Community Safety Development Fund allocations 2023-4

Report reference number:

043-24

Classification:

Not protectively marked

Title of report:

Community Safety Development Fund allocations 2023-4

Area of county / stakeholders affected:

Countywide

Report by:

Greg Myddelton (Strategic Head of Partnerships and Delivery)

Date of report:

14/03/2023

Enquiries to:

[email protected]

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1. Purpose of Report

1.1. To approve the allocation of £319,918 from the PFCC’s annual Community Safety Development (small grants) Fund (CSDF) and V&V grant fund 2023-4.

2. Recommendations

2.1. Approve the allocation of £261,573 from the 2023-4 Community Safety Development Fund and £58,345 from the 2023-4 Violence & Vulnerability Fund to support the organisations listed in section 4.1.

3. Background to the Proposal

3.1. The PFCC’s Community Safety Development Fund is an annual small grants programme which seeks to support community and voluntary organisations with funding of up to £20,000 for activities that contribute positively to the delivery of the objectives within the Police and Crime Plan.
3.2. The process for launching and allocating the 2023-4 CSDF was approved via DR 016-24.
3.3. The PFCC arranged a panel of external partners to support the bid evaluation process. This panel met on 12th March 2024 and included representatives from Essex Fire & Rescue Service, Essex Council for Voluntary Youth Services (ECVYS), a Community Safety Partnership (CSP) rep, Essex Police, and Essex
Community Foundation. The PFCC received 77 bids, valued at £1.15m.

4. Proposal and Associated Benefits

The PFCC will provide the following grant funding allocations;

Applicant	Brief Description	Grant value (£)
Active Essex Foundation	Delivery of 2x Boxsmart ‘On The Ropes’ and 2x Girls Inspired programmes in Thurrock	10,000
Beacon House	Core funding for staff, utilities and other costs to deliver support to individuals impacted by homelessness	16,852
Changing Lives	Sports Intervention Programme & Life Skills/Mentoring Programme in Harlow and Colchester	20,000
Chelmsford Muslim Society	Educational sessions around domestic abuse and substance misuse within the Muslim community	19,660
Chess Homelessness	Support worker to deliver domestic abuse support for individuals impacted by homelessness	20,000
Divine Assembly Ministries	Community Legal Champion Project which aims to prevent people who are migrants in Colchester becoming victims of potentially illegal employment, visa and immigration scams.	20,000
ECC Family Solutions	Support for young people engaged with Family Solutions team; Delivery of a 10–12-week programme (in partnership with Next Chapter) addressing child to parent domestic abuse. And a 5-day Firebreak course which teaches life skills, responsibility, increase community participation, improve relationships, increases engagement in education, and improves self-esteem and confidence	4,500
For Baby’s Sake	Domestic Abuse support for families; provision of therapeutic practitioners delivering 1:1 support to mothers and fathers to break the cycle of abuse	15,000
KAOS Youth Group	Rochford-based Youth club supporting young people with positive activities	5,000
Lads need dads	Delivery of the ASPIRE and EQUIP Mentoring programmes at Clacton Coastal Academy for boys with absent fathers	14,321
London Bus Theatre	Deliver a young people and community led, sustainable, quality short film and drama project from June 2024 – February 2025 for 60 vulnerable young people aged 13 – 16 from Canvey Island	6,870
North Avenue Youth Centre	Provision of universal youth work for with young people at Hylands school who currently have low attendance records with the aim to support them to return to full time education	20,000
Rainbow Services	Young Peoples Carpentry Workshop; working with young people who have disengaged from school, been in trouble with the police, or are displaying risky behaviours. The project aims to re-engage them with education whilst providing them with practical skills	20,000

5. Options Analysis

5.1. The PFCC’s team undertook an initial sift of applications to remove any that did not meet the criteria of the fund. Some bids were removed from the CSDF processes as they better matched other PFCC funding streams including Safer Streets and the PFCC’s Victims’ Fund. A panel of external evaluators was then convened to consider the applications and recommend successful bids to the PFCC for approval. The panel considered the strength of the applications as well as the track record of the bidding organisations, the fit with the Police and Crime Plan, and consideration of a fair and proportionate thematic and geographic mix of projects.

6. Consultation and Analysis

6.1. The PFCC set out how this funding would be allocated in DR016-24. Availability of the fund was announced on 15th February via a direct e-mail to CSPs, CVS organisations, and by a post on the PFCC’s website. The PFCC also publicised the fund via its newsletter. The evaluation panel considered the shortlisted bids on 12th March 2024.

7. Strategic Links

7.1. This funding will enable the PFCC and partner organisations to support the priorities within the Police and Crime Plan including increasing collaboration, protect vulnerable people and break the cycle of domestic abuse, and further investment in crime prevention.

8.Police Operational Implications

8.1. Essex Police was involved in the assessment panel, and sponsored the application for the Rice and Spice Festival. There are no direct operational implications on Essex Police as a result of this funding.

9. Financial implications

9.1. The PFCC will provide one-off grants equalling £319,918 to the 21 organisations listed in section 4.1. £261,573 will be allocated from the 2023-4 Community Safety Development Fund. This represents the totality of CSDF funding in 2023-4. £58,345 will be allocated from the 2023-4 V&V Fund. This brings the 2023-4 V&V spend to;

2023/24 V&V Forecast Expenditure (Funding) Income £2,781,000
Phase 1 of V&V funding (DR 048-23) £240,233
Phase 2 of V&V funding (DR 062-23) £616,880
Phase 3 of V&V funding (DR 116-23) £287,100
Phase 4 of V&V funding (DR 140-23) £632,123
Phase 5 of V&V funding (DR 187-23) £185,000
Phase 6 of V&V funding (DR 196-23) £335,508
Phase 7 of V&V funding (DR 206-23) £155,780
Phase 8 of V&V funding £43,600
CSDF allocations from V&V £58,345
Total allocated (pending phase 8 & CSDF approvals) £2,554,569
2023/24 Forecast Expenditure (Funding) remaining £226,431

10. Legal implications

10.1. This funding is subject to the terms of the PFCC’s standard grant agreement.

11. Staffing Implications

11.1. The use of this funding to employ staff or sessional workers will be the responsibility of the host organisation. No liabilities, immediate or ongoing, will be placed on the PFCC as a result of this funding.
11.2. The monitoring of these projects will be undertaken by the PFCC’s Commissioning Lead. Support for comms and media of these successful projects will be provided by the PFCC’s Comms & Engagement function.

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12. Equality and Diversity implications

 

12.1. The PFCC has undertaken an Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) for this funding

13. Risks and Mitigations

13.1. There is a risk that PFCC funding is not effectively used to support the delivery of the Police and Crime Plan. To mitigate this risk, the PFCC will need to undertake monitoring of these projects. The PFCC’s due diligence process and grant agreements safeguard the PFCC against excessive risk of financial loss or fraud.

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14.Governance Boards

14.1. The PFCC approved the process for the 2023-4 CSDF via DR016-24. A panel of external assessors reviewed the applications on 12th March 2024.

15. Links to future Plans

15.1. This funding will support the PFCC to deliver against the priorities in the Police and Crime plan.

16.Background Papers and Appendices

CSDF 2023-4 fund criteria

Report Approval

The report will be signed off by the OPFCC Chief Executive and Treasurer prior to
review and sign off by the PFCC / DPFCC.

Signature:

Darren Horsman

Date Signed :

19/03/2024 19/03/2024

Signature:

Janet Perry Janet Perry

Date signed:

19.03.2024

Position:

Chief Financial Officer

Decision and Final Sign Off

I agree the recommendations to this report:

Signature:

Roger Hirst Roger Hirst

Date signed:

21.03.2024

Position:

PFCC

Wet signed copy is held at the PCC office.