PCC.D.037 - Bedfordshire PCC

PCC/D/037

KEY DECISION
POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER FOR BEDFORDSHIRE
Title and Reference – PCC.D.037
Subject: Funded Services 2022 – 2023
Report of: Police and Crime Commissioner
Date: 04/03/2022
Summary:
The PCC has a responsibility to fund local services to support victims of crime in Bedfordshire as well as managing the commissioning process for some services funded by the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office. The commissioning process is administered by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner who advertise the services to be provided, receive and review the applications, award commissioning grants to successful organisations and monitor the delivery of the services provided.
In December 2021, the Interim Chief Executive of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) asked for a review to be carried out of the process through which grant funding from the OPCC was awarded. As a result of that review, a refined process was developed in January 2022 and used in February 2022 to sift and assess applications for grant funding to be awarded for 2022/23. The commissioning process is subject to a separate paper on the agenda, in brief terms the process for applications considered for funding in 2022/23 was as follows:
• In September 2021 the Commissioner announced that funding for services and projects for 2022/23 was open from two funding sources, the Commissioner’s Fund (previously known as the Community Safety Fund) and the Ministry of Justice fund, both administered by the OPCC. The announcement stated that the OPCC had “invited community based partners for a share of the Grant Fund totalling £1.6m.” The total amount to be awarded was £1,634,000. The areas covered:
o Domestic Violence £497,000
o Counselling £20,000
o Sexual Violence support £90,000
o Support for victims and witnesses of crime (not related to domestic abuse) £270,000
o Mental Health £70,000
o Volunteers £11,000
o Adult offender management £229,000
o Youth offender management £120,000
o Domestic abuse offender focus £60,000
o Early intervention £139,000
o Police and Crime Plan Delivery £128,000

• 101 applications were received for funding in 2022/23 for 33 separate projects/services.
• In January 2022 all applications were read and considered in the first instance by the Head of Victim Services & Commissioning from the OPCC.
• Due diligence checks on the applications were conducted, including looking at safeguarding policies, insurance, returns to Companies House and other regulators, and how the applications contributed to the delivery of the Police and Crime Plan.
• An independent advisor was asked to consider the methodology used to assess the applications and to oversee the initial sift carried out by the Head of Victim Services & Commissioning.
• Those applications that passed the first sift were submitted to an independent panel to score.
• Applications were discussed and scored by individuals on the independent panel against criteria including project aims and outcomes, and contribution to delivering the Police and Crime Plan.
• Each answer was scored between 0-3 with a maximum total score of 27. The panel members’ scores were totalled together and the applications with the highest scores in each category were successful.
• The OPCC wrote to applicants to advise if their application had been successful or otherwise, and to offer feedback to those who were unsuccessful.
• Statement released to the media and on the OPCC website on 4 March 2022 relating to funding for support to victims of domestic abuse, exploitation and sexual violence that included funding from the advertised categories – https://www.bedfordshire.pcc.police.uk/police-and-crime-commissioner-for-bedfordshire-announces-record-funding-to-support-victims-of-domestic-abuse-exploitation-and-sexual-violence/
• Including applications that were funded in year 2021/22 that had a two year agreement in place, a total of £1,947,220 will be distributed in 2022/23.
• Some funding originally earmarked has not been allocated as yet in order to move more money into funding services to support victims of domestic abuse, exploitation and sexual violence.
• Some services do not fit neatly into one category and will cross over into others, for example some early intervention work with assist with achieving outcomes relating to domestic abuse, as will the grant for the family, drugs and alcohol court.
Please see below for the successful applicants for funding in 2022/23 following the OPCC commissioning process.

Domestic violence, counselling, sexual violence support £983,381

Early Childhood Partnership
£10,000
Domestic Abuse – Male Support TALK:4M is a practitioner-led peer support programme for men aged 16+ experiencing domestic abuse. Underpinned by the SafeLives accredited ‘Liberty’ programme and RESPECT UK training, TALK:4M will deliver group support therapy sessions and establish peer support groups to sustain ongoing support for victims after they have finished the programme. TALK:4M is a 12 week group therapy course delivered once a week, and offers additional one-to-one support as needed throughout the course. It is the only male focused support programme in Bedfordshire and enables and encourages male victims to share their own experiences with each other, and to talk about the impact this has had on their life.

Bedford Open Door
£10,000
Counselling for young people that have experienced crime or witnessed crime This project will offer specialist therapeutic support to young people who have been or are the victims of crime and exploitation and are experiencing mental health issues linked to trauma, adverse childhood experiences and complex, chaotic lifestyles, often relating to abuse, violence and addiction. The Specialist High Needs counsellor, with extensive experience of working with victims of crime, youth at risk and addictions, will provide weekly Drop In sessions, one-to-one counselling, harm reduction sessions and supported referrals on to other local specialist agencies to meet the needs of the individual. These vulnerable clients often require: a) more specialist, flexible approach, b) facilitation of wider support networks, c) a multi-agency approach, d) longer-term support to overcome more complex issues.

Embrace
£100,000
Embrace solely focus on supporting children, young people and families who are victims of serious crime. They help them cope with what has happened, support their recovery,
and provide services that enable them to put events behind them, move on and fulfil their life’s potential. Embrace will support children and their families through Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence.

Penrose
£14,921
Adult Sexual Exploitation – support for those experiencing sexual exploitation in key areas of criminality in Bedfordshire.
Project LASE will provide time-critical support and intervention on-site at Luton Airport and off-site to those experiencing sexual exploitation in this crucial area of criminality (trafficking). Project LASE will not duplicate or replace current service provisions. Instead, it will work with the existing local system, including Penrose’s Luton Synergy Service, LAST Group members and other Luton agencies, to engage and access ongoing settlement and support for trafficked victims.

Azalea
£15,000
Adult Sexual Exploitation – support for those experiencing sexual exploitation in key areas of criminality in Bedfordshire
Encompass expresses care and unconditional acceptance to the women caught in sex trafficking and supports them to exit and build new lives. A journey with Encompass starts with Engage which runs Street Outreach and a Drop-in; then moves on to Build which aims to support and empower guests to take positive steps regarding housing, health (dental, physical, sexual), access to addiction rehabilitation and relationships and finally, Flourish which supports women to fully exit exploitation and addiction and gain the skills they need to live safely in the community.

The Counselling Foundation
£30,000
Counselling for women that have experienced Domestic Abuse
To provide emotional support via therapeutic counselling to women who have suffered domestic abuse. Each ‘client’ will receive up to 8 counselling sessions, delivered in a
safe, confidential space – either face to face in one of our centres or online via telephone or video if deemed more appropriate.

Queens Park Community Organisation
£10,000
Domestic Abuse Support for those not able to access public funds
Queens Park Community Organisation have identified that one of the chief barriers to people leaving abusive relationship and homes is the lack of provision for people who do not have recourse to public funds. The absence of practical support to move to a safe alternative from the abusive environment is a gap in current local provision. It is a problem that is compounded by fear of stigma and social isolation (which can be particularly acute in some communities), as well as language barriers. As a grass roots volunteer-led community organisation, QPCO have built a reputation locally as a service that can be trusted, and they receive referrals directly from the community as well as partner organisations. QPCO also run an interpreting service that helps us to overcome some of the other barriers that may prevent people from accessing help.

Penrose
£45,115
Supportive programmes for women that have experienced Domestic Abuse
Project CATE is a 12-month pilot service launched in April 2021 to provide a specialist women’s outreach service in Bedfordshire to work with wider partners as part of the Conditional Caution Pathway. Its purpose is to help bridge the gap in providing much-needed access into current provisions and enabling engagement for a complex and extremely hard to reach group of vulnerable women and ensuring they remain engaged. The service focuses on supporting vulnerable women with complex needs, including offending history, drug and alcohol dependencies and exposure to all forms of violence, control and coercion, including domestic abuse.

Link To Change
£20,000
Child Sexual Exploitation – Focused support. A pan Bedfordshire resource to support young people recover from experiencing Child Sexual Exploitation Link to Change’s objectives are based upon our philosophy of three main strands: Choice (Prevention),
Challenge (Cycle of Exploitation), Change (Youth Participation). Core to their work is strengthening the voice of our beneficiaries enabling them to create a change. Challenge: Let’s Go! Project is based upon their learnings and will see Link to Change provide an effective provision around child sexual exploitation. This provision will reduce the chances, risk factors and vulnerabilities, whilst increasing the protective factors of children and young people aged 7-18 years in Bedfordshire. The project will address the factors that exist at different levels within their environment including- individual, family, community, and society.

Luton CSP for extension to their DA & exploitation work
£50,000
To enhance and progress closer working relationships between the CSP’s and the OPCC, aligning priority decisions to maximise benefits in key areas of public safety across the county ensuring the continuing improvement of safety to residents of Bedfordshire.

Bedford CSP for extension to their DA & exploitation work
£50,000
To enhance and progress closer working relationships between the CSP’s and the OPCC, aligning priority decisions to maximise benefits in key areas of public safety across the county ensuring the continuing improvement of safety to residents of Bedfordshire.

Central Bedfordshire CSP for extension to their DA & exploitation work
£50,000
To enhance and progress closer working relationships between the CSP’s and the OPCC, aligning priority decisions to maximise benefits in key areas of public safety across the county ensuring the continuing improvement of safety to residents of Bedfordshire.

Victim Support
£213,345
Victim Support is an independent charity dedicated to supporting victims of crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales. Victim Support will be providing a Hospital IDVA, (Independent Domestic Violence Advisor) Court IDVA, Senior IDVA, Health and Communities IDVA and Stalking Advocate, to support victims of domestic assault and
stalking in Bedfordshire. To provide specialist help to support people to cope and recover to the point where they feel they are back on track with their lives.

The Counselling Foundation
£20,000
Adults that require counselling after sexual abuse or trauma
To provide emotional support via therapeutic counselling to adults who have suffered sexual abuse or trauma, be it recent or historical. Individuals – short term one to one counselling either in person or remotely to men or women over the age of 18. Each client is offered up to 8 sessions of counselling, up to two of which are used to assess suitability for counselling. Where the organisation feel a client needs alternative support, they will signpost on to more appropriate services. Eg. In some instances, a client may need practical support getting away from an unsafe environment before coming back to access emotional support from the organisation at a later date.

Sexual Offences Referral Centre (SARC)
£180,000
The Emerald Centre SARC offers free support and practical help to anyone in Bedfordshire and Luton who has experienced sexual violence and/or sexual abuse. The aim is to provide a high-quality, inclusive, and holistic service for survivors of sexual violence and sexual abuse, which empowers men and women to make their own choices about both their immediate healthcare options and aftercare support.

BVCS
£165,000
Bedfordshire Victim Care Services (BVCS) will offer practical and emotional support to victims of crime who are referred in them by Bedfordshire Police, those that self-refer and those who are referred by a partner agency. BVCS offer support via the telephone, via video telephone and face to face. BVCS offer tailored support to victims and are able to signpost out to partners for more specialist support.

Support for victims and witnesses of crime (not related to domestic abuse) £270,000

BVCS
£270,000
Bedfordshire Victim Care Services (BVCS) will offer practical and emotional support to victims of crime who are referred in them by Bedfordshire Police, those that self-refer and those who are referred by a partner agency. BVCS offer support via the telephone, via video telephone and face to face. BVCS offer tailored support to victims and are able to signpost out to partners for more specialist support.

Mental Health £70,000

Mental Health Nurse for Police Control Room
£70,000
People experiencing mental health crisis and frequently using emergency services are better supported and needs are met before reaching crisis. This will result in improved quality of life. People with mental health issues and have been victims of crime are well supported in overcoming the impact of the crime and less likely to be re-victimised. The Police Force Control Centre have access to professionals that are able to respond effectively to calls from the public where mental health is the key factor (non-crime). Police deal with crime committed by people within mental health settings appropriately and staff patients within those setting are confident to report such crime.

Volunteers £18,500

Bedfordshire Police Community Watch Schemes – Community Policing. Speed watch, dog, horse watch
£5,000
Neighbourhood Watch is about people getting together with their neighbours to take action to reduce crime. They’re community initiatives owned and run by their members which are supported by the police but not owned by them, although Neighbourhood Watch sometimes run them. They work by developing a close relationship between community members and the local police. Bedfordshire Street Watch gives the community an opportunity to keep their area safe by walking around the neighbourhood and encouraging people to report things, like antisocial behaviour, vandalism, and suspicious behaviour, to Neighbourhood Watch, which can really help. The Dog Watch scheme encourages dog owners and walkers to be the extra eyes and ears within the community. This is a scheme set up for the public to let Neighbourhood Watch know about locations where they’re concerned about speeding. They assess the location and if they think it’s a good and safe place for monitoring to happen, trained members of the community will visit the location to record the details of offending vehicles. Anyone caught speeding will be sent a letter from them informing them of their offence. They also monitor the data so they can take action against repeat offenders or those severely breaking the speed limit.

Luton Neighbourhood Watch
£4,500
To bring all the literature up to date and relevant to local issues, such as young people, knife crime, cybercrime, personal safety especially woman and girls, modern slavery, county lines plus burglary, vehicle, and property crime. To replenish supplies of promotional material including personal alarms for women’s safety. To enable Bedford & District Neighbourhood Watch to attract new members and a wider membership to enable Bedford & District Neighbourhood Watch to recommence promotion of the organisation and to secure an increased membership within Bedford Borough both urban and rural areas. To work alongside
partners and joining with them at all opportunities such as events, action days, meetings, etc. To provide information in the welcome packs for new members. To provide good sound equipment so that presenters and audience are clearly heard and meaningful at meetings and conferences.

Bedford Neighbourhood Watch
£4,500
To bring all the literature up to date and relevant to local issues, such as young people, knife crime, cybercrime, personal safety especially woman and girls, modern slavery, county lines plus burglary, vehicle, and property crime. To replenish supplies of promotional material including personal alarms for women’s safety. To enable Bedford & District Neighbourhood Watch to attract new members and a wider membership to enable Bedford & District Neighbourhood Watch to recommence promotion of the organisation and to secure an increased membership within Bedford Borough both urban and rural areas. To work alongside partners and joining with them at all opportunities such as events, action days, meetings, etc. To provide information in the welcome packs for new members. To provide good sound equipment so that presenters and audience are clearly heard and meaningful at meetings and conferences.

Central Beds Neighbourhood Watch
£4,500
To bring all the literature up to date and relevant to local issues, such as young people, knife crime, cybercrime, personal safety especially woman and girls, modern slavery, county lines plus burglary, vehicle, and property crime. To replenish supplies of promotional material including personal alarms for women’s safety. To enable Bedford & District Neighbourhood Watch to attract new members and a wider membership to enable Bedford & District Neighbourhood Watch to recommence promotion of the organisation and to secure an increased membership within Bedford Borough both urban and rural areas. To work alongside partners and joining with them at all opportunities such as events, action days, meetings, etc. To provide information in the welcome packs for new members. To
provide good sound equipment so that presenters and audience are clearly heard and meaningful at meetings and conferences.

Adult offender management £155,000

You Turn Futures
£105000
A central hub for all criminal justice services across Bedfordshire and an Out of Court Disposals (OoCD) Conditional Cautions and Community Resolutions (Direction+) Direction for Bedfordshire is a dedicated, confidential signposting service that gives free advice, guidance and help to offenders, ex-offenders, vulnerable people, and the friends/family of those who have been or who are currently managed under the criminal justice system. Direction is a resource for those wanting to move away from crime, and a preventative tool for those whose socio-economic situation may lead to criminality. By making links to organisations across Bedfordshire, individual issues can be addressed to put people in a better place. Direction offers advice around opportunities for education, training and volunteering to up-skill individuals for employment. Direction can give guidance on housing options and providers who can work on financial management. Direction work with organisations who help improve the quality of lives of those affected by drug and alcohol use, and who support the mental and physical well-being of vulnerable people across Bedfordshire. Direction can make connections to family and relationship services that can benefit both service users and their support network. As a signposting service, Direction recognise that women and young people have their own individual needs and have created partnership links with professionals who understand these.

Beds and Luton LA
£50000
Provisions to support Bedford Borough and Luton for Conditional Caution work.

Youth offender management £120,000

Luton Youth Offending Service (YOS)
£60,000
Reduction in the numbers of First Time Entrants into the Criminal Justice System; In order to reduce the time children spend in custody, Youth Offending Service (YOS) to respond in a timely manner to assess and contribute to the decision making process.

Bedford Youth Offending Service (YOS)
£60,000
Reduction in the numbers of First Time Entrants into the Criminal Justice System; In order to reduce the time children spend in custody, Youth Offending Service (YOS) to respond in a timely manner to assess and contribute to the decision making process.

Domestic abuse offender focus £39,344

FACES
£39,344
Domestic Abuse Offenders – A programme to rehabilitate those who have been cautioned with Domestic Abuse in a bid to reduce this crime on victims
Caring Dads @ FACES is a 17-week group work programme for fathers who have displayed unhealthy, hurtful, abusive and neglectful fathering behaviours. Incorporating cognitive behavioural theory, the programme encourages fathers to explore the beliefs and intentions underlying their abusive fathering, helping them to recognise the impact of their behaviour and rebuild trust with their children. In cases involving domestic abuse, the programme promotes the safety and well-being of children and their mothers through effective coordinated intervention and risk management. Within sessions, fathers are challenged to address their abusive behaviour against their children’s mothers. The aims of the Caring Dads programme are to: Develop sufficient trust and motivation to engage men in the process of examining their fathering. Increase men’s awareness of child-
centred fathering, Increase men’s awareness of, and responsibility for, abusive & neglectful fathering behaviours and their impact on children. Consolidate learning, rebuild trust and plan for the future.

Early intervention £160,995

St Giles Trust
£97,905
Anti-Bullying – Support worker assigned to every secondary school in Bedfordshire
To deliver to groups of young people – through interactive whole-year group assemblies and extended small group programmes in each area to empower and support young people being bullied and at higher risk of carrying weapons out of fear. Support to young people – 1 2 1 and brief interventions to change the attitude, thinking and behaviour of those bullying others. Support to teaching staff to deal with bullying crisis, interventions to mediate conflicts as well as equipping them with skills to identify signs of bullying.

Luton Town
£12,050
Early Intervention Programme – Luton
The project will focus on Lewsey Farm, Hockwell Ring and Marsh Farm currently experiencing increasing serious youth violence. The aim of the project is to engage with all pupils from the estates in the year before they enter High Schools to improve community cohesion and prevent vulnerable young people entering the CJS. The project will link the estates’ seven primary schools at Year 6 in a programme of inter-school sports days supported by curriculum PE support and cohesion-based workshops held at each school. Each of the six schools will host a visit from the other five schools over the year to take part in collapsed curriculum sports days which will combine both fun and
competitive competitions along with workshops focusing on issues around community cohesion, citizenship, serious youth violence, county lines and gang awareness.

Blue Foundation
£13,000
Early Intervention Programme – Bedford
Tackle LIFE uses the power of sport and education to build resilience, discipline and teamwork skills with young people, whilst also supporting each individual physical and mental wellbeing. Through a series of classroom-based workshops as well as physical activity and enrichment activities, this intervention aims to inspire, develop skills, and support each young people understand the importance of wellbeing and its role in tackling wider issues and challenges. The project aims to take young people through a programme of workshops and opportunities to be physically active, with a specific focus on individual development, as well as physical and mental health. Through each block of the programme, we will work closely with the young people to develop resilience and discipline through goal setting and structured development sessions, as well as looking to support each young person identify aspirations for the future.

Orminston Families
£13,000
Early Intervention Programmes – Central Bedfordshire
Breaking Barriers supports children and young people with a parent in prison. Breaking Barriers aims to improve their wellbeing and academic attainment, lowering their chances of falling into a cycle of intergenerational offending. These children are emotionally unwell, experiencing distress, stigma, isolation, bullying and low self-esteem. Breaking Barriers help them come to terms with the emotional trauma of their parent’s removal from home, allowing them the opportunity to share their experiences and feelings in a safe, non-judgmental environment. Breaking Barriers work in and with schools to establish a support network that will enhance their overall development and social and academic experiences. The early intervention work builds support networks in school and at home and
improves the child’s wellbeing and security, reducing their feeling of isolation. This reduces the risk of children and young people getting involved in crime and anti-social behaviour as a negative way of dealing with having a parent in prison. Parents model behaviour to their children, so helping families become their own support network and learning alternate, healthier ways to cope reduces the risk these children will take a negative path towards offending.

OPCC Intern Programmes
£5,000
PCC to provide opportunities for Interns to work within Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner – The interns will be set tasks/projects in line with the Commissioners Police and Crime Plan.

Summer Programme
£20,000
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) are aiming to link in and support existing provisions put on by the 3 local authorities (LA) in Bedfordshire. Each LA get funding from central government as part of the Holiday Activity and Food Programme (HAF) and have a responsibility to ensure that free activities are available for children on free school meals (and some other ‘vulnerable’ children) throughout the holidays. They also must provide food at each event. The OPCC are going to look at supporting by linking in Bedfordshire Police, bringing in Community Cohesion / PCSOs to help the force build a better rapport with these young people.

Police and Crime Plan Delivery £130,000

Pilot to enable contact with the police and partners via terminals in public places
£30,000
Terminals will increase accessibility particularly in areas of internet poverty and will support the community further, achieving channel shift in the Force Control Room by increasing the capacity within the telephony in the Force Control Room.

FDAC
£100,000
To support and provide advice to specialists within the Family Drug and Alcohol Courts (FDAC) team, support women and families that are affected by abuse.

Recommendation:
To note decision
Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner
I hereby approve the recommendations above.

Bedfordshire Police Headquarters

Email the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner

Office of the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner

PCC/D/037

Bedfordshire Police AND Crime Commissioner

Bedfordshire PCC