New Funding and commissioned activity
Safer Roads Grant Round
After minimal response to the Road Safety Grant Round in October, The Commissioner decided to relaunch the grant round to include findings from the Road Safety Needs Assessment and increase the pot to £250,000 split across two lots.
Lot 1 was capped at £10,000 per application and was aimed at local initiatives and signs to improve road safety for targeted areas.
Lot 2 was assigned £150,000 and welcomed innovative West Mercia wide initiatives seeking to build on some of the recommendations from the Needs Assessment.
The relaunch of the £250,000 Road Safety Grant Round, which closed on the 2nd of February 2024, has seen an overwhelming number of applications, with a total of 86 applications submitted.
A panel are reviewing applications throughout February, with awards being made early March 2024.
Safer Streets 5 Fund
PCC successfully secured £999,025 as part of the 5th round of the Government’s Safer Streets initiative (SS5), to fund a range of projects designed to tackle Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG), ASB and Neighbourhood Crime between 2023/24 and 2024/25.
Timely procurement processes undertaken with successful conclusion. Awards made to successful providers in December 2023 with local organisations WMRSASC and AXIS awarded for their collaborative bid to deliver Mentors in Masculinity and a Community Ambassadors VAWG initiative and to ‘Intensive Engagement’; a consultancy service tackling ASB.
Since announcing the SS5 funding and securing providers, Government Ministers made the decision to reduce the funding allocation for West Mercia by £180,000 from the original award amount. The PCC remains confident that with successful partnership working with the force we can still deliver upon our SS5 ambition with minimal impact on the awarded initiatives, looking to make the efficiencies from within.
Several of the SS5 projects are already producing encouraging outcomes, including the Behavioural Detection Officers (BDO). The first tranche of BDOs had a successful weekend using their behavioural detection skills in Worcester, Hereford, Telford & Shrewsbury resulting in some excellent examples of preventative policing.
The collaborative work between WMRSASC and AXIS is also gaining traction, with recruitment underway and schools selected to become flagship / pilot example sites.
Safer Communities
The Commissioning Team are supporting the Safer Communities work across West Mercia, with specific involvement with Herefordshire Local Authority Safer Communities project, working in partnership on the grant review panel. The grant round aims and objectives stipulated projects should seek to achieve a mandatory output:
Increase the number of families receiving level 2 early help and team around the family support from VCS organisations and schools.
whilst also achieving a mandatory +1 outcome of:
Increase in level 2 early help and team around the family support / activity that does not meet the threshold for targeted early help or statutory social care services.
Following a first come, first served basis, the grant round closed early, after receiving a volume of applications. Grant evaluation and award process is currently ongoing, successful projects are being announced imminently, with some projects commencing February 2024.
Home Office Serious Violence Duty Funding
23/24 labour costs: £180,000, non-labour costs: £126,699.21
24/25 labour costs: £96,302.13, non-labour costs: £356,002.27
The partnership of responsible authorities has agreed allocation of all remaining non-labour and labour components of the fund for 23/24.
Funded activity to date includes:
- Recruitment of Partnership Analyst
- Recruitment of Partnership Manager
- Telford and Wrekin – St Giles Project to focus on youth related violence and exploitation with an element directed toward sexual violence, hate crime and sexual abuse and domestic abuse.
- Worcestershire – Reducing youth violence by funding a therapeutic mentoring programme for potentially high risk known young people involved in or at risk of becoming involved in serious violence.
- Herefordshire – Lean on Me – operating on Saturday nights to support those in need of medical assistance in the nighttime economy, to alleviate stress on NHS. In addition, part funding MARAC training and awareness to ensure high risk DA cases are referred and to improve target hardening equipment and processes.
- Shropshire – The Lighthouse Men – to support Dads / male carers / fatherly figures to improve parenting skills of boys coming to notice in years 6 & 7 who show increase in violence behaviour and aggression.
The Partnership Manager role in its current form will cease with effect from 31st March 2024. As a result, the recruitment for the Partnership Administrator was paused.
24/25 allocation for labour and non-labour funding remains under discussion, which includes the Partnership Manager function and will be formalised via the partnership during Q4.
Willowdene Evaluation
The PCC has allocated £30,000 to evaluate Willowdene Rehabilitation Ltd.
Evaluation aims to understand the impact and effectiveness the whole service has on the communities of West Mercia, that could build upon an evidence base, inform gaps in understanding, and inform future commissioning decisions. By evaluating the totality of the service, it will enable the PCC to understand the overall cohesiveness of the service, and how any non-PCC funded services may complement, overlap, or interconnect. It could inform future collaboration or identify opportunity to work better together.
Procurement ongoing, with a tendering exercise which closed on January 26th. Award completion by the end of February. The evaluation should be completed within 15 weeks of the start date.
No Recourse to Public Funds for Victims of Domestic Abuse
In January 2024, the PCC awarded £20,000 to West Mercia Women’s Aid to provide victims of domestic abuse who have no recourse to public funds, with the support and safety of refuge/safe accommodation.
Funding for Children and Young People (CYP) affected by Domestic Abuse
Landscape mapping was undertaken by the Commissioning Team to review domestic abuse provision for CYP across West Mercia. The findings reinforced the previous commissioned OPCC Domestic Abuse Children and Young People’s Needs Assessment, which concluded that there are significant gaps in the provision for CYP across West Mercia.
Particularly apparent was provision across the Shropshire region, for CYP who do not fall into the statutory duty on local authorities in England to provide support to victims of domestic abuse and their children in refuges and other safe accommodation.
The PCC has allocated a grant of £97,105 to close some of the identified gaps. After a successful grant round, this will be awarded to a provider by the end of February, to mobilise/commence April 1st, 2024,
Virtual Decisions, Gang & Knife education program
Following successful pilot, the Virtual_Decisions program, run by Round Midnight Creative Arts, has been awarded £28,400 to deliver their interactive virtual reality programme that delivers a real-life experience for young people using a VR film and follow-on creative arts workshop from March 2024 to April 2025.
The drama workshop explores in more depth the issues raised and highlights the importance and consequence of each decision made within these realistic scenarios.
Trained facilitators will deliver the workshop in 20 schools across West Mercia using a combination of local knowledge to evidence a high impact targeted approach and equal opportunity to whole year groups to enhance our provision of support and education services within that prevention and early help space.
Additionally, 20 sessions will also be delivered across youth centres within West Mercia to widen the scope of accessibility and young people reached.
Outcomes from the project are anticipated to be a decrease in self-reported likelihood of carrying a knife/weapon alongside retained knowledge of knife/gang crime in conjunction with an increased understanding of risk-taking behaviour which should increase participants’ confidence in their ability to make informed, positive choices.
The impact of this project will be monitored by schools, RMCA and West Mercia OPCC
Putting Victims and Survivors First
Multi-Crime Services
A Victims’ Services Options Paper has been submitted for discussion at the PCC Office Governance Board scheduled for January 2024. This will determine next steps and future recommissioning options for the longer-term provision (March 2025 onwards) of multi-crime victim service provision. The paper utilises information from the OPCC commissioned 2023 Victim and Offender Needs Assessment.
Victim Support (VS)
VS submitted a proposal for a single point extension for FY 24/25 which is currently undergoing budgetary approval and sign off process. Market engagement exercise is scheduled for February 2024 to promote transparency / market fairness.
VS received 385 valid referrals in Q3, 101 of which self-referred direct to the service, completing successful first contact within an average time of 11.5 hours from receipt.
Emerging concern around low number of fraud and forgery cases being received, with only 10 in the last 12 months, 5 of those in Q3. Online scams and romance fraud are the most common, with deep and lasting impact upon victims.
Scammers often spend a long period building trust making it devasting when realisation the relationship was not genuine is realised, akin to grief.
‘I feel that I’ve been really stupid, and my strong Christian faith has been tested – they used my faith against me to make me keep handing money over’.
‘It might sound strange, but I feel guilty, I miss talking to him. I still wonder what was real and what wasn’t’?
Victim support have developed specific toolkits for staff to better understand and support fraud victims and work will continue to unpick the low referral observations.
Victim Advice Line (VAL)
The VAL have received a Victims Choice Quality Mark. A small number of improvement and development actions were identified as a result of the assessment which will be completed by the end of Q4 2023/24. (The Victims Choice Quality Mark is the only national service standards for victim services)
The amount of unable to contact has dropped in Q3 to 328 following a downward trajectory since 22/23 which may be attributed to the introduction of a manual text service to victims, advising a VAL care coordinator will call and a day/time. In Q3 64% of referrals were successfully contacted, higher than any previous performance (47% Q3 of 22/23)
‘Initial phone call very supportive. I felt listened to and my feelings and anxiety was clearly understood. I was offered additional support if I needed it and also offered a personal alarm which will certainly give me more confidence to go out in future. I am also very grateful for the contact details should I require support in future’.
Harm caused by roads
RoadPeace
RoadPeace exceeding annual target of 60 referrals with 101 received year to date.
West Mercia victims are joining the National Siblings’ Group, with some involved in a project to create a guide for bereaved siblings.
The next Resilience Building Programme will take place at the end of the February 2024 and finish in April 2024. Roadpeace are currently in the process of inviting victims to participate by firstly undertaking the screening process to ensure they are suitable to take part in the sessions, and it would not be detrimental to them in any way.
RoadPeace have expanded the service for face-to-face sessions in Shrewsbury. So far 2 dates have been offered at a council community centre, offering victims the opportunity to meet in order to receive emotional support. A further date is planned in January.
‘I started with RoadPeace earlier in the year and I didn’t realise how much I needed the support of those around me until I became involved. The people I’ve met have become a real second family to me. They’re the people who actually understand the loss, the inquests, the whole new world we’ve been thrown into. All loss is an individual experience but speaking from my own experience, sibling loss is really undervalued. We are often the forgotten mourners, the ones that hold everyone else together, and RoadPeace recognise that.’
Domestic Abuse
West Mercia Women’s Aid (WMWA) IDVA Service
398 appropriate referrals in Q3 to core IDVA service, of which 258 are engaging with the support.
Police (including the domestic abuse unit) remain the main referrer with 114 referrals in Q3.
2 referrals from Education and Employment, which is positive, as previously no referrals have been received.
Outcomes remain positive and consistent, with feelings of safety, increased resilience & strategies to prevent further experiences of violence and abuse and increased control and autonomy all achieving above 90% outcomes.
Inclusion IDVA for Herefordshire and Worcestershire has worked with the NHS ‘walking bus’ nurses who have been allowed onto the traveller sites to offer health checks to the adults and children. The hope is that this creates a way to offer safe information via partner agencies and explore potential long-term options.
Shropshire and Telford’s Inclusion IDVA attended a recent coffee morning for military wives. Future dates are being arranged as the welfare officers for the barracks are keen for there to be a domestic abuse presence.
Young Person’s IDVAs (YPIDVA) saw increase of 13 referrals, majority from Local Authorities and mostly for females, aged 14 and 15, who had suffered emotional, physical, and coercive abuse within their own home.
100% of young people have gained understanding around physical, emotional, and mental health and a greater understanding of safety, wellbeing, and healthy relationships.
Hospital IDVA (HIDVA)received 79 appropriate referrals in Q3, an increase from Q2, with 58 engaging. Redditch Alexandra Hospital referrals are being monitored by provider to improve uptake.
Several outpatient departments now being visited by all HIDVA’s who also continue to use careful placement of posters, so that victim/survivors can access services covertly if needed.
Drive IDVA victim service received 72 referrals. Increase due to the commencement of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Panels (DAPP) in October 2023, bringing parity to West Mercia communities.
Outcomes have remained stable in Q3 with 97% of victim/survivors contacted within 48 hours and with 80% of those victim/survivors fully engaging in service. Some of the outcomes for improving health, wellbeing and resilience have steadily decreased over the last 3 quarters and a team meeting to address this has been arranged.
West Mercia Women’s Aid Children and Young People’s (CYP) Project
135 referrals in Q3, mostly from social care, but a consistently high number continue to come from education, this highlights demand and need for DA services to support education.
The CYP Team are continuing to run programmes throughout each School term, supporting a range of ages to meet the demand across West Mercia.
‘Compassionate and very accommodating to my daughter’s need, really supported her and I know the door is always open if needed in the future’.
‘It was very informative and was taken with care professionally. It was done sensitively’.
Sexual Violence
Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA)
Increase in referrals Q3 compared to Q2. ISVA Navigator waiting list increased to 94 clients compared to 3 at end of Q2. Wider advocacy team providing support to reduce waiting list.
Delays in police investigations, CPS decisions and waiting for trials is causing significant concern for clients, increasing anxiety and mental health issues. The increased wait also impacts ISVA capacity as they are supporting clients for longer.
During completion of initial assessments, Navigators have noted an increase in complex health needs. One case was referred to the statutory safeguarding panel and ISVA support was declined due to potential risk that could be posed to staff and other clients.
Sexual Violence Complex Care Pathfinder
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health & Care Trust successfully appointed an internal clinical psychologist to take the clinical lead in Herefordshire and Worcestershire Hub.
The Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust has successfully appointed an external clinical lead who commences March 2024 in the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Hub.
25 referrals received in the 1st month of service going live including 10 from the ICS Psychology Teams, all referrals have been invited to attend Pathfinder group work sessions.
1:1 support has been planned with clients who either have advocacy needs or feel unable to attend a face-to-face group immediately.
West Mercia Survivor Pathway – Sexual Violence Support Services
The West Mercia Survivor Pathway will ‘go live’ on the 26th of February. The pathway provides a safe online space for survivors of all ages, supporters, and professionals, and has a comprehensive list of services in West Mercia, with information and signposting on how to easily access them.
Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC’s)
89 referrals to the adult SARC’s in Q3, which included 47 forensic medical examinations, with the remainder being telephone and face to face advice.
The examination locations were 51.7 % at Bransford, 46.1% at Telford and 2.2% in hospital.
64 referrals into the CYP SARC, which included 9 forensic examinations with the remainder being non forensic clients and consultations.
All forensic examinations for CYP take place at the CYP West Midlands Regional SARC in Wednesbury.
Early Intervention and Prevention Services
The Branch CSE Service
Clients reaching the end of support and case closures, outnumbered incoming referral figures during Q3 resulting in a positive impact on the Branch waiting list and workers were able to provide some additional support to the Navigators in relation to new Branch referrals.
Technology assisted exploitation remains prevalent. Approximately half of the CYP supported by Branch Project workers identify a need for support in relation to technology assisted exploitation.
Professional observations that girls continue to be particularly vulnerable to being groomed into sharing images and coerced into selling them on Snapchat premium.
Another platform of concern is LinkedIn. LinkedIn offer unregulated accounts which children can access.
Branch continue to support CYP to understand what grooming and exploitation is, reassuring that blame lies with the perpetrator, helping to reduce any embarrassment and shame CYP may hold. Many CYP have shared they are surprised to learn about the criminality of online sexual content.
Purple Leaf Early Intervention and Prevention CSE Service
293 sessions to 334 CYP during Q3, more than double Q2 figures following the return of pupils from summer holidays.
100% of CYP leaving Purple Leaf, do so with a positive outcome.
232 CYP with an identified need engaged with service through schools, with another 80 CYP engaged within the smaller group sessions with targeted need which pushes the service well ahead of annual KPIs.
The 1:1 ‘dual status’ service continues to follow upward trajectory of increasing demand for the service.
Interest continues to increase for the ‘Boys Group’ focusing on masculinity and gender stereotypes in addition to the typical themes of sexual violence.
Branch workers and male ISVAs supported staff to deliver the group programmes. Having male workers for the boys’ groups has produced positive feedback with insight offered from that male perspective when talking about ‘Male Rules’ and the wider impact of male stereotypes.
Q3 monitoring identified improvement that could be made to capturing meaningful evidence of ‘direct support’ delivery, currently defined as support delivered to the CYP receiving the intervention. During Q3 direct delivery was provided to a parent of a pre-verbal child which wouldn’t necessarily be reflected in the data. Demand of this type to be tracked via narrative monitoring with data.
“I think the best part of this session was healthy friendships because I now know what is healthy and what is not” CYP participating in group work.
When asked how the sessions can be improved, although the majority stated “nothing” one area of feedback was “I feel like they spoke more about girls than boys, so the boys didn’t learn as much.”
Child Criminal Exploitation – CLIMB Core Service 10-17 years
CLIMB development work on streamlining the service offer and acceptance of referrals completed during Q3 to mitigate issues around holding complexity of referrals and the gaps in some service support areas, resulting in waiting lists being greatly reduced and allowed the same level of high-quality support to be offered to more young people.
Q3 nominal decrease in referrals, with 64 being appropriate and 31 from Worcestershire, (highest referring area).
100% of CYP exiting service leave with a positive outcome achieved when one or more of their presenting risk areas or wellbeing has been reduced/increased.
55 CYP exited service during Q3, 43 achieved the outcome of increased attendance at school or college.
To better understand the impact of some of the areas of work undertaken by CLIMB, but not readily identified via the reporting framework, discussions are ongoing to define and monitor those who engage with the service but do not directly receive support from 1:1 or group.
Provision of information, advice, and guidance (IAG) offered seeks to not only direct young people to the right area of support, but critically at the right time. The benefits of this ensure the CYP/family have the information, are better informed / empowered and on its own can trigger behaviour change and improved networks of support/understanding.
CLIMB steering group are focused on systems change work challenging unconscious gender bias and raising awareness for females at risk of CCE. Media for this is being created and will be shared with the OPCC when the work finalises alongside training resources aimed at professionals for raising awareness.
“Helped me think about bad decisions before I do it.”
“It was helpful for my mental health and anxiety”.
“The support was great” Young Person Feedback.
“Mum said she was very happy with the support received from climb and has recommended that every young person should have a climb project worker because she has seen a difference in her own son” Parent / Guardian Feedback.
CLIMB expansion for Under 10’s / Whole Family Approach
CLIMB service expansion now fully up and running with the Early Intervention Practitioner role noting a successful start. 10 referrals received in Q3 all within Shropshire.
Worcestershire worker has been designing group workshops in Q3.
Herefordshire role has just been successfully recruited to. Work to commence in these areas imminently.
Further phase of mobilisation to plan further outreach and awareness raising events in Q4.
Resources for program delivery have been collated with 5 weeks of group-work material developed and already delivered in two different schools.
Session topics consist of building a positive identity and self-esteem, understanding emotions, and recognising healthy and unhealthy relationships. How to keep safe is also covered alongside detailing how to ask for help if needed.
Steer Clear – West Mercia Serious Violence Diversionary Service for Children and Young People
Steer Clear (£538,496 PCC funded) has fully mobilised.
Workshop launch in Herefordshire in November 2023, during Operation Sceptre, to promote the service and raise awareness of knife crime. Anyone can now refer a CYP 10-18years believed to be at risk of involvement in knife related crime.
Triage panels within each LPA have now been established. Attendance at panels from the core membership has been consistent and forms a crucial aspect of information sharing of information and intelligence by the professionals involved in supporting children and young people including the police, youth justice, social care and YOT.
54 referrals during Q3, from across West Mercia, majority from police and schools. Each referral triaged, with 19 allocated to group work and 14 allocated for 1:1 work. 4 CYP on a waiting list with their circumstances varying and have been reviewed in January.
Challenges with recruitment for Telford and Shropshire roles, unfortunately, a long-standing regional issue.
Practitioner for Shropshire & Telford successfully recruited with another practitioner currently awaiting DBS/reference checks.
Modifications made to referral form to ensure effective data transfer from police to provider, learning acquired during data transfer mobilisation period.
Meeting held with the College of Policing in January 2024, who referenced a national shortage of researchers currently impacting demand/resource for evaluation procurement. A procurement exercise will be launched May 2024 to partner on evaluating Steer Clear to understand impact, effectiveness and support an evidence base.
Substance Misuse Early Intervention
Divert
165 referrals in Q3, with 124 people attending initial interventions and 76 participating in groups. Engagement levels remain high with 80.4% of referrals attending an initial assessment in the latter part of Q3 and 61% of those attending a group session.
Cannabis remains the dominant substance for referral, with 87 adults and 10 young people stated usage. 30 referrals for Cocaine in Q3, making it the second highest substance for adult referrals.
Cranstoun are completing a promotional video for the service, which will be made available to the OPCC within Q4.
Building a More Secure West Mercia
Improving Responses to Domestic Abuse
Men and Masculinities
Programme fully mobilised across West Mercia and recruitment has concluded for both perpetrator and victim services.
34 referrals in Q3 from Hereford & Worcester, 28 from Shropshire and Telford. 54 of those new referrals are currently engaging with the service, tracking positive uptake ratios.
Training and service awareness delivered to Cranstoun Drug and Alcohol service in Worcester. Training was over 4 days and covered domestic abuse, the perpetrator’s role and the impact of domestic abuse on victims.
In Telford & Wrekin, Cranstoun and West Mercia Women’s Aid hosted an event for the DPCC and OPCC staff and Shropshire Council, this included a service user sharing the positive impact of the M&M Programme.
Staff team have attended multiple events to promote the service across West Mercia including Police, Interfaith Holly Project (sexual exploitation team), Sexual Health Team and MIND.
The PCC Commissioning Team have been working with the Home Office’ commissioned evaluation team and may be a selected site to evaluate, we are awaiting confirmation.
“The programme puts emphasis on accountability and self-reflection. This has helped me gain insight into my own behaviours and start taking responsibility for my actions.”
“I could tell the people running the programme know what they were talking about. This made me feel more comfortable to share things that I don’t tell other people. I felt like I was being heard.”
DRIVE Telford and Shropshire
3 Domestic Abuse Perpetrators Panel (DAPP) meetings in Telford and 2 in Shropshire with a total of 22 referrals across both areas, 11 in each area. This is lower than the expected 32, due to it being the first quarter that cases have been taken and staff training has been completed.
During Q3 the service has worked with 22 victims/survivors and 43 children and young people.
There have not been any case closures yet, due to the infancy of the service.
DRIVE Herefordshire and Worcestershire
3 Domestic Abuse Perpetrators Panel (DAPP) meetings in North Worcestershire and 3 in South Worcestershire and 6 DAPP meetings combined with MARAC meetings in Herefordshire.
36 referrals across Herefordshire & Worcestershire, the target per quarter is 46-47 cases. This is lower due to a staffing situation and the unsuitability of cases from MARAC.
Cases that Cranstoun have worked with in Hereford and Worcester have 37 victims/survivors attached to them and 87 children and young people.
Closed contact cases reported a 91% reduction in high-risk physical abuse, 71% reduction in jealous, controlling and coercive behaviours, 100% reduction in high-risk sexual abuse, 77% reduction in harassment and stalking.
Concerns have been raised in Q3 regarding the Domestic Abuse Police Officers recruitment and capacity; this has been escalated by the OPCC and the Force Domestic Abuse lead.
Reducing crime and reoffending
Remember Veterans YSS
YSS continue to offer the Remember Veterans service to individuals within the community providing a holistic support at the earliest stage to those most at need, including any families. The client focused support allowed for advice, guidance as well as signposting to ensure that the correct level of support is provided for any veteran.
Discussions continue identifying support for adults who were present as children when their parents served and the impact that could have had on their childhood. RV have met with several adults affected by being a child of parents in the forces. The age group identifies as 40 years onwards and shared emotional and physical barriers.
Willowdene Female Offending Project
38 Out of Court Referrals (OOCR), of which 32 were referred in Q3 (Oct-Dec), this demonstrates the benefits of further promotion and partnership working with the Police. The target is 50 referrals per quarter for OOCR.
It is important to note that other referrals have been made to support vulnerable women by the police to enhance the service delivery. This takes total referrals to 46 within the period.
5% (2 of 38) of referrals failed to start. Of those completing, 100% attended all mandatory sessions, this demonstrates the interventions and staff approach are engaging and supportive.
86% of those completing their OOCR have voluntarily chosen to engage in further wrap around support offered by Willowdene, these vary from three further community sessions to attendance on the 12-week LINC programme.
Reduce the excessive harm associated with West Mercia’s roads
MORSE
Total referrals across Q2 and Q3 reaching 100.
To manage the number of referrals, waiting list has been created, with 8 currently waiting, which is managed by the Referrals Coordinator and the MORSE workers who will assess and allocate referrals when capacity allows.
YSS are currently in communication with Ian Edwards, Driving Solutions around training for MORSE staff after identifying a potential need for additional awareness and education centred around older drivers. A bespoke training package has been created and discussions are currently taking place re: delivery.
‘‘Support to X has been ongoing over 10 months. From the onset X has really wanted to make the changes needed but the relationship with alcohol has been a constant challenge, this was triggered by being isolated and living in a rural area away from their children. A plan was formed with X after the completion of an assessment. We used this as a base to work from but was reviewed constantly to ensure it was still meeting the needs as X circumstances changed. Morse were able to assist X with a plan by accessing financial support from the Smallwood trust, this was able to assist to reduce housing debt enough that X could be considered for a house move.”
Reforming West Mercia
Community Safety Partnership’s:
The five CSPs of West Mercia covering the 5 different Policing areas were awarded a combined total of £636,541 for 23/24. This is split by:
| Policing Area | Total Awarded Funding | Current Allocation |
| Shropshire CSP | £98,441 | £91,633 |
| Hereford CSP | £100,666 | £99,699 |
| Telford CSP | £158,934 | £158,934 |
| South Worcester CSP | £139,250 | £136,301 |
| North Worcester CSP | £139,250 | £127,237 |
The CSPs fund a wide variety of projects that focus on community support, reducing offending, victim care and early intervention and prevention.
OTHER COMMISSIONING ACTIVITIES
Needs Assessment Updates:
Following the Data Sharing events organised by the Serious Violence Partnership Manager, the missing datasets from partners have been re-requested for input and analysis within the OPCC Serious Violence Needs Assessment. The PCC has pushed the requests and a revised more condensed product, together with executive summary is anticipated for February 2024. This will ensure the needs assessment contains all relevant partner information as required under the duty to inform the landscape review and future direction for Serious Violence.
The OPCC Road Safety Needs Assessment 2024 has been completed, with executive summary available for sharing with partners / contributors, at the discretion of the OPCC.
Work is continuing on the OPCC commissioned Child Sexual Exploitation Needs Assessment 2024 with a draft product due Spring 2024, results of which will inform recommissioning.
Summary of 2023-24 PCC Funding Initiatives
Please follow the link below to obtain more information about all of the OPCC funded projects during 2023-24:
