significant value to the project but are not essential for the hub to continue.  

Co-commissioning approach to 24/25 extension  

8. London Probation have agreed to vary an existing contract to deliver a mentoring service for the hub. MOPAC is satisfied that the provider will be able to meet most of the service requirements and maintain the integrity of the hub model (e.g. co-location).  

9. London Probation have also agreed to ringfence additional probation staff for the hub and to maintain the dedicated Hub space within the Newham Probation building. 

10. LB Newham have secured funding from DLUC to support the extension of the accommodation support service in 24/25 at a funding level of £50,000 (£60k annual cost). This decision therefore recommends approval to receive £50,000 grant funding from LB Newham and to commit £10,000 in MOPAC funding to cover the full cost of the accommodation support service.  

11. Partial funding of £145,000 to extend the wellbeing service for the hub has been committed by the current service provider, East London Foundation Trust (ELFT) saved through efficiencies in the first year of their contract with MOPAC. The Offender Personality Disorder commissioners (NHSE and HMPPS) have also committed £50,000 towards the service, which will include further efficiencies through a shared arrangement with a parallel service operating in Brent. This decision asks for a commitment of £72,000 of to enable this adapted model to ensure continuation of the service and meet the needs of the young adults at the hub.   

12. The role of the MOPAC Policy and Commissioning Manager is vital to the future of the service and long-term sustainability. MOPAC funding of £80,000 is requested for the Policy and Commissioning Manager role. 

13. The current mentoring provider manages a fund designed to provide essential items to young adults, related to service outcomes such as employment, accommodation and ID. MOPAC funding of £10,000 is requested to continue this fund. This Decision also requests approval to grant fund Catch-22 (the existing London Probation mentoring provider, who will deliver mentoring in the hub in 24/25) up to £10,000 to deliver the essential services fund. 

14. To ensure that young women have tailored support through the hub MOPAC funding of £30,000 is requested to extend the Hub’s young women’s support worker post. This funding will go to the MoJ under the existing MoU to amend their contract with the existing provider for the wraparound women and girls’ service for 24/25. 

Opportunities to bolster the model  

15. MOPAC are exploring opportunities to secure further funding to enable the continuation of other aspects of the hub model. There is an opportunity to secure in-year funding from an existing funder. We propose to use this to seek funding to continue the service user engagement service to ensure young adults’ voice remains central to service delivery in the Hub and the staff training service. This funding would be confirmed by April 2024 and current contracts are due to come to an end in March 2024. MOPAC funding of £10,000 is requested to extend the incumbent providers’ contract by 2 months until funding is confirmed. 

MOPAC funding contribution and management of the pilot 

6. This decision seeks approval for MOPAC to commit £250,000 from the Transitions to Adulthood Hub (Y2A) budget line in 2024/25. A breakdown of this funding can be found in 3.4.  

Looking ahead 

16. A series of evaluation reports are due by April 2024 (including impact analysis, final process report and cost benefit analysis). These will enable MOPAC and the programme board to make a decision about the future of the Hub beyond 24/25 and wider implications of the findings. If evaluation continues to be positive, a multi-year funding settlement will be sought from government to continue the Newham Hub and test the model in other areas. 
    
     

3. Financial Comments  

1. This decision requests authority to receive funding in 2024/25 of: 

• £50,000 from the London Borough of Newham (DLUC funding) to continue the accommodation support service  

There is already an MoU in place between LB Newham and MOPAC covering the 23/24 funding arrangements. This will be varied to include the 24/25 funding.  

2. This decision also requests approval to commit funds totalling £250,000 from within the Transitions to Adulthood Hub (Y2A) budget line in 2024/25. 

3. The 2024/25 budget will be updated accordingly to reflect the changes in income and expenditure. 

4. The table below details all proposed MOPAC income and expenditure. Full detail of all funding and commissioning routes for services to be continued in 24/25 is listed in Appendix 1. 

4. Legal Comments 

1. 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. 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, and budget virements and movement to the Chief Executive Officer, is in accordance with the general power of delegation in paragraph 1.7, and more specifically paragraphs 5.4, 5.12 and 5.13. 

2. These recommendations are in line with the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent. 

3. 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 

5. Commercial Issues 

5.1 This Decision requests approval for the following actions with commercial implications, as referred to in Appendix 1: 

• Low value variations to extend MOPAC’s existing contracts with Step Ahead (for accommodation support), with User Voice (for service user engagement) and with Interface Enterprise (for staff training), with a view to then retender these requirements. 

• Grants to be awarded to NHSE at a value of £72k for a wellbeing service and to Catch 22 at a value of £10k for the young adults essential items fund. 

• A variation to MOPAC’s existing MoU with MoJ to provide £30k for the continuation of dedicated provision for young women in Newham. The agreement will incorporate the relevant terms required by London Borough of Newham to ensure compliance.  

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

5.4 The Scheme of Delegation requires director level approval for the low value variations requested, and DMPC approval for the award of grants at all values. 

5.5 For the proposed contract extensions of existing contracts listed in appendix 1, re-tendering is planned for these services beyond the proposed 2-month extension period.  

5.6 The actions proposed are in compliance with procurement legislation and MOPAC’s Contract Regulations.

6. Public Health Approach     

The work of the hub aligns with a public health approach to violence reduction in London by using tackling the drivers of offending behaviour through responding to the specific needs of young adults on probation. 

7. GDPR and Data Privacy 

6.1 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.   

6.2 New contracts will be put in place and the DPO will be consulted on the GDPR section of the Terms and Conditions of the contracts. Any data sharing will be covered by an appropriate agreement. 

6.3 In the case of new providers, new Data Protection Impact Assessments will be developed. If an incumbent provider is successful, existing DPIAs will be reviewed and updated.  

8. Equality Comments  

7.1 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. 

7.2 Equalities Impact Assessments (EIA) were completed and are in place for each hub service. These will be reviewed and updated in the run up to pilot extension to ensure any learning from the first year of delivery is considered from an equalities perspective.   

7.3 Service scopes have been designed to ensure equitable access to services, for example there is a requirement for all providers to offer home appointments or meetings in the community to increase access to women who are pregnant or young adults who are parents.   

 

9. Background/supporting papers 

Appendix 1 – Services to be continued in 24/25 

Appendix 2 – services to be re-tendered in 24/25