For 2022/23, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has confirmed that PCCs will receive £27m ringfenced funding to recruit and retain 700 Independent Sexual Violence Advisors and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (ISVAs/IDVAs).
This funding will be delivered over a multi-year basis until the end of 24/25. PCCs must pass this multi-year commitment on to the local services, which they commission. This is to ensure frontline service providers receive the full benefits.
Approach
The OPCC approach in securing local investment for victims services is:
- Open and transparent – OPCC documentation along with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) guidance notes and needs assessment template will be published on the PCC website. In addition to this we will share across the OPCC social media accounts and with key stakeholders locally. As required by the MoJ, the process will be open to all relevant organisations across the area and encourages applications from small organisations that support victims with protected characteristics.
- Collaborative – The team will work with relevant domestic and sexual abuse commissioners as well as providers who require support to ensure proposals address local priorities and assessments of need.
- Compliant – the OPCC will ensure the final submission to the MoJ is complaint with the guidance issued.
- Informed by evidence – the OPCC is keen to demonstrate that the submission is informed by a clear and robust understanding of needs and demands across the area. This includes existing needs assessment, research, data, evaluation reports and importantly views of victims / service users. Where sources are made available to the OPCC, these will be shared with the MoJ.
- Ambitious – the OPCC wants to accurately demonstrate to the MOJ the level of need facing services across Cleveland so welcomes bids that illustrate this (including specifically for the areas of priority within the MoJ guidance) as well as encouraging the development of new services where there are gaps e.g. organisations developing ‘by and for’ services with communities/community groups and services.
Am I eligible to apply?
The recruitment aim for the National ISVA and IDVA service is for 100 new posts in the first year (2022/23). The MoJ will profile the remaining 200 based posts based on intelligence they gather over the coming months.
The purpose of this funding is to increase advocacy support for victims and survivors of domestic abuse (DA) and sexual violence (SV) and across England and Wales, including children.
The MoJ welcomes applications for services that:
- offer tailored support for under-represented survivors and those with protected characteristics;
- propose innovative advocacy models as well as for established roles such as IDVAs and ISVAs, for both adults and children;
- adopt hybrid models supporting both DA and SV victims, as well as violence against women and girls (VAWG) advocates and advisers, provided they will be supporting victims of SV and/or DA.
More information can be found in the following documents:
MoJ Guidance for PCCs – Funding Allocations (application, 305kB)
Application Process
A ‘needs assessment’ process is mandated by the MoJ to support them in gaining a clearer and more up to date picture of local need and acts as the bidding template. This can be accessed below for agencies to complete and return to Rachelle Kipling, Temporary Assistant Chief Executive – Rachelle.kipling@cleveland.pnn.police.uk
MoJ Needs Assessment Template (application, 55kB)
CLOSING DATE
Applications for the fund close on Friday 29 April, but early applications are welcomed to allow the OPCC to consider and filter into the needs assessment.Timeline
11 April 2022 – Launch local needs assessment process
29 April 2022 – Local services deadline to provide needs assessment information to the OPCC
w/c 2 May 2022 – OPCC completes submission to MoJ
6 May 2022 – Deadline for returning needs assessment to MoJ
20 May 2022 – Funding offers communicated to PCCs
Contact
Any questions in relation to the process please contact Rachelle Kipling, Temporary Assistant Chief Executive – Rachelle.kipling@cleveland.pnn.police.uk