PCD 1647 Newham Y2A Hub Contract Extension and Funding Acceptance

PCD 1647 Newham Y2A Hub Contract Extension and Funding Acceptance

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. Due to reduced funding for this year of the pilot, the Hub will continue in 24/25 with an adapted operating model and reduction of services. MOPAC have been offered the opportunity to bid for funding to support key additional services in the hub including staff training and service user engagement, staff training and restorative justice. The result of this funding bid will not be known until late April. This Decision therefore asks to accept this funding if the bid is successful and for an additional contract extension for two current service providers to enable time after the Mayoral election to complete a competitive procurement process if the funding bid is successful. PCD 1584 already approved a contract extension of two months for these providers. 

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

• Approve a bid for funding of up to £70,000 from Barrow Cadbury Trust for the continuation of Y2A hub services in 24/25 and acceptance of the funding, subject to the bid being successful 

• Approve a further 1 month contract extension with Interface Enterprises (staff training, no additional funding), noting this is purely a time extension costs will remain as previously approved. 

• Approve a further 1 month contract extension with User Voice (service user engagement, no additional funding), noting this is purely a time extension costs will remain as previously approved. 

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 to adult probation. The pilot involves commissioned services to meet young adults’ distinct needs co-located in a trauma-informed and welcoming hub co-designed by young adults. 

2. The pilot was originally funded by His Majesty’s Treasury’s Shared Outcomes Fund until 31st March 2023. MOPAC has since worked with partners to develop co-funding arrangements to enable the pilot to continue to allow sufficient time to evidence impact.  

3. Funding arrangements for the extension of the hub in 24/25 have been approved through PCD 1584.  

2. Issues for consideration 

1. Due a reduction funding an adapted operating model for the hub will be adopted in 24/25 based on a minimum viable model. The adapted model, developed by MOPAC based on learnings from the pilot and approved by the Transitions Programme Board, consists of the following essential services/components: 

• Mentoring 

• Wellbeing (including Speech and Language Therapy) 

• Accommodation support 

• Additional probation staff to enable protected caseloads 

• Programme Management 

2. MOPAC will submit a funding bid to an external funder (Barrow Cadbury Trust) for in-year funding which would be used to fund additional services which add significant value to the hub but are not essential for the hub to continue. The services are service user engagement, staff training and restorative justice. The bid will ask for up to £70,000 from Barrow Cadbury Trust. 

3. The bid will be used 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 to ensure that all new and existing staff are trained to respond to young adult specific needs. The bid will also seek funding for a specialist restorative justice service, at a reduced level to the existing service due to low referral levels. 

4. PCD 1584 approved an extension of two-months to the contracts of the existing providers of the service user engagement and staff training to enable a competitive procurement process, pending a successful funding bid outcome. An extension to the existing restorative justice contract has not been sought due to limited funding available and because of low referrals to the service, which will therefore be procured at a reduced funding level if the funding bid is successful. 

5. The outcome of the funding bid will not be decided until towards end of April 2024, meaning that an additional extension to the contracts for the existing providers will be needed to avoid a significant gap in service as re-procurement will not be able to be undertaken until after the Mayoral election.  

3. Financial Comments  

1. This Decision asks to accept up £70,000 in funding from Barrow Cadbury Trust in 2024/25 pending the outcome of MOPAC’s funding bid. If successful the funding will be used towards the service user engagement service (up to £34,000), the staff training service (up to £17,000) and a new restorative justice service (up to 19,000). 

2. The decision is also seeking approval to extend current contracts for service user and engagement and staff training by an additional month. This purely a time extension there are no financial implications associated with this request, funding will remain as agreed in PCD 1584. 

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 all bids for grant funding. 

5. These recommendations are in line with the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent. Legal advice is not considered necessary for this Decision paper. 

5. Commercial Issues  

1. PCD 1584 approved procurement of provision for service user engagement and staff training for the remainder of the 24/25 financial year.   

2. A further Decision to the Director of Commissioning and Partnerships will be submitted to seek approvement to go out to procurement for a restorative justice provider if the funding bid is successful. 

6. Public Health Approach  

1. 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  

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. 

2. Where new contracts are 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. 

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  

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. 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.  

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