Issue details

The reasons for the decision are:

As part of Justice Devolution arrangements between Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), it has been agreed that HMPPS will devolve their national ‘Dynamic Commissioning Framework’ responsibilities for
commissioning of services through to GMCA.

The devolved approach for Greater Manchester is entitled ‘Greater Manchester Integrated Rehabilitative Services’ (GMIRS). This approach is designed to offer a less structured and more locally tailored interventions which will draw on the experience, innovation and skill within the
private and voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors (VCSE), to provide effective rehabilitation and resettlement services that address criminogenic needs unmet by NPS through their programmes, Accredited Programmes, Unpaid Work and Structured Interventions.

The creation of a Greater Manchester Integrated Rehabilitative Services Welfare Programme across Greater Manchester seeks to embed public service reform principles by working with provision where it already exists and bolstering those services to create additional value by providing funding for enhancing the following service provision:
• Mentoring
• Emotional regulation and decision making
• Wellbeing support and healthy choices
• Behaviour change
• Family support and mediation

The service will deliver a needs-led, person-centered offer of support via a variety of delivery methods and interventions, working in conjunction with Probation Service sentence planning and risk management objectives. Value will be created through both the enhanced funding provided through this Expression of Interest and existing service provision already in place and accessible as part of Greater Manchester Integrated Rehabilitative Services. It is expected that the services will operate as a broker role acting as advocate for both the person and other services. This will include developing and maintaining networks and supporting excellent relationships with key internal and external stakeholders

Referrals will be from the Local Probation Delivery Unit for people subject to probation supervision including those in custody or the community on a Community or Suspended Sentence Orders and for those on Licence and Post-Sentence Supervision.

Year 1 will see the approach start as a pilot of adding value and capacity into existing services as an investment approach in Greater Manchester. During this first year a commissioning approach will be developed with the expectation of an Invitation To Tender to be issued for delivery of the services for 3 year duration until 2026.

The first ‘pilot’ year will be delivered through an Expression of Interest process, the sustainable, longer-term approach is to embed a delivery model through a tender process and contractual arrangements. The approach also seeks to develop a Coordinator Provider to support development and delivery of the model.

The funding envelope for 2022/23 is up to £100,000 for each area apart from Manchester only where it is £200,000. Funding for the Co-ordinator Provider anticipated at £50,000, with a further £150,000 allocated for mobilisation.

The expression of interest process allowed services that are already delivering in our communities, this will enable GMCA & the GM Probation service to build on the infrastructure and services that already exist. There is an ambition to develop VCSE provision to be able to engage with justice partners, particularly, GMPS. Services will need to demonstrate connectively to local areas (at a local authority geography) including Probation Delivery Units (PDU), local statutory services and the wider VCSE. The provider ‘s are able to deliver a service from day one of agreement. However, as this may represent a potential large increase in demand the provider will be able to develop capacity to meet need during a mobilisation period.

In these circumstances it is anticipated the Provider will already have a targeted service user group which may include People on Probation. The Provider will be able to deliver a dual delivery approach that both recognises the statutory requirements to deliver services for people on probation whilst at the same time, supporting existing and future voluntary attendees. There is an expectation the approach for People on Probation and those attending voluntarily will be consistent.

The Named allocated providers are;

District
Lead Provider - The Big Life Company
Welfare Advice line - The Big life Company
Bolton - Bolton Advice
Bury - Stepping Stones
Manchester - POPs and Back on track – PoPs will be the lead in Manchester
Oldham - POPs and Back on track
Rochdale - Sanctuary Trust & Rochdale Community trust – Rochdale Community Trust will be the lead provider
Tameside - Big Life Company
Trafford - Out There & Big Life
Salford - Salford Foundation
Stockport - Nacro Lead Provider
Wigan - Big Life Company
Mobilisation Fund - Open to successful providers