Decision details

PCC DN - Variation of VRU Public Health Consultancy Contract

Decision Maker: Director for Safer and Stronger Communities, GM Deputy Mayor, Group Chief Finance Officer

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

Public health expertise has been crucial to the development of the GM
Violence Reduction Unit and the programme has greatly benefited from this
since its inception in 2019. Until October 2022, input has been through a
succession of Public Health Registrar appointments as part of the national
registrar training programme. However, between January 2021 and May
2021 there was no Public Health Registrar available which highlighted the
potential risk of solely relying on registrar support.

Therefore, to ensure a strong public health approach is adopted across Greater Manchester for Violence Prevention, it is critical to incorporate senior public health expertise and knowledge. It was established that the individual must be an expert in the field of Public Health, (registered in GMC/UKPHR/GDC), with particular specialist knowledge in Violence Prevention, so that the public health principles could be embedded into a system wide approach. It was established that they must also be a senior and system leader with extensive knowledge and expertise of public sector, in particular NHS and local government, so that cultures and organisational boundaries are understood, yet can be challenged.

Since Helen Lowey Consultancy Ltd was appointed in October 2022, the VRU has reaped multiple benefits, including:
• Provision of sufficient senior expertise to influence and negotiate with
District Directors of Public Health and Strategic Health Leads across
a range of organisations and settings
• Representing GM wide public health agenda in relation to Police, Fire
and Crime to support integration within the developing locality boards
and development of an Integrated Care System
• Advising the Mayor and Deputy Mayor regarding opportunities and
approaches to support reducing Youth Violence and Gender Based
Violence
• Representing the Public Health agenda at the GM Violence Reduction
Governance Board and provide credible leadership and guidance at
a senior level to support systemwide change and improvement.
• Providing oversight of all relevant data and ways to strengthen and
improve the VRU understanding of all factors relating to violence.
• The consultant has overseen the production of two Serious Violence Strategic Needs Assessments during her time with the VRU

The appointment of Helen Lowey Consultancy Ltd has brought added value to the VRU via unpaid Public Health Registrar placements. Whilst the VRU has been in receipt of one placement since Aug 2023 (due to end May 31st 2024) the qualifications held by Helen Lowey Consultancy Ltd allows the VRU to receive two unpaid Public Health Registrar placements at the same time from August 2024.

This extension is proposed to take the contract through to 31st March 2025, at which point the VRU will review its needs in relation to public health, by which time it will have benefited from almost 3 years of expertise to develop its public health approach to reducing serious violence.

Decision:

The VRU wishes to vary its existing contract with Helen Lowey Consultancy Ltd by adding a value of £34,800 to extend the current contract beyond its current end date of October 2024 to 31st March 2025. The current value of the contact is £174,000 and the total new value of the varied contract will be £208,800.

Publication date: 08/07/2024

Date of decision: 13/06/2024