Phase 8 of the 2023/24 Essex Violence and Vulnerability JointBudget

Report reference number:: 044-24
Classification:: Not protectively marked
Title of report:: Phase 8 of the 2023/24 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:: Samantha Grant (Violence and Vulnerability Unit Project Manager)

1. Purpose of Report

1.1. This report seeks approval for the allocation of £43,600 from the 2023/24 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 2023/24.

2. Recommendations

2.1. That the PFCC approves the total allocation of £43,600 set out in section 4.2 below to support partner organisations to deliver against the priorities within the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Work programme 2023/24.

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, PFCC and Essex County Council, 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

4.1. 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’.
4.2. It is proposed that the PFCC provides the following funding allocations:

Organisation	Brief description	Value
Essex Police	Knife bins; to contribute towards the cost of emptying of knife bins, located across Essex.	10,000
Essex County Council	Working with children and young people, as part of the early help offer through the team around the family support workers, across Essex (County Council) area. Working with any young people where a ‘risk in the community’ (RIC) assessment for the child or young person results in an outcome of medium or low.	33,600
Total:		£43,600

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 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 £43,600 from the 2023/24 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 2023/24 totals £2.78m. The amounts which make up the base budget and the forecast are shown in the tables below:

2023/24 Violence and Vulnerability	Forecast
	£
Expenditure	*2,781,000
Income	**(2,948,139)
Net Position	(167,139)
* Forecast expenditure based on the overall 2023/24 V&V work plan, agreed by the V&V partnership.
**Source of Income		£
Home Office Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) funding		1,528,667
Home Office Serious Violence Duty (SVD) funding		338,985
Essex County Council		150,000
PFCC contribution / grant		930,487
Total Forecast Income		2,948,139

The Violence and Vulnerability Partnership has an agreed programme of work totalling £2,781,000 for 2023/2024, with agreement for £167,139 to be placed in a fund for future years.

9.3. This is the eighth tranche of allocation from this combined Violence and Vulnerability Joint Budget in 2023/24 to transfer funding to local delivery partners.

2023/24 Forecast Expenditure (Funding)	£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
Total allocated (pending phase 8 approval)	£2,496,224
2023/24 Forecast Expenditure (Funding) remaining	£284,776

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 2023/24 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. The work programme for 2023/24 (from the agreed business case) was provided to the Round Table at its meeting on 21st February 2023.
14.3. The V&V Operations Board has responsibility for ensuring oversight of delivery of the 2023/24 V&V Work Programme and recommends the projects and areas of activity within this decision report. This featured on the agendas of the V&V Operations Board on 30th January 2023, 15th March 2023, 5th June
2023 and 13th September 2023. The V&V Operations Board provides appropriate reporting of progress to the V&V Round Table.