West Mercia OPCC Recommissioning: ISVA, CSE and Victim Hub Evaluation Panels

Task 

In 2024, TONIC were commissioned by the OPCC for West Mercia review their Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA), Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), and Early Intervention and Prevention (EIAP) services. The aim of this piece of work was to compare their delivery to the original contract specifications and provide recommendations in relation to future commissioning. For more information please see: https://www.tonic.org.uk/west-mercia-isva-cse-eiap-evaluation  

Following on from the service reviews, the OPCC asked TONIC to facilitate three victim evaluation panels to support the OPCC’s recommissioning process. The purpose of the panels was for TONIC to support victims to score two questions from bids that had been submitted in application to be the provider for the future Victim Hub, Sexual Violence Specialist Support and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) services. 

Specifically, the panels reviewed, provided feedback on, and scored questions in relation to the overall service offer and how the prospective providers would seek to incorporate innovation and creativity within service delivery to maximise engagement with victims of crime locally. Ultimately, the aim was to ensure the voice of victims and survivors remained central to the procurement process. 

Our Approach 

A total of nine individuals with lived experience relevant to the victim services that were being recommissioned participated in the evaluation panels. The participants were split into three groups and were asked to attend a specific online panel meeting to discuss the bid responses and provide an overall score. Prior to the meeting, participants were sent the relevant bid responses to enable an opportunity for an initial read through and to pose any questions or concerns. Ahead of participating, all panel members were asked to read and sign a conflict-of-interest disclosure form.  

Each online panel meeting was attended by two experienced TONIC researchers who remained impartial but guided the discussion as well as recording notes and the final scores along with the reasoning underpinning the decisions made. After each panel, the participants were sent additional support information and were given the opportunity to feedback on the process. TONIC then shared the notes and scoring with the OPCC so that these could be fed into the wider evaluation process. 

“I would like to praise TONIC and the work that your colleagues delivered throughout this journey. That includes the conscientious consideration you gave to ensure the panels were run in a safe environment, as well as the quick response to requests and your drive to meet tight timeframes… The feedback provided was of great importance during the moderating and scoring process for each bid. This has provided me with the assurance that, following a successful process, the right providers have been commissioned to provide the best quality service, at the right time, to victims and those most at risk in our community.”

Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia