Decision Maker: Director for Police, Crime, Criminal Justice and Fire, GM Mayor, Treasurer GMCA
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
During 2019/2020, GMCA lead a review of victim
services across Greater Manchester. The purpose of the review was
to ensure that the commissioned services and grant fund are:
aligned to the Standing Together priorities; cost effective;
achieving the desired outcomes in the Victims Outcome Framework
and; most importantly were supporting the needs of victims’.
The outcome of the review was an agreement to undertake a
recommissioning process for victim services in Greater
Manchester.
Following this review, and also the conclusion of the maximum
allowed 5 contracted years for the GM Victim Assessment and
Referral Centre with provider Victim Support, an Invitation to
Tender (ITT) was launched to recommission this service on 4th July
2022. This process resulted in notification to award a contract on
19th September 2022. It was intended for the successful provider to
commence the collocated service following a mobilisation period on
1st December 2022
A legal challenge was launched by the unsuccessful bidder on 29th
September 2022 resulting in a protracted standstill period. In
order to reach a clear assured resolution and way forward, it was
decided to restart the ITT with a new delivery timeline for the
redesigned service scheduled to start in summer 2023.
As such, it is now required that the Victim Assessment and Referral
Centre service provided by Victim Support be extended to operate
until June 30th 2023. This is in order that a full ITT can be
relaunched, with scope for any unexpected standstill, and
sufficient mobilisation period for the new collocated service to
transition and commence
That the contract in place for the Victims
Assessment and Referral Services delivered by Victim Support is
extended for a total of 15 months backdated from 1st April 2022,
and concluding 30th June 2023. This Service will continue to act as
a transitional interim measure whilst commissioning for the
multi-crime gateway service for victims is implemented.
Year 5: 2nd year extension= 1st April 2022 – 30th June
2022
= 3 months @ £287,232.75
Year 6: concluding additional year due to unforeseen circumstances:
1st July 2022 – 30th June 2023
= 12 months @ £1,148,931
TOTAL £1,436,163.75
Funding for the period will be allocated via the MOJ Victims
Budget
Publication date: 16/01/2023
Date of decision: 21/12/2022