Review of MPA partnerships funding

Report: 5
Date: 11 February 2005
By: Clerk

Summary

The MPA scrutiny into Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in 2003, established a fund of £50,000 for each borough command unit to support local partnership working. This report reviews the arrangements for the disposition of those funds. Members are asked to discuss and agree the process to be used from April 2005.

A. Recommendations

1. retain the current system but with further guidance to borough commanders (Option 1); and
2. agree that Co-ordination and Policing Committee continue to receive reports detailing the disposition of partnership funds.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. The MPA scrutiny into Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) in 2003 recognised the need for a fund at borough command level to support local partnership working. The rationale for that was found in the evidence given by the Borough Command Unit (BOCU) commanders: -

‘. . . the MPS is regularly embarrassed by our failure to be able to offer appropriate funding to a variety of partnership issues. When we undertook a crime audit for the crime and disorder strategy work, we were the joint employer of Crime Concern to undertake this work. The local authority agreed to meet 50% of the cost (£10,000). They expected us to meet the other half and were incredulous that I had no fund to access.’

‘Additional funding for the police would also help to avoid the problem of the partnership being skewed towards the local authority . . .’

‘It is immensely dispiriting to officers not to have any funds to bring to the table and it is also very difficult for other partners to understand.’

2. At its meeting of 27 February 2003 the Authority agreed the provision of £50,000 funding for each borough command unit, subject to it being ringfenced for partnership working.

3. A key principle in the operation of the fund was that the Authority should not require a bureaucratic or burdensome process to access the money. However, guidance was issued to Borough Commanders in the following terms:

1. You should involve and consult closely with your MPA Link Member in the selection of projects to receive support.
2. The fund should be used for projects that arise out of and support your local CDRP Strategy and Action Plan, and that reflect the priorities of the Partnership.
3. You should seek to agree the selection of projects to receive support with the Partnership, and, so far as possible, you should use the funding so as to leverage other support in cash or kind.
4. The money will be accounted for in the same way that BOCU’s account for the BCU Fund. This process will be managed by Territorial Police Headquarters (TPHQ) and a return expected twice a year from TPHQ.

4. It was also agreed that the MPS would report to the Co-ordination and Policing Committee, on the use of the fund, in the middle and at the end of each financial year. It is worth noting that the MPS reports proved unsatisfactory in that the description of the projects undertaken were merely a brief note in a spreadsheet and did not necessarily convey the precise nature of the spend, which was often only truly understood by the link member and borough commander.

5. The MPS is now developing a system which will be in place by next year and will provide more detailed and better quality information. This includes identifying spend in the following areas:

1. Black and Minority Ethnic groups - community engagement initiatives
2. Young people – crime prevention and diversion initiatives
3. Witness support initiatives
4. Victim support initiatives
5. Anti-social behaviour initiatives
6. General consultation/communication initiatives.
7. Tackling hate crime initiatives
8. Safer neighbourhood related initiatives

6. The Community Engagement Committee reviewed the effectiveness and purpose of the fund, particularly with reference to objectives being formulated in the MPA’s community engagement strategy. At its meeting of 14 October 2004, having inspected the end of year financial report, the Committee advocated the need for more rigorous criteria and a local panel to determine the use of the fund in the form of grants.

Matters for consideration

7. There are three available options for members to consider. Each of the options would be supported by an improved system of reporting:

Option 1

8. Maintain the existing system whereby the Borough Commander holds the fund and agrees its use in consultation with the link member. It would benefit the process if further guidance were issued to borough commanders reminding them of the ground rules. Corporate MPA objectives could be prioritised (such as tackling anti-social behaviour, community engagement and supporting Safer Neighbourhood initiatives such as Crimestoppers as a local problem solving intervention).

Option 2

9. Transfer the fund to the MPA budget and the link member deciding, in consultation with the Borough Commander and other partners, how the fund is used. The main advantage of this approach is that it will strengthen recognition of the Authority’s role and contribution to CDRPs. On the other hand, administering the budget will increase Authority costs and it will demand considerably more day-to-day link member involvement with their boroughs.

Option 3

10. In each borough, establish a local panel including the police, local authority and link member meeting together. The panel would decide on the allocation of funds. This approach offers a transparent and accessible system of funding. On the other hand, the panel could out-vote the link member on any issue so the Authority would lose control over the use of the money. It will also put borough commanders back into the position they were in before the scrutiny recommendations took effect: it would however be a more attractive proposition if the local authority and other partners were to share their partnership funds on the same basis.

C. Race and equality impact

By receiving improved information on the use of funds and by retaining control of the money, the Authority can choose to identify the extent to which the Partnerships Fund is supporting equality related objectives on CDRPs.

D. Financial implications

The MPA Partnerships fund totals £1.6m. This report seeks to ensure the use of this fund effectively meets its purpose.

E. Background papers

• MPA Scrutiny on Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, Jan 2003
• Disposition of MPA Partnerships Funds at Borough Level – report to MPA Community Engagement Committee, 14 October 2004

F. Contact details

Report authors: Keith Dickinson, Head of Partnerships and Policing Policy and Jude Sequeira, Partnerships Officer

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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