Ref: PCC/D/2024/07
Executive Summary
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s (OPCC) commissioning function faces significant challenges in 2024/25, including the renewal of a range of key commissioned services. In order to meet this challenge, it is proposed that the Commissioner approve a temporary staffing structure change between October 2024 and March 2025 to allow for a small amount of additional capacity within the Commissioning function.
The proposal is cost neutral, due to budget efficiencies that have been identified for the year.
Proposal
The Commissioner is recommended to approve a temporary change to the OPCC staffing structure, to include;
Role extension to current fixed term Commissioning Officer post at grade F, to cover maternity leave extension and ensure team resilience / business and service recommissioning is maintained/delivered.
A temporary change to the OPCC staffing structure from 2 x FTE, to 2.9 x FTE Commissioning Officer posts between October 2024 and March 2025.
Allocation of £33,504 between October 2024 and March 2025 for funding extension to the fixed term position, with the shortfall to be drawn from reserves into the OPCC Staffing Governance Budget for 24/25 financial year.
If an underspend is reported in the OPCC governance budget for the financial year, this would be used to offset the use of the £597 reserve budget shortfall
Approval Of
West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner
I hereby approve the above proposal.
Signed
Part 1 – Non-Confidential/Exempt Facts and Figures
Supporting Report
The OPCC commissioning function faces significant challenges in 2024/25, including the renewal of a range of key commissioned services. This includes four major victim service / early intervention and prevention contracts.
Capacity within the commissioning team is reduced slightly due to a staffing change. Given demand on the function this year it is proposed that the PCC approves a temporary change to the OPCC staffing model to increase resilience and ensure continuity of business and service delivery.
This additional capacity is proposed in the form of an extension to an existing fixed term contract, currently due to end in October 2024 being extended until the end of March 2025.
The total additional budget required is £33,504. Proposals below have been identified to deliver this capacity increase almost entirely within the existing OPCC staffing budget.
Budget breakdown:
Salary – £33,504
Serious Violence Funding – £25,539
Saving from 1 x FTE Commissioning Officer reducing hours (as at 1st Aug) – £3,724
Saving from 1 x part time ICV volunteer Coordinator reducing hours (as at 1st April) – £3,644
Shortfall – £597
For the sake of accounting it is proposed that the £597 shortfall is allocated from reserves, but it is expected that this money would be delivered from an in-year underspend within OPCC budgets, and therefore mitigate against the use of reserves.
Approval is therefore sought for a temporary change to the OPCC staffing structure for 24/25 to allow for 1 x FTE Commissioning Officer, 1 x part time Commissioning Officer (33 hours) and 1 x FTE Fixed Term Commissioning Officer between 7th October 2024 and 31st March 2025 together with an agreement of the proposal to utilise the above budgets to finance the extension.
There is acknowledgement that any, currently unknown, potential pay award occurring / awarded during the 24/25 financial year may impact upon the amount sought for the remaining months of the contract.
Strategic Considerations
This decision supports the following element(s) of the Safer West Mercia Plan:
Putting Victims and Survivors First
Building a More Secure West Mercia
Reassuring West Mercia’s Communities
The decision supports this/ these objective(s) through the following:
Increased commissioning activity output resulting in.
o Communities feeling safer.
o Increased diversionary activities for those at risk of offending.
o Increased tailored services for all victims of crime.
o Increased interventions which tackle offending behaviour
Increased policy activity output resulting in.
o Communities feeling safer.
o Increased understanding of the main issues affecting policing and the role of the Police and Crime Commissioner
o Increased research and knowledge on key areas of business
o Increased contribution to the development, monitoring and implementation of the Police and Crime Plan
Reductions in prevalence of crime
Increase in value for money of public funds.
Overall increase in quality of services to support victims.
Increased confidence around funding being targeted to areas of need.
Increased PCC profile locally and regionally – integrating with, supporting academic establishments, and generating opportunity.
Increased general capacity within the Office of the PCC as the intern will be expected to contribute within all teams
Benefits and their Realisation
Anticipated benefits include:
Increased capacity to support the PCC on required tasks and projects.
Ensuring continuity of service and business for key commissioned services, widely utilised in the communities of West Mercia
Greater resilience and flexibility for the Commissioning team which will allow for heightened demand to be managed effectively and equally
Greater capacity to support wider office OPCC functions and impending external funding opportunities, some of which can be forecast, others which are anticipated during 24/25 but without assigned dates.
Achievement of more and better outcomes for the public.
Author
Name: Helen Davies – Senior Commissioning Officer Date: 14.05.2024
Financial and Treasurer Comments
The commissioning team have identified 3 sources to provide the funding for this post, principally from underspend on serious violence duty external funding which was repurposed in 2023/24, reducing call on commissioning budget to roll forward into 2024/25 as per the reserves strategy. Along with in year savings on posts due to reduction in hours there is a small short fall of £597.00 to full fund the post.
Given that there is a number of vacancies that are going to occur in the governance structure during 2024/25 there is sufficient expected underspend to ensure that the proposed extension of the Fixed Term Commissioning Officer role can be funded in full.
Treasurer
Signed, 22/05/2024
Legal Considerations
By virtue of schedule 11, paragraph 14 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 the Police and Crime Commissioner may do anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the exercise of the functions of commissioner. That includes entering into contracts and other agreements (whether legally binding or not) and acquiring and disposing of property (including land).
Public Access to Information
Information in this form is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI Act) and other legislation. Part 1 of this form will be made available on the West Mercia Commissioner’s website. Any facts and advice that should not be made automatically available on request are not included in Part 1 but instead in a separate Part 2 report.
Officer Approval
Chief Executive Officer
Signed – 22/05/2024
