O Ffending Behaviour
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Offending Behaviour 6 LOTHIAN & BORDERS LOTHIAN Review of Area Plan Priority 2.4 Offending Behaviour Annual Report 2008-09 What difference are we making? A variety of approaches has been agreed by the CJA to deliver improved services that directly address offending behaviour. Young Offenders, women offenders, offenders in the community, sexual offenders and domestic violent offenders have all been subject to the attention of multi-agency groups with real and measurable outcomes. How are we making a difference? Young Offenders: The development of the ‘Opportunities for Change’ project (Chapter 1) Women Offenders: Lothian and Borders Community Justice Authority Women Offenders group was convened to address the objectives for services to women offenders set out in L&B CJA Action Plan 2008-2009. These objectives recognise that assessment and intervention specifically suited to work with women offenders is underdeveloped both in Lothian & Borders CJA and nationally. These are: 17 • Research and/or develop a gender specific risk assessment tool for women • Develop gender specific programmes • Introduce a consistent and effective service to women across the CJA • Identify the most effective risk assessment tools and interventions for women offenders • Develop a programme to specifically look at abusive relationships for men and women • Design and deliver training for Social Workers to ensure women offenders are managed appropriately and consistently A major milestone in this work was the publication of ‘Chaotic Lives’ commissioned by the CJA Women’s Group and researched by Dr Barry & Professor McIvor. This has led to a new work programme to develop services for women and the CJA has re-prioritised Section 27 allocation in order that this can be achieved. Sex Offenders: Sex Offenders subject to Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements, totalled 710 for 2008/09, indicating that the Lothian & Borders has the highest number of sex offenders under supervision of all Community Justice Authorities. In Lothian and Borders area the management of MAPPA is structured by a Central Coordination Unit with local supervision of the Registered Sex Offenders2. In the Scottish Borders the police offender management unit and criminal justice social workers are co-located to facilitate information sharing and multi agency working. This has been supported and funded through the Community Justice Authority. Within the City of Edinburgh, the police offender management unit is co-located with the Sexual and Violent Offender Liaison Officer (SAVOLO Team). This team acts as the conduit for the effective sharing of information between the police and the social work offices within the city. In West, East and Midlothian, the police offender management units are based independently from the criminal justice social work offices. Each area has a Sexual Offender Liaison Officer (SOLO) based within their respective social work offices. The five Authorities in the Lothian and Borders area are all engaged in delivering the new MAPPA guidance, but each have local arrangements in place for the management of sex offenders. These arrangements can differ due to structure, geography and scale. 2Registered Sex Offender – this being an offender that has been convicted of an offence that requires them to register under the Sex Offenders Act 1997 or the Sexual Offences Act 2003 or by the granting of a civil order which imposes such a requirement. On 30th April 2008, new legislation under the Management of Offenders etc (Scotland) Act 2005 (Commencement No.5) Order 2008, brought into force provisions for ‘restricted patients’ (offenders in respect of whom a restriction order is made under section 57 or s59 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 or s136 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003). CPA (Care Programme Approach) processes are mandatory for all restricted patients, whether in hospital or in the community and the MAPPA role is the scrutiny of risk assessment/management plans. Figure 4 – 2008-09 Level 1-3 cases - Registered Sex Offenders and Restricted Patients 18 An area for improvement in 2009/10 is to ensure that a CJA wide oversight structure is developed in order to ensure consistency of management and equal application of risk assessments. Domestic Violence offenders: The Area Plan’s objective is to make available to all Courts in the CJA an effective model of challenging men who use violence in domestic settings. The Caledonian system achieved accreditation from the Scottish Accreditation Panel for Offender Programmes in March 2009. This is a significant achievement and the result of four years of hard work and dedication from the staff involved. The Men’s Programme manual of the Caledonian3 has been road tested by the Domestic Violence Probation Project, with support from seconded staff from Scottish Borders and East, Mid and West Lothian, since April 2008. The Effective Practice Unit at the Scottish Government has supported the road test and has agreed to extend it until the end of October 2009. The Criminal Justice Service Managers from across the CJA are currently working together to agree a model for the delivery of the Caledonian within the Lothian and Borders CJA. It is expected that the Effective Practice Unit will request all CJA’s to submit a self assessment of their state of readiness to deliver the programme by August 2009. A decision will then be made as to whether Lothian and Borders CJA will receive additional funding in order to roll-out the programme across the CJA. Lothian and Borders CJA are well placed to receive such funding given the extensive work already undertaken. 3Caledonian System incorporates: - The development of interagency protocols coupled with training, designed to maximise women’s and children’s safety and thus reduce likelihood of men’s re-offending. - A two year programme of intervention work with men comprising preparation and motivation sessions; a groupwork element of a minimum of six months duration, individual programmed work for men deemed unsuitable for group work and post group relapse prevention work. - A service to women partners, ex-partners and children including personal contact from a women’s services worker. Annual Report 2008-09 LOTHIAN & BORDERS LOTHIAN LOTHIAN & BORDERS LOTHIAN Example of Good Practice In order to understand how offending behaviour is being addressed in the community, each local authority has contributed to a joint review of all statutory services (Throughcare is pending). A review of the delivery of Social Work Court Services, Probation, Community Service and Drug Testing and Treatment Orders has been undertaken over the Annual Report 2008-09 last six months. As part of the CJA Area Plan it was agreed that a best value and best practice review be conducted under the supervision of the seven Service Managers into the above four service areas. The purpose of the review was to consider the current Section 27 funding formula and determine best (effective and efficient) service delivery. The review concluded: Further discussion and analysis of funding formula be undertaken across all five Councils based on workload, grant allocation and actual spend, taking into account offender and Council profiles and a formula agreed between Directors and the CJA Chief Officer. The Service Managers will develop a new business plan for 2009/10 to build on the findings of the Service Review reports. This would include a review of the L&B CJSW Partnership structure to ensure it meets the needs of the service to deliver effective and credible services. Link to performance against National Outcomes and Local Outcomes • Progress against National System Outcomes 1 and 2 • Progress against National Community Outcome 1 and 5 19 • Progress against National Offender Outcome 1, 2, 3 and 4 • Progress against National Strategy section 1.8 ‘The new approach will redesign services around Prisoners needing resettlement and rehabilitation services’ • Progress against Area Plan Action point 2.4.7 Victims 7 LOTHIAN & BORDERS LOTHIAN Review of Area Plan Priority 2.5 Victim Outcomes Annual Report 2008-09 What difference are we making? There was considerable difficulty in establishing the Victim Outcome group and the task was eventually met through individual meetings and contact with partner agencies. How are we making a difference? Victim Support Scotland (VSS) staff developed a project scope to benchmark how easy it is for the public to access the key agencies involved in supporting victims. The Group further developed this work to establish the key findings: • VSS provides generic services across Lothian and Borders but access to their specialist services is not uniform across the region. • It is difficult to find information on the appropriate agency • VSS appears to be the only agency with a formal referral protocol for use by statutory partners • Most smaller specialist agencies have no long term funding security • Lothian & Borders Police have completed a review of the referral processes which should help more victims to access support 21 In response to these findings a revised Victim Outcome group action plan has now been established in order to: • Establish membership and regular meetings of the victim’s group • Provide all partner agencies with information on the services available to victims • Explore the potential for referral protocols with partner agencies • Scope the provision of information to victims of crime and identify gaps • Promote an understanding of the links between victimisation and offending Example of Good Practice A programme has been developed by Victim Support and will be road tested in April 2009 by the CJA Training and Development Officer with new Criminal Justice Social Work staff. The material will be amended depending on feedback from the trainees. Further use of the programme will be determined by multi agency training plans and the use of the material by a single agency based on identified need. We would hope to run a number of seminars over the next year using this and other material.