MAPPA Staffordshire Annual Report 2010-2011
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Staffordshire Annual Report 2010-11 1 Intro Welcome to the Child Sex Offender Staffordshire MAPPA Disclosure Scheme Annual Report 2010-11 In October 2010, Staffordshire Police commenced participation in the national Child Sex Offenders This has been another busy year for us in our Disclosure Scheme. Between October 2010 and commitment to continuing multi-agency co-operation in March 31st 2011, 21 enquiries were received from reducing the risk to the public by those whose members of the public for consideration of disclosure offending behaviour demonstrates that they could of information regarding a person about whom they represent risk of serious harm to others in the had concerns. Each enquiry was carefully considered community. Like all public authorities, the many and researched, and out of the 21 received, one case agencies and organisations that work within MAPPA resulted in a disclosure being made. are having to look long and hard at their resources, and how best to use them in order to ensure that they are as cost-efficient as possible while retaining the The development of ability to offer a robust and effective response to protecting the public. In light of this, we have found it Staffordshire and West encouraging to note the continuing commitment of our Midlands Probation Trust colleagues from the various agencies to work together to co-ordinate the safest means of managing some of (established April 2010) the most risky members of our community. In last year's report, I referred to plans to enhance the ability The merger of the two areas has helped us to identify of agencies to work together to protect vulnerable the benefit of greater cross-county information sharing; people and to be responsive to the expectations of the establishing protocols on managing offenders who community. Below are brief updates on some of those ‘cross the border’; and learning from each other’s best initiatives. We hope this gives you an idea of how we practice. are working together as professionals and responding to you, the residents of Staffordshire. What lies ahead? The Multi-Agency We look forward to the collaborative approach that initiatives such as MASH will bring – seeing the Safeguarding Hub (MASH) agencies sitting side by side, committed to sharing information, aspiring to adopt integrated processes, MASH is an exciting multi-agency venture which will providing better outcomes and making our bring together a number of teams under one roof. This communities safer. will facilitate the earliest possible information exchange and risk assessment of referrals relating to child protection, adult protection and domestic abuse within the county of Staffordshire. The Staffordshire MASH will be located in Stone and is anticipated to be fully functional by the end of 2011. It will be the first of its kind in the country. Agencies currently engaged with the proposal include Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Staffordshire County Council, Staffordshire Police and Health. The MAPPA co-ordinator, admin team and police Public Protection Unit will also be based here, bringing them together Jane Sawyers and co-locating with interlinking areas of business. Assistant Chief Constable, Staffordshire Police 1 What is MAPPA? MAPPA background How MAPPA works (a) MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection MAPPA-eligible offenders are identified and Arrangements) are a set of arrangements to information about them is shared by the agencies in manage the risk posed by the most serious sexual order to inform the risk assessments and risk and violent offenders (MAPPA-eligible offenders) management plans of those managing or supervising under the provisions of sections 325 to 327B of them. the Criminal Justice Act 2003. In the majority of cases that is as far as MAPPA (b) They bring together the Police, Probation and extends but in some cases, it is determined that Prison Services in each of the 42 Areas in active multi-agency management is required. In such England and Wales into what is known as the cases there will be regular MAPPA meetings MAPPA Responsible Authority. attended by relevant agency practitioners. (c) A number of other agencies are under a Duty To There are 3 categories of MAPPA-eligible offender: Co-operate (DTC) with the Responsible Authority. Category 1 - registered sexual offenders; Category These include Social Services, Health Trusts, 2 – (in the main) violent offenders sentenced to Youth Offending Teams, Jobcentre Plus and imprisonment for 12 months or more; and Category Local Housing and Education Authorities. 3 – offenders who do not qualify under categories 1 or 2 but who currently pose a risk of serious harm. (d) The Responsible Authority is required to appoint two Lay Advisers to sit on each MAPPA area There are three management levels intended to Strategic Management Board (SMB) alongside ensure that resources are focused upon the cases senior representatives from each of the where they are most needed; generally those Responsible Authority and duty to co-operate involving the higher risks of serious harm. Level 1 agencies. involves ordinary agency management (i.e. no MAPPA meetings or resources); Level 2 is where the (e) Lay Advisers are members of the public with no active involvement of more than one agency is links to the business of managing MAPPA required to manage the offender but the risk offenders and act as independent, yet informed, management plans do not require the attendance observers; able to pose questions which the and commitment of resources at a senior level. professionals closely involved in the work might Where senior oversight is required the case would be not think of asking. They also bring to the SMB managed at Level 3. their understanding and perspective of the local community (where they must reside and have MAPPA is supported by ViSOR. This is a national IT strong links). system for the management of people who pose a serious risk of harm to the public. The police have been using ViSOR since 2005 but, since June 2008, ViSOR has been fully operational allowing, for the first time, key staff from the Police, Probation and Prison Services to work on the same IT system, thus improving the quality and timeliness of risk assessments and of interventions to prevent offending. The combined use of ViSOR increases the ability to share intelligence across organisations and enable the safe transfer of key information when these high risk offenders move, enhancing public protection measures. All MAPPA reports from England and Wales are published online at: www.justice.gov.uk 2 MAPPA Statistics MAPPA-eligible offenders on 31 March 2011 Category 1: Category 2: Category 3: Registered sex Violent Other dangerous offenders offenders offenders Total Level 1 693 281 - 974 Level 2 18 3 6 27 Level 3 0 0 0 0 Total 711 284 6 1,001 MAPPA-eligible offenders in Levels 2 and 3 by category (yearly total) Category 1: Category 2: Category 3: Registered sex Violent Other dangerous offenders offenders offenders Total Level 2 93 70 20 183 Level 3 15 11 1 27 Total 108 81 21 210 RSOs cautioned or convicted for breach of notification requirements 7 Restrictive orders for Category 1 offenders SOPOs, NOs & FTOs imposed by the courts SOPOs 45 NOs 0 FTOs 0 3 Level 2 and 3 offenders returned to custody for breach of licence or sent to custody for breach of SOPO Category 1: Category 2: Category 3: Registered sex Violent Other dangerous offenders offenders offenders Total Breach of licence Level 2 12 8 1 21 Level 3 1 1 0 2 Total 13 9 1 23 Breach of SOPO Level 2 1 - - 1 Level 3 0 - - 0 Total 1 - - 1 Total number of Registered Sexual Offenders per 100,000 population 75 This figure has been calculated using the 2010 Mid-Year Population Estimate published by the Office for National Statistics on 30 June 2011, excluding those aged less than ten years of age. 4 Explanation commentary on statistical tables (e) Breach of licence – offenders released into the MAPPA background community following a period of imprisonment of 12 months or more will be subject to a licence with The totals of MAPPA-eligible offenders, broken down conditions (under probation supervision). If these by category, reflect the picture on 31 March 2011 (i.e. conditions are not complied with, breach action will be they are a snapshot). The rest of the data covers the taken and the offender may be recalled to prison. period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011. (f) Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) – a (a) MAPPA-eligible offenders – there are a number court may make a SOPO at the time of dealing with of offenders defined in law as eligible for MAPPA certain sexual offenders or when the police make a management, because they have committed specified special application on account of the offender’s sexual and violent offences or they currently pose a behaviour in the community. The full order lasts for a risk of serious harm, although the majority (94% this minimum of five years, and can last indefinitely. A year) are actually managed under ordinary agency SOPO will require the subject to register as a sexual (Level 1) arrangements rather than via MAPP offender and can include conditions, for example to meetings. prevent the offender loitering near schools or playgrounds. If the offender fails to comply with (i.e. (b) Registered Sexual Offenders (RSOs) – those breaches) the requirements of the order, he can be who are required to notify the police of their name, taken back to court and may be liable to up to five address and other personal details and to notify any years’ imprisonment. changes subsequently (this is known as the “notification requirement.”) Failure to comply with the (g) Notification Order – this requires sexual offenders notification requirement is a criminal offence which who have been convicted overseas to register with the carries a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment.