Phase 1 of the 2024/25 Essex Violence and Vulnerability JointBudget

Report reference number:: 045-23
Classification:: Not protectively marked
Title of report:: Phase 1 of the 2024/25 Essex Violence and Vulnerability Joint Budget
Area of county / stakeholders affected:: Countywide
Report by:: Samantha Grant (Violence and Vulnerability Unit Project Manager)
Date of report:: 15/03/2024
Enquiries to:: [email protected]

1. Purpose of Report

1.1. This report seeks approval for the allocation of £225,700 from the 2024/25 Essex Violence and Vulnerability Joint Budget to the organisations detailed in section 4.2 below for delivery against the objectives set out in the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Work Programme 2024/25.

2. Recommendations

2.1. That the PFCC approves the total allocation of £225,700 set out in section 4.2 below to support partner organisations to deliver against the priorities within the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Work Programme 2024/25.

3. Background to the Proposal

3.1. This funding supports delivery against the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Work Programme, supported by the Violence and Vulnerability Partnership. The funding will enable local partners across Essex to have a positive impact on issues relating to violence and vulnerability, including gangs, ‘county lines’, and child criminal exploitation.
3.2. This funding comes from the joint Violence and Vulnerability budget, a pooled partnership budget including funds from the Home Office and PFCC, which will deliver on the aims and ambitions of the Violence and Vulnerability Partnership Business Case agreed in June 2022.

4. Proposal and Associated Benefits

This funding supports organisations to deliver on the areas of work outlined in the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Framework (2018) and agreed by the Violence and Vulnerability leadership group, the Violence and Vulnerability Round Table, to reduce serious violence and safeguard those being exploited and at risk of exploitation through gangs and ‘county lines’.

It is proposed that the PFCC provides the following funding allocations:

Organisation	Brief description	Value
The Red Balloon Foundation; Essex YMCA; Southend YMCA; North Avenue Youth Group; Essex Boys and Girls Clubs, Essex Youth Service (& supported by Essex Council for Voluntary Youth Services)	First half of 2024/25 detached youth work delivery in identified areas, (within Basildon, Chelmsford, Colchester, Harlow, Southend, Tendring, Thurrock). Delivered through local organisations, detached outreach work designed to engage young people within their own environments where they may be putting themselves at risk, to ensure that they are aware of all the opportunities available to them. This youth work takes place within identified localities with increased levels of and risks from serious violence.	89,000
Essex Council for Voluntary Youth Services (ECVYS)	First half of 2024/25. Providing voluntary sector expertise and resource within the multi-agency Violence & Vulnerability Unit. This includes ensuring connections with the wider voluntary youth sector. This is equivalent to two days a week from the ECVYS CEO, two days a week from the ECVYS Partnerships Manager, one day a week from the ’listening project officer’ and one day a week from ECVYS project / administrative support.	27,000
Essex Council for Voluntary Youth Services (ECVYS)	Undertaking listening projects with children and young people across the county on issues relating to serious violence, undertaken with trusted locally embedded community groups, in order to inform the allocation of VV grants for 2025/26 as well as the delivery of the 2024/25 work programme.	9,000
The Wilderness Foundation (across Southend, Essex and Thurrock)	For 48 young people, across Southend, Essex and Thurrock. To provide a 6-week programme, for a selected group of at risk young people, where participants encounter the natural environment, working in small groups run by certified outdoor facilitators. Students engage in hands-on activities that challenge their minds, develop their social skills, and feed their emotional needs. After the six weeks participants return to their home, schools or other situations but with the support of the Foundation with the offer of further help and support if required.	20,000
Bar’n’Bus Basildon, Castle Point and Rochford.	For 24 young people, across Basildon, Castle Point and Rochford. To deliver mentoring programmes and one to one support, for a selected group of at risk young people (within local secondary schools, this includes Youth Development Workers within four schools). Sessions are delivered by both youth work staff and trained and supervised local volunteers. The programme provides alternative sessions and programmes within the school environment tailored to those who struggle with mainstream education and seeks to increase young people’s sense of value and support with re-engagement with their education.	24,700
Achieve, Thrive, Flourish (ATF) (Basildon and Southend)	For 50 young people, across Basildon and Southend. To deliver 1-1 support, for a selected group of at risk young people (connections include contact with their local school). Equipping the young people with tools for improving relationships and boundaries, connecting into wider community activities. As well as identifying personal strengths and examining perceived barriers, to increase young people’s sense of value and support with re-engagement with their education.	15,000
Rainbow Services	For 80 young people in Harlow. To deliver a woodwork workshop in Harlow for young people offering positive activities, access to gateway qualifications, role models and sustainable pathways for young people displaying high risk behaviours in a learning, practical, positive and community-based environment – preventing young people from disengaging from education.	25,000
Olive Academy	For 35 young people in Thurrock. To deliver an outreach programme by Olive Academy, with other secondary schools in Thurrock, supporting them with young people identified as being at risk of exclusion, to support them staying within mainstream education.	16,000
Total:		£225,700

5. Options Analysis

5.1. The PFCC could opt not to allocate this funding, but that would reduce the likelihood of the Violence and Vulnerability Partnership delivering its work programme and of the PFCC delivering the Police and Crime Plan.
5.2. The PFCC could also allocate the funds in a different way, though this might not align with the agreed programme as set out in the approved Violence and Vulnerability Business Case, which was informed by the analysis and expertise of the partnership.

6. Consultation and Analysis

6.1. This proposal has been informed by the Violence and Vulnerability Operations Group and delivers against the activity outlined in the Violence and Vulnerability Business Case approved by the Violence and Vulnerability Round Table in June 2022.

7. Strategic Links

7.1. This funding will enable local not-for-profit organisations to support delivery of the priorities within the Police and Crime Plan, including protecting children and vulnerable people from harm and reducing drug driven violence. It will also deliver against the Violence and Vulnerability Business Case.

8.Police Operational Implications

8.1. Essex Police is well engaged with this programme at both a strategic and operational level.

9. Financial implications

9.1. The PFCC will allocate one-off grants to the value of £225,700 from the 2024/25 Essex Violence and Vulnerability Joint Budget to the range of organisations outlined in section 4.2 above.
9.2. The joint Violence and Vulnerability forecast for 2024/25 totals £2.78m. The amounts which make up the base budget and the forecast are shown in the tables below:

2024/25 Violence and Vulnerability	Forecast
	£
Expenditure	*2,781,000
Income	**(2,781,000)
Net Position	0
* Forecast expenditure based on the overall 2024/25 V&V work plan, agreed by the V&V partnership.
**Source of Income		£
Home Office Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) funding		1,512,572
Home Office Serious Violence Duty (SVD) funding		297,912.58
PFCC contribution / grant		930,487
2023/24 V&V Carry Forward amount to be used for 2024/25 VV work programme		40,028
Total Forecast Income		2,781,000

The Violence and Vulnerability Partnership has an agreed programme of work totalling £2,781,000 for 2024/2025.

This is the first tranche of allocation from this combined Violence and Vulnerability Joint Budget in 2024/25 to transfer funding to local delivery partners.

10. Legal implications

10.1 Use of this funding will be subject to the PFCC’s standard funding agreement.

11. Staffing Implications

11.1. Employment of staff or sessional workers will be the responsibility of the relevant delivery organisation. No liability for the continuation of roles will be placed on the PFCC or other funders because of this grant funding.
11.2. Monitoring of these projects will be supported by the VVU’s dedicated Evaluation and Impact Officer, and support will be provided by the VVU’s Project Support Officer.

12. Equality and Diversity implications

12.1 We recognise that the activities outlined in section 4.2 support, and are accessible to, people with all protected characteristics but are most likely to be targeted towards young people who are profiled as being most at risk of being impacted by issues relating to county lines and gangs.
12.2 Monitoring arrangements for these funds include the requirement to report on the number of vulnerable children and young adults supported as well as steps taken to ensure offers of support are as accessible as possible.
12.3 Most of the organisations listed in the table in 4.2 are subject to the public sector equality duty and will be required to consider the impact of the delivery of their activities on those with protected characteristics.

13. Risks and Mitigations

13.1. All services identified in section 4.2 have demonstrated the need and the requirement for this funding. As this is short-term funding, there is a risk that it is not utilised promptly, meaning funding would have to be returned to contributors and opportunities to make progress against the Police and Crime Plan and the Violence and Vulnerability Work Programme may be missed. This is mitigated by utilising formal funding agreements, effective monitoring, and by ensuring organisations are aware of the restrictions on funding and can deliver against the requirements.

14.Governance Boards

14.1. This funding covers a range of agencies and is discussed at various partnership boards, including the Violence and Vulnerability (V&V) Round Table and the V&V Operations Board as well as internal PFCC meetings.
14.2. The overall approach to the Essex 2024/25 Violence and Vulnerability Work Programme has been signed off by the Round Table, as part of the V&V Business Case agreed on 13th June 2022.
14.3. The V&V Operations Board has responsibility for ensuring oversight of delivery of the 2024/25 V&V Work Programme and recommends the projects and areas of activity within this decision report. This featured on the agenda of 13th September 2023. The V&V Operations Board provides appropriate
reporting of progress to the V&V Round Table.