This funding opportunity has now closed.

Bedfordshire’s VERU is tasked with leading and co-ordinating the local response to serious violence. Responsible for delivering a ‘whole system’, public health approach, the unit brings together key partners to identify the local drivers and root- causes to serious violence and exploitation, to agree and implement a multi-agency response.

In 2022, the VERU were successful in receiving a three-year grant agreement from the Home Office, to allow for delivery of various interventions from 2022- 2025.

Funding beyond 2025 is yet to be confirmed by the Home Office.

The VERU are excited to be continuing to build upon the initial activity in years 1 and 2 and are looking to fund up to 6 providers to deliver sports and inclusion interventions, with 2 interventions in each local authority area (Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Luton). Subsequently the VERU are seeking responses from suitable providers that would be able to either independently or jointly deliver this interventions programme successfully across the county.

The service will be provided to children and young people between the ages of 10-18 (up to 25 years old where the service user has SEND requirements). The provider(s) will establish a working relationship with the children and young people, establishing reachable moments through sports- based activities allowing the children and young people to re-focus their behaviour. The provider(s) will use the principles of sports, sports-based activities, and coaching/ mentoring techniques to divert children and young people away from serious violence and criminality.

Ongoing mentoring, signposting, and support is to be available to a service user where the need cannot be supported by the provider alone. The interventions are to be delivered until March 2025, by up to 6 providers across the county, with 2 interventions available in each local authority area (Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Luton).

Grant Duration

The grant agreement will be established with the provider on the terms of the VERU.

This grant will be awarded for 11 months from May 2024 – to 31^st March 2025, with the service activity expected to go live May 2024.

The VERU cannot guarantee further funding. Funding beyond 2025 is yet to be confirmed by the Home Office

Elements of Service / Criteria

• Activity is Bedfordshire based and accessible to residents of Bedfordshire inclusive of Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, and Luton.
• To work with 10–18-year-olds, offering sports-based activities, and coaching in a group and/or 1-2-1 mentoring to children and young people.
• The service will aim to divert, intervene, and prevent young people from becoming involved in serious violence by providing interventions using sporting principles.
• The provider will also provide onward support/ signposting beyond the sports- based intervention that will focus on what is important to the young person including developing positive improvements in; key emotional, physical, and vulnerable behaviours that will support a sustainable move away from serious violence and exploitation.
• Provider to work closely with referring partners to establish an effective referral pathway.
• Provider to work closely with other statutory and non-statutory agencies to ensure they are able to offer the young person a variety of support and
• To engage with a minimum of 100 young people across each intervention from May 2024 – 31^st March 2025.
• Provider will be expected to ensure all records, including case notes, are regularly updated, are accurately and appropriately recorded.
• Successful providers are expected to have experience and training in relation to the safeguarding of young people.
• Activity is to a value up to £60,000 in total within the 11-month term of May 2024- 31^st March 2025. The funding is available in 6 allocations of

£10,000.00, accessible to up to 6 providers, 2 providers in each local authority area.

• Activity responds to needs and demands of the community, evidenced through qualitative, quantitative and/or anecdotal evidence contained within the VERU Strategic Needs Assessment.
• For provider to deliver against their Theory of Change and Outcome

Funding

• Funding allocation of a total of £60,000 for 6 sports-based
• Up to 6 bid responses to be awarded, 2 bid responses awarded per local authority area.
• Consortium bid responses eligible providing they are compliant with the locality requirements.
• Payment will be issued quarterly in arrears, as per the OPCC’s commissioning strategy.

Underpinning Service Principles and Values

The service must be consent based and so the provider must ensure that issues around consent and confidentiality are discussed and/or addressed:

Providers should focus on the following principles and values; ensure they are embedded into service design and operational processes:

• A comprehensive and supportive service must be provided to all service
• Services must be configured to support early identification of
• The provider will aspire to the highest standards of excellence and
• The provider will put the service user at the heart of everything it Care and support should be personalised with service users actively involved in their care planning.
• The provider will provide comprehensive information to support the service users in understanding their options and making informed decisions.
• Service users must be given the opportunity to play an active role in shaping and assessing service delivery.
• Services will work across organisational boundaries and in partnership with other organisations in the interest of service users.
• Services will support service users to manage and recover their health and
• Services will support service users to cope and recover from the impact of crime and victimisation.
• The provider is accountable to the public, communities, and service users that it serves.
• Service users will be treated with dignity and respect at all
• Service users will have access to the appropriate complaint’s procedures of the provider and the commissioners.
• Service user information will be treated confidentiality, aside from where safeguarding policies determine information should be shared (see policies). Where information is shared, it must adhere to the data sharing principles of the General Data Protection Regulations.

Equality and Diversity

Care planning and delivery of services must take into consideration the diversity of the population.

The delivery of services should be equitable for all. It must also comply with requirements under the Equality Act set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 paying due regard to the following aims of the duty when designing, delivering, or evaluating support services or when referring service users to other services:

• Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Act.
• Advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.
• Foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.
• The duty covers eight protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation.

Performance and Quality Indicators

The provider will be expected to work with the VERU to agree a set of indicators to evidence meeting the outcomes of the service.

Providers will be expected to audit and record performance against these indicators on a monthly basis, highlighting any exceptional findings to the commissioners, to whom they will otherwise report on a quarterly basis.

The provider will also be expected to provide comprehensive management data including demographic information.

If bid responses are provided in consortia, a joint report will be required containing all management information, subcategorised by each intervention.

Data Protection Responsibilities

The provider will be expected to meet and comply with GDPR legislation when performing the services.

Policies

The provider will be expected to have the following policies in place and available for review by the VERU upon request.

• Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults
• Data Protection
• Data Sharing
• Information Security
• Privacy
• Complaints
• Business Continuity
• HR (equal opportunities, vetting, recruitment, and training)
• Health and Safety
• Equality and Inclusion
• Lone working
• Whistleblowing

Bidder Response

This funding opportunity has now closed.