Decision details

The Criminal Justice delivery group workstream identified, through the multi-agency processes and structures in place, the key areas of focus and priority to deliver on the Serious Violence action plan, namely the 14-25 cohort, and specifically those who are experiencing transitions or significant impacts from experiences such adverse childhood experiences and/or societal experiences of being part of an ethnic minority community or subjected to gender based violence. Talk, Listen, Change have been selected based on their ability to deliver against these priorities.

The aim of this programme will continue to be to help:

• Provide practical and emotional support and, where needed, advocacy
• Rebuild or establish their role as father, brother, son
• The Young Adult on Probation and their family to move forward and positively out of the Criminal Justice System
• Understand the needs and barriers for this cohort of individuals

Following an Expression of Interest procurement process, in 2023 the GM VRU within GMCA commissioned Talk, Listen, Change to deliver a programme to provide a one-to-one specialist support service for Young Adults on Probation (age 20-25) who are a parent or live with/have contact with children or siblings (under the age of 18years old).

Following successful delivery since the original mobilisation period, it was identified that priority cohorts particular to the KPI’s of the contract were present in other districts of GM not originally specified within the contract. Therefore, the VRU are seeking authorisation to execute a deed of variation to extend the length of the contract to May 2024. The specification will also be altered to reduce caseload capacity, with the objective of broadening the geographical reach of the project to cover additional GM districts not included in the existing contract- Wigan and Bury, given that priority cohorts pertaining to the contract have been identified as most prevalent in these districts. The VRU are not seeking to add any financial value to this contract- the value will remain the same at £49,999.