Author and Job Role: George Bell, Criminal Justice Policy & Commissioning Officer
Protective Marking: Official
Executive Summary
For 2023/24 the Police and Crime Commissioner has made available £270,000.00 of funding to reduce reoffending in Surrey.
Applications for Standard Grant Award above £5,000 – Reducing Reoffending Fund
Guildford Action – Rough Sleeper Navigator – Checkpoint – Joanne Tester
Brief overview of service/decision – To award £104,323 (over three years) to Guildford Action’s Rough Sleeper Navigator project. This post is for the Checkpoint scheme. The Checkpoint Worker will work within the wider team with the homeless cohort in Surrey. As part of the wider programme, the specialist worker will work with a restorative justice framework and Trauma Informed Approach to reduce re-offending. They will assess the service user, identify risks, and design a support plan which looks at their holistic needs. It is a time limited and focussed on outcomes to keep the community safe as well as the service user gaining knowledge and understanding of their behaviours and the impact.
Reason for funding:
1) The reduction of re-offending – having no stable base or a place to call home is a massive factor in offending behaviours. Most of the rough sleepers across Surrey also have unmet mental health challenges and a dependency on substances. Until basic needs are met, the chances of offending behaviours reducing are minimal.
2) To protect people from harm in Surrey – With much of the offending behaviour for the homeless cohort involving shoplifting and anti-social behaviour, the impact of these crimes can be far reaching even when they are deemed petty.
Recommendation
That the Commissioner supports this standard grant application to the Reducing Reoffending Fund and awards to the following;
- £104,323 (over three years) to Guildford Action
Police and Crime Commissioner Approval
I approve the recommendation(s):
Signature: PCC Lisa Townsend (wet signed copy held in OPCC)
Date: 07 May 2023
All decisions must be added to the decision register.
Areas of consideration
Consultation
Consultation has taken place with appropriate lead officers depending on the application. All applications have been asked to supply evidence of any consultation and community engagement.
Financial implications
All applications have been asked to confirm the organisation hold accurate financial information. They are also asked to include the total costs of the project with breakdown where the money will be spent; any additional funding secured or applied for and plans for on-going funding. The Reducing Reoffending Fund Decision Panel/Criminal Justice policy officers considers the financial risks and opportunities when looking at each application.
Legal
Legal advice is taken on an application-by-application basis.
Risks
The Reducing reoffending Fund Decision Panel and Criminal Justice policy officers considers any risks in the allocation of funding. It is also part of the process to consider when refusing an application, the service delivery risks if appropriate.
Equality and diversity
Each application will be requested to supply appropriate equality and diversity information as part of the monitoring requirements. All applicants are expected to adhere to the Equality Act 2010.
Risks to human rights
Each application will be requested to supply appropriate human rights information as part of the monitoring requirements. All applicants are expected to adhere to the Human Rights Act.