Background – Northumbria Police Authority (NPA) Grant Pool

The NPA Grant Pool was established in 1998 following new responsibilities placed on Police Authorities to support the development of community safety initiatives across the Authority’s area. 

Our Grant Pool provides funding to a range of stakeholders, contributing directly to strategic policing priorities, including citizen focused policing; the single confidence target and Local Area Agreement targets.  The way that we use the Grant Pool is specifically focused on these issues to support the building of trust and confidence in Northumbria.  

Grant Pool 2008 onwards

Since 1998 the Grant Pool has taken many forms and following a review in 2008, agreed by members, we are confident that this model is our recipe for success.  

There are now three elements to the Grant Pool; Thematic Funding, Innovation Funding and Participatory Budgeting.  Funding is allocated by members in line with a set of overarching principles which identify desired outcomes from projects.

Overarching Principles

• Help to achieve at least one of the objectives set out in the Northumbria Police 2020 Vision.
• Have strategic impact to address particular community safety issues across the area.
• Encourage a joined up approach to the delivery of priorities for example through the LAAs.
• Support innovative partnership solutions, accelerate delivery and directly impact on the improvement of local areas.
• Help NPA and Northumbria Police meet their responsibilities as partners of the CDRPs.
• Have well defined specific targets and robust monitoring and evaluation arrangements.
• Are in addition to or complement existing mainline funding activities.

Funding Stream 1: Thematic funding

This funding stream is provided to community safety initiatives that address cross cutting strategic issues that cover more than one area, that cover more than one financial year and work with local and regional partners.

An example of recent funding is our support of the redevelopment of SafetyWorks, a multi-agency interactive safety centre serving the community of Northumbria.  SafetyWorks provides a service for everyone including vulnerable and hard to reach groups.  Partners involved in the project include: Northumbria Police, the Environment Agency and St Johns Ambulance.

Funding Stream 2: Innovation funding

This funding stream is competitive allowing CDRPs to bid for funding.  Applications are assessed against strict criteria to ensure funding is provided to projects that most strongly support the Grant Pool objectives and deliver truly innovative solutions to community safety issues.

Applications are requested from CDRPs to ensure that the work delivered reflects local need and are developed and delivered on a partnership basis.  By taking this approach we have received applications from and granted funding to a wide range of organisations both statutory and non-statutory.

Examples of funded projects include Independent Domestic Violence Advisors, diversionary activities for young people and reducing re-offending initiatives.

Funding Stream 3: Participatory Budgeting (PB)

This funding stream allows local community groups to have a real say in how funding in Northumbria is delivered.  Community groups across the authority area apply for small grants to increase trust and confidence and reduce fear of crime in communities.   The method we use to decide on funding is ‘peer voting’.  Those that apply for grants and work in communities have the voting rights.

The Home Office provided funding for our first event as part of their PB pilot, this was match funded by our authority to enhance the opportunity.  The event was organised and run by NPA resulting in a greater geographical coverage of applications.  On the day 46 community groups came together with 32 receiving full funding.   Several successful projects were invited to showcase their projects at our annual stakeholder conference.

Following positive feedback from all involved (NPA members, local communities, Northumbria Police, Home Office) we are carrying out further events using core funding and a similar model.

We take an inclusive approach to PB by ensuring all areas and communities are encouraged to apply for funding.  We make every effort to ensure those from vulnerable and hard to reach communities are aware of this funding stream.  Our PB events provide an excellent opportunity for community groups to network, exchange ideas and share best practice with colleagues from different areas. 

Grant Pool Outcomes – what will be achieved

• Accelerated innovative partnership solutions.
• Continued reduction in crime and disorder.
• Increased confidence and satisfaction levels in Northumbria demonstrated by the recent increase in the single confidence measure.
• Promoted best practice community safety activities across the Northumbria area via our PB newsletter.

Although this is the first year we are starting to see some impact and benefit to local people from the projects.  In one CDRP area diversionary activities for young people have reduced youth disorder incidents on a Friday evening in three neighbourhoods.  Funding was provided for one year for an Independent Domestic Violence Adviser for a Specialist Domestic Violence Court, an independent evaluation of the court has stated that the main success is improved decision making by Magistrates and consistent sentencing and bail decisions.

How is this improving and benefiting our business?

• Increased profile amongst our partners and local communities
• Members with a greater understanding of local issues making better informed decisions.
• Strengthened relationships with stakeholders and partners.

How are communities benefiting?

• Thematic funding - Authority wide support to service provision.
• Innovation funding – Through links to LAAs and locally identified priorities local communities are receiving targeted services for their area.
• Participatory budgeting - local people involved in allocation funding and service delivery dealing with issues that matter to local communities.

How is this innovative?
The model used for allocation of our Grant Pool goes beyond a traditional funding approach.  Through partnership working with CDRPs and partners from the voluntary sector and local communities we have developed a modern approach to using existing Grant Pool funding in Northumbria. 

Our new approach allows local CDRPs and communities to be more creative about solutions to community safety issues whilst the thematic strand provides mainstream support to service delivery across the whole of Northumbria. 

In addition the use of this core funding stream for Participatory Budgeting (PB) demonstrates a commitment to responding to the needs of local communities.  By involving communities and voluntary sector organisations in identifying local priorities and delivering services through PB we ensure that services provided are those that local people value.

For further information about Northumbria Police Authority please contact Ruth Scott on on 0191 433 2045 or e-mail: ruthscott@gateshead.gov.uk

For more information about Police Authority Participatory Budgeting (PD) see our Newsletter:

Participatory Budgeting News Update - Issue One, Novemeber 2009 (117k PDF)

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