MPA regional partnership fund

Report: 9
Date: 6 July 2006
By: Chief Executive and Clerk

Summary

At its meeting in February 2006, the Co-ordination and Policing Committee agreed the new arrangements for the use of the MPA Borough Partnership Fund. At the same time, the Chair asked officers to further explore the potential for the development of a regional partnership fund. This paper also sets out criteria for the fund, together with a view on how it might be applied.

A. Recommendations

That the Committee

1. agrees the principles for the use of the fund and the application process.
2. notes the necessary funding has been secured for this year only.
3. nominates four members to form the selection panel.

B. Supporting information

1. The MPA is a regional body working to secure an effective, efficient and fair police service for London’s communities and a fundamental value of the authority is “To work in Partnership.” To support that the Authority should become more engaged at a sub regional level and develop its role in regional partnership activity. The creation of a regional partnership fund would support the Authority working within regional and sub regional activity, and support the mission and values of the MPA.

General concept of Regional Partnership fund

2. The chair of the Authority carries out a programme of visits to CDRPs and borough policing teams. During these visits there have been a number of occasions where regional or sub regional issues have been raised. Concern has been expressed about the difficulty in securing funding to deal with such issues and regional partners working in the field of crime and disorder reduction often seek funding from the MPA to contribute towards regional activity. Evaluation and dissemination of good practise is key to the Authority in ensuring that the Metropolitan Police Service is effective in reducing crime and disorder.

3. At the February meeting of the Co-ordination and Policing Committee, consideration was given to top-slicing some of the Borough Partnership fund to create a financial resource to facilitate the growing need for the Authority to engage in regional and sub regional crime and disorder reduction activity. Members did not support this idea at the time, but the Chair suggested first identifying what a regional partnership fund would provide and then to make a case for this funding from elsewhere in the budget.

What could the fund be used for?

4. The regional partnership fund could be used as seed money to vire in additional resources, for priority initiatives and partnership based activity across three or more boroughs.

Cross border work, looking at issues such as:

• Displacement across three or more Boroughs.
• Transport links across a series of boroughs that are impacting on crime and disorder.
• Linked partnership activity across three or more boroughs, for example when looking at the impact that gangs are having across communities.

Co-ordination role.

• Funding a short-term secondment or post to coordinate an area of work that impacts across London or a series of Boroughs. Examples of this might be to support the coordinated roll out of the Street Pastors scheme, or other voluntary sector groups working in crime and disorder reduction.

Evaluation and research

• Funding for independent evaluation of specific crime reduction projects to evidence good practise that can then be disseminated across all London Boroughs.
• Research projects to develop and inform partnership crime and disorder reduction initiatives.

5. Local Analyst Support System (LASS). LASS is a data warehouse system that holds information from British Transport Police, London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade, Probation Service and the Metropolitan Police Service. It supports problem solving in the crime and disorder arena by providing a holistic view of problems across all agencies. LASS is currently funded by contributions from its various partners (Appendix 1. LASS funding streams)

6. Safer London Problem Solving Awards. In February 2006 the MPA, in partnership with the Safer London Foundation and the Metropolitan Police Service, delivered the first Safer London Problem Solving Awards. The MPA funded a large proportion of the costs for the inaugural Award event and whilst the Events and Income Development Unit of the MPS is currently seeking sponsorship for the Awards there is likely to continue to be a financial implication for the MPA as the lead partner in these awards. (Appendix 2. Safer London Problem solving award budget 2005-6)

7. London Crime Reduction Delivery Board (LCRDB) The LCRDB is currently being revamped and there may be an expectation that the MPA, as a significant partner, will need to financially contribute towards activity or work programmes of the board.

8. For 2006-7 only projects for which one-off funding is needed will be approved with no long-term implications. Annual funding cannot be agreed until a budget is secured for 2007-8 and beyond.

9. The regional partnership fund would not be used to replace mainstream funding.

Administration of the Regional Partnership fund

10. Applications for financial support from the fund will be submitted to the MPA in writing. (Appendix 3. Draft application form)

• Applications should demonstrate how the funding would be used to support delivery against the Policing plan and key activities of the Authority, such as the London Anti social behaviour strategy.
• An identified lead officer from the MPS or MPA should submit the application, with confirmed support from all partners involved.
• There should be an indication of evidence to support the need for the funding, including baseline information.
• A time frame for the project delivery.
• There should be an indication of what activity is being funded. (The regional partnership fund cannot be used to replace mainstream funding.)
• Applications should contain a budget identifying what additional funding is available and from where. It should specify how much is sought from the regional partnership fund.
• Applications must specify what the race and equality impact will be.
• There must be clear aims and objectives with target outcomes and an identified evaluation process to substantiate achievements.
• A Member of the MPA should endorse the application form.

15. Applications will be considered by a panel made up of two Members from a pool of four Members, (not the endorsing Member) and two Officers of the MPA. The Authority will need to identify four Members to sit on the panel.

C. Race and equality impact

The diverse ranges of projects and communities that will be affected by this fund are likely to impact on all the equality areas across London. It is important that the application process for accessing this fund should include a section on the Race and equalities impact and how this will be monitored.

D. Financial implications

1. At its meeting in February 2006, the Co-ordination and Policing Committee consideration was given to top-slicing £160k from the partnership budget. Whilst the committee did not adopt this proposal the amount considered was not questioned.

2. It has been agreed that part year funding of £80k be made available from the MPA reserve set up to fund specific projects. This is once off funding and therefore can only be used for one off projects, which have no financial implications beyond 2006/07. Funding for future years will be considered as part of the 2007/08 budget process and will be addressed in a future report.

E. Background papers

“Future management and disbursement of the MPA Partnership Fund” report to Co-ordination and Policing Committee (3 Feb 06)

F. Contact details

Report author: Guy Beattie / Natasha Porter. Partnership Support Officers, MPA

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1

LASS Funding update May 2006 (Appendix A)

Appendix 2

Problem Solving award Budget 2006

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