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Charitable Foundations

An Introduction for Charitable Foundations

INTRODUCTION

Within the role and functionality of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), work is undertaken across Lincolnshire to provide opportunities in collaboration and partnership to make Lincolnshire a safer place to live, work and visit.

There are opportunities for charitable foundations to work with Police and Crime Commissioners to share understandings on local communities, their voice and their needs, and to be involved in the joint or partial funding of activity linked to the Police and Crime Plan.

This document aims to support charitable foundations to engage effectively with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire, highlighting case studies and providing useful information about the role of Police and Crime Commissioners. In addition, it provides an overview of key funding streams into this function, examples of collaboration and meeting the elements of the Police and Crime Plan and the needs of the people of Lincolnshire.

 

ROLE OF THE POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER

Police and Crime Commissioners are elected by the public they represent. Functions include.

  • Represent the views of the public on local policing and crime.
  • Directly accountable to the public
  • Appoints the Chief Constable
  • Holds the Chief Constable to account for the strategic delivery of policing.
  • Set the Police budget.
  • Takes decisions on the amount of council tax you pay towards policing.
  • Provides funding for crime prevention services.
  • Forms and publishes a Police and Crime Plan, consulting with residents to identify local priorities and how these can be met.
  • Working in collaboration locally and nationally with Criminal Justice partners
  • Working in collaboration with local services to create a partnership approach to local issues.

 

FUNDING

The Police and Crime Commissioner is responsible for setting the Police budget, as well as taking decisions on the amount of council tax you pay towards policing & providing funding for crime prevention services.

In addition, the Police and Crime Commissioner can distribute fluctuating funds such as Proceeds of Crime, as well as supporting or providing bids at a local and national level to gain additional funds to support local initiatives, projects and activities to address the needs of Lincolnshire.

Coordination of funding between Police and Crime Commissioners and charitable foundations provides a valuable opportunity for both parties to improve their awareness and understanding of interventions and services they each fund and reduces risk of duplication.

For Police and Crime Commissioners, who are responsible for numerous funding streams and budgets, approaches from charitable foundations to help inform funding decisions are often welcomed. Approaches may offer to:

  • Provide details of successful programmes currently funded within their areas.
  • Highlight opportunities to complement existing Police and Crime Commissioner funded projects, or alternatively target funding to areas where they cannot reach due to funding criteria restrictions etc.
  • Deliver funding processes on behalf of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

 

FUNDING


Examples of funding that is utilised by the Police and Crime Commissioner include;

Proceeds of Crime

The Proceeds of Crime Act 2020 (POCA) grants a wide variety of powers to law enforcement officers in relation to recovery of the proceeds of crime. The funds gathered through this method are held and used to address community needs.

Police Property Fund

The Police and Crime Commissioner has power to distribute funds accumulated in the Police Property Fund as a result of the disposal of property coming into the possession of the police by the Police (Property) Act 1997 and The Powers of Criminal Courts Act 1973.

This provides funds to allow the development of services and supporting communities to address identified local needs.

Serious Violence Duty

Nationally, the government made £130m available in 2022/23 to support the tackling of serious violence across the country.

Safer Streets

The Safer Streets fund was launched in 2020 by the Government and is an example of funding that is available on a national scale to address local issues. The criteria for the funding has adapted to support the targeting of local issues including anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls.

Ministry of Justice Victims’ Services Grant

This funding is granted annually to Police and Crime Commissioners and is ring-fenced for the commissioning of victims’ support services only, within Lincolnshire the includes the provision of the in-house Victim Lincs service.

 

 

ACTIVITY IN ACTION

The Police and Crime Commissioner has previously provided funding to the Street Pastors, Street Pastors are an interdenominational charity who listen, care and provide practical support to those in need or who have found themselves in difficulties during the night-time economy (NTE) hours. They work in partnership with the police, District Councils and other NTE agencies in support of community safety.

 

SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF LINCOLNSHIRE

Information collated by individual organisations can support a collaborative understanding of those who reside in, work in or visit Lincolnshire. Through an agreed sharing of information each organisation can build a more robust understanding of the communities they serve.

The Police and Crime Commissioner is transparent in the findings from the annual Crime and Policing survey, undertaken to discuss the Policing element of Council Tax, but also incorporating questions of community safety and feelings towards local issues and policing.

Engaging with Police and Crime Commissioners provides charitable foundations with an opportunity to share information from their own work and gain invaluable insights. This can take the form of providing advice and briefings, helping Police and Crime Commissioners to respond to government consultations or calls for evidence, and bringing local concerns to their attention.

In some cases, charitable foundations provide funding to local charities who undertake their own engagement and stakeholder outreach. Grant-funded charities often have strong local connections, knowledge of services and learnings from evaluations, which can inform wider approaches. Foundations can play an important role in facilitating connections between grant-holders and other key stakeholders, including PCCs.

 

 

ANNEX A – CHECKLIST

Understand the role and responsibilities of PCCs, and if working locally, who your PCC is.

Consider the statutory responsibilities of PCCs and how you can support your local PCC(s) to effectively deliver these duties. The ‘Find your PCC’ webpage is a useful starting point to finding out further information on your local PCC(s).

 

Research the structure and governance of your local PCC(s)’ office and engage with key stakeholders.

This includes key staff involved in decision-making within the PCC(s)’ Office e.g., the Chief Executive Officer, Lead on Strategy, Performance Lead etc

 

Conduct a review of your local PCC(s) Police and Crime Plan(s) and identify areas of shared concern or gaps in knowledge.

The Police and Crime Plan outlines the PCC’s priorities, which will be key for setting your expectations and for informing your conversations on how you can support the PCC(s) to deliver their priorities.

 

Offer to meet with your local PCC(s) or a representative and ask key questions

When meeting/corresponding with your PCC(s), or an office representative, explore opportunities to help inform their decisions and provide suggestions on how to do this. You may also wish to seek details of where the PCC(s) funding has /or will be targeted as a way of complimenting, informing and avoiding duplication.

 

Assess any gaps that you may be able to help your PCC(s) to address

Highlight your knowledge and expertise. For example, helping to reach specific communities or networks, sharing community intelligence, sharing evidence and evaluation on activities you have successfully delivered that link to the PCC(s)’priorities.

 

Showcase your work and successes.

Demonstrate your experience and evaluated outcomes. This will help PCCs feel confident in your abilities and offer of collaboration or support. Examples may include, delivering social value or situations where your foundation has helped inform decision making or policy, or delivered change

 

Promote a system-wide approach.

PCCs have acknowledged the impact of public health on criminal behaviour, meaning that those working on health or mental health can often make valuable contributions to PCC-led work e.g., addictions and adverse childhood experiences.

 

Look for windows of opportunities and engage with PCC candidates prior to the election period (May).

PCC elections take place every four years, and the pre-election period provides excellent opportunity for charitable organisations to engage early with candidates and raise awareness of their work and support offer.

 

Engage with your local PCCs on commissioning or funding opportunities.

Sign-up to PCC newsletters or ask to meet those who lead on commissioning services within their office, to find out what funding or commissioning opportunities there are.

Proactively share your own funding intention plans and highlight evidence-based practice and evaluation

 

 

 

Seek out funding opportunities.

Monitor and track national funding announcements and wider government projects e.g., Home Office Safer Streets Fund which requires PCCs to secure local match-funding. Consider whether you’re able to deliver activities that fall outside the nationally set criteria; for example, the Ministry of Justice funding delivered to PCCs does not include victims of criminal anti-social behaviour, meaning that charitable foundations have the opportunity to deliver complimentary services in this area. Where your local PCC(s) has provided 'seed' funding to initiate a local project (e.g., via Safer Streets Fund), consider how you may be able to offer additional funding to help maintain this work. The following webpage may be helpful: https://www.gov.uk/