28/2014: Provision of Needs assessment and referral to support victims of crime

Executive Summary and recommendation:

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) currently fund charity Victim Support on a national basis to provide referral to support services for victims of crime for all force areas. This funding ends on 31^st March 2015.

Funding and responsibility for providing referral to support services transfers locally to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) from the 1^st of April 2015. From then PCCs can decide locally who delivers and what services are provided for victims of crime in their force area.

In North Yorkshire, with preparatory funding from MoJ, we have conducted an independent Victim Needs Assessment to help us identify gaps in existing support provision, design and commission specialist support services for victims of crime, and establish what local victims would like to see as part of wider support services provision after crime has occurred.

We have also undertaken an independent Victim Referral Model Analysis to support us to develop a referral to support services model which takes into consideration local victims feedback and good practice going on in other force areas.

Having undertaken this work we then considered how to most efficiently and effectively implement our model for the financial year 2015/16. Three potential delivery options were considered: a competitive, open commissioning process based on a local service specification to award a provider; in-house delivery through a team of force and/or PCC staff; and working in partnership with Victim Support.

On consideration of the above options it is recommended that, via a service level agreement defining local requirements, we work in partnership with Victim Support to provide Needs Assessment and Referral to Support Services for Victims of Crime across North Yorkshire from 1^st April 2015 to 31^st March 2016.

A review process would then take place in Autumn 2015 to develop recommendations as to how we should deliver referral to support services from April 2016 and beyond.

Decision

Police and Crime Commissioner decision: Approved

Signature: 
Date: 09 February 2015
Title: Police and Crime Commissioner

1. Introduction and background
   • The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) currently fund charity Victim Support on a national basis to provide referral to support services for victims of crime for all force areas. This funding ends on 31^st March 2015.
   • Funding and responsibility for providing referral to support services transfers locally to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) from the 1^st of April 2015. From then PCCs can decide locally who delivers and what services are provided for victims of crime in their force area.
   • In North Yorkshire, with preparatory funding from MoJ, we have conducted an independent Victim Needs Assessment to help us identify gaps in existing support provision, design and commission specialist support services for victims of crime, and establish what local victims would like to see as part of wider support services provision after crime has occurred.
   • We have also undertaken an independent Victim Referral Model Analysis to support us to develop a referral to support services model which takes into consideration local victims feedback and good practice going on in other force areas.
2. Matters for consideration
   • It is recommended that, via a service level agreement defining local requirements, we work in partnership with Victim Support to provide Needs Assessment and Referral to Support Services for Victims of Crime across North Yorkshire from 1^st April 2015 to 31^st March 2016.
   • A review process would then take place in Autumn 2015 to develop recommendations as to how we should deliver referral to support services from April 2016 and beyond.
   • This arrangement would exclude victims of domestic and sexual abuse crimes as we already have a contract and related processes and procedures in place with a specialist support organisation, IDAS. In October 2015 we enhanced the capacity of our specialist Independent Domestic Violence Adviser (IDVA) and Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service to 10 FTE staff (for which IDAS is the service provider) for an initial contract period of 18 months (to 31^st March 2015 with the potential to extend for a further one plus one years).
3. Other options considered, if any
   • Developing a full service specification and competitively commissioning a new provider in the open market.
     • Due to the fact that a number of Police and Crime Commissioners in other force areas, those in the early adopter group, took this approach and had a very limited response from the market which led them to award these services to Victim Support this approach was ruled out (due to an immature market place) in relation to being a viable option on the 1^st of April 2015. This does not mean the approach would not be considered in the future.
   • Developing a full in-house model run by force and/or PCC staff
     • Due to the fact that this approach might pose a risk in relation to continuity of service delivery and a business as usual transition from a national service provided by Victim Support to a new local service on the 1^st of April it was ruled out in relation to being a viable option on the 1^st of April 2015. This does not mean the approach would not be considered in the future.

4. Contribution to Police and Crime Plan outcomes
   • Service delivery, by Victim Support, associated with this decision will significantly contribute towards Priority One: Protect vulnerable people – including by ensuring vulnerable victims of crime are identified and referred into enhanced and specialist support services; and Priority Four: Improve victim care – including by ensuring that victims of crime most in need are offered the opportunity to have their individual support requirements assessed and met through commissioned services focused on enabling them to cope with the immediate impact and recover from the harm caused.
5. Consultations carried out
   • Not applicable
6. Financial Implications/Value for money
   • The MoJ, Victims Grant monies passported to North Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (NY PCC) will cover the cost of services associated with this decision. Spend in relation to this service will not exceed the funding withheld from the local NY PCC Victims Grant by MoJ in financial year April 2014 to March 2015 to fund the North Yorkshire proportion of the national service provided by Victim Support. This funding is in the region of £340k for the financial year April 2015 to March 2016 but will not all be allocated to the service associated with this decision notice.

Chief Constables Chief Finance Officer Comments:

This expenditure forms part of the expenditure proposed against the Ministry of Justice Victims Grant for 2015/16, and the total does not exceed the available grant funding.

7. Legal Implications

Having read this report and having considered such information as has been provided at the time of being asked to express this view, the Acting Force Solicitor and Head of Legal Services is satisfied that this report does not ask the PCC for North Yorkshire to make a decision which would (or would be likely to) give rise to a contravention of the law.

8. Equality Implications
   • Not applicable
9. Human Resources Implications
   • Not applicable 

Public Access to information

The Police and Crime Commissioner wishes to be as open and transparent as possible about the decisions he/she takes or are taken in his/her name. All decisions taken by the Commissioner will be subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

As a general principle, the Commissioner expects to be able to publish all decisions taken and all matters taken into account and all advice received when reaching the decision. Part 1 of this Notice will detail all information which the Commissioner will disclose into the public domain. The decision and information in Part 1 will be made available on the NYPCC web site within 2 working days of approval.

Only where material is properly classified as restricted under the GPMS or if that material falls within the description at 2(2) of The Elected Local Policing Bodies (Specified Information) Order 2011 will the Commissioner not disclose decisions and/or information provided to enable that decision to be made. In these instances, Part 2 of the Form will be used to detail those matters considered to be restricted.  Information in Part 2 will not be published.

Part two

Is there a Part 2 to this Notice – NO

Originating Officer Declaration

Author name:        Jenni Newberry