Tayside MAPPA Annual Report 2023-24
Perth and Kinross Council · 22 January 2025
Back to Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee — 22 January 2025 and its agenda
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Perth and Kinross Council Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee 22 January 2025 TAYSIDE MAPPA ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24 Report by Strategic Lead – Children, Families and Justice (Report No. 25/8) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 This report introduces the Tayside Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Annual Report for 2023-24. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: • Takes assurance about the work being undertaken in respect of the MAPPA in Tayside, and specifically, Perth and Kinross; • Endorses the contents of this report; and • Requests that the Strategic Lead for Children, Families and Justice brings forward future Annual Reports to this committee. 3. STRUCTURE 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Background • Section 5: MAPPA Annual Report 2023-24 • Section 6: Conclusion • Appendices 4. BACKGROUND 4.1 The Management of Offenders etc. (Scotland) Act 2005 introduced a statutory duty on Responsible Authorities, ie local authorities, Scottish Prison Service (SPS), Police Scotland and Health Boards, to establish joint arrangements for the assessment and management of certain offenders who constitute a risk of harm to the public. The Responsible Authorities are required to keep these arrangements under review and publish an annual report.
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4.2 The development of MAPPA in 2007 introduced a consistent approach to the management of certain high-risk offenders, which includes Registered Sex Offenders (RSO); Restricted Patients (RPs) since 2008 and Category 3 offenders (violent) since 2016. The purpose of MAPPA is to ensure public safety by managing serious offenders and reduce, where possible, significant risk and potential harm to the public. 4.3 MAPPA is supported by the Violent and Sex Offender Register (ViSOR) which is a national IT system. The main function is to facilitate inter-agency communication and ensure that the Responsible Authorities contribute, share and store critical information for the management of MAPPA offenders. This system is due to be replaced in 2027 by the Multi Agency Public Protection System (MAPPS) which is a Home Office endorsed product that is intended to provide greater flexibility for information sharing and recording. 4.4 Local MAPPA activity is overseen by the Tayside Strategic Oversight Group (SOG). The SOG not only provides oversight, but leadership in respect of policy and procedure, thereby ensuring robust governance, performance monitoring and quality assurance. The Tayside SOG meets quarterly and has a timetabled programme of activity to ensure there is appropriate scrutiny of inter-agency practice and take forward any learning both on a local basis and from national developments, eg Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) and legislative changes pertinent to MAPPA. 4.5 The Tayside MAPPA SOG members are also represented on their respective local public protection groups. In Perth and Kinross, this includes the Protecting People Co-ordinating Group (PPCG) and Chief Officers Group (COG). This ensures that there is a clear strategic link to both the MAPPA Co-ordinator and the Independent Chair of the SOG. 5. MAPPA ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24 5.1 The MAPPA Annual Report 2023-24 covers the period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 (Appendix 1). There have been a few changes to the presentation of the report this year. This is to illustrate the complexity of the MAPPA process from referral to the point where the offender is either subject to a Community Payback Order or released from custody on a Throughcare Licence. In addition, the report defines, based on a nationally accredited and validated risk assessment process, the level by which offenders are managed in the community. 5.2 The Annual Report also highlights case study examples of how Responsible Authorities have collaborated and worked in partnership and beyond the boundaries of their local jurisdictions. These are challenging scenarios dependant on good communication, intelligence and management functions which require the support of a national system like ViSOR. As noted, MAPPS, which is currently operational in England, will replace ViSOR in 2027.
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As there are differences as to how the application may be used across local authorities in Scotland, MAPPS is currently subject to testing in four areas. This will allow valuable learning to be gleaned about implementation and planning for this new system. 5.3 In this reporting period, 126 offenders in Perth and Kinross were subject to MAPPA compared to 127 in the preceding year, and both cohorts were successfully managed in the community. Although there are slight variances in the numbers this year with counterpart areas in Tayside, this is minimal and is not statistically significant or out of line with previous years. Reoffending across Tayside was noted as 3%, however, following review by Police colleagues to determine if any case required to be escalated to an Initial Notification Review (INR), no cases in this reporting period met that criterion. 5.4 The Annual Report also highlights some key changes in respect of the responsibilities and reconfiguration of some subgroup remits. This has not impacted on the delivery of the subgroups but recognised the streamlining and efficiency for reporting to the SOG. An example of this is the MAPPA Oversight Group (MOG) who will now take on responsibility for audits and oversight of self-evaluation work. In addition, the MAPPA Co-ordinator is carrying out routine audits six times per year on the quality of MAPPA pre- read material and minutes to ensure consistency across the three areas in Tayside. 5.5 Given the stated plans for 2023-24, the MAPPA partners, through direction from the SOG, have, in the main, achieved what was set out including audit scrutiny and upskilling via development and delivery of guidance and training to staff. In addition, there has been a strengthening of connection with Child and Adult Protection Committees and Violence Against Women and Girls Partnerships as there are cross cutting themes of public protection which can be captured through a thematic approach. 6. CONCLUSION 6.1 The management of risk in the MAPPA process presents many challenges and requires the collaboration and co-operation of agencies across professional organisational boundaries. While it is not possible to eliminate risk, the agencies within Tayside have continued to work collaboratively and sought to scrutinise and strengthen practice in this reporting year through the work of the subgroups and the oversight and leadership from the SOG. 6.2 This reporting year has seen a return to closer delivery of a pre Covid pandemic service while also retaining the operational changes that were necessary during more restrictive times of the pandemic. This has brought about a cost-effective approach through the use of technology, allowing for a degree of flexibility, while still ensuring relevant partners contribute to the case management, monitoring and planning for those subject to MAPPA.
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Author Name Designation Contact Details Nicola Rogerson Service Manager, Justice Social Work FBSCommittee@pkc.gov.uk 01738 475000 Approved Name Designation Date Arun Singh Strategic Lead – Children, Families and Justice 10 January 2025
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ANNEX 1. IMPLICATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION Strategic Implications Yes/None Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement Yes Corporate Plan Yes Resource Implications Financial N/A Workforce N/A Asset Management (land, property, IST) N/A Assessments Equality Impact Assessment N/A Strategic Environmental Assessment N/A Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) N/A Legal and Governance N/A Risk N/A Consultation Internal N/A External Yes Communication Communications Plan N/A 1. Strategic Implications Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement 1.1 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the delivery of the Perth and Kinross Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement in terms of the following priorities: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy; (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations. This report relates to Objective No. (v). Corporate Plan 1.2 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the achievement of the Council’s Corporate Plan Objectives: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy;
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(iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations. This report relates to Objective No. (v). 1.3 The report also links to the Education & Children’s Services Vision, Values and Priorities in respect of the following key Priority area: • Safe and Protected 2. Resource Implications Financial 2.1 There are no financial implications arising from this report. Workforce 2.2 There are no workforce issues arising from this report. Asset Management (land, property, IT) 2.3 There are no asset management issues arising from this report. 3. Assessments Equality Impact Assessment 3.1 Under the Equality Act 2010, the Council is required to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between equality groups. Carrying out Equality Impact Assessments for plans and policies allows the Council to demonstrate that it is meeting these duties. 3.1.1 The proposals have been considered under the Corporate Equalities Impact Assessment process (EqIA) with the following outcome: (i) Assessed as not relevant for the purposes of EqIA. Strategic Environmental Assessment 3.2 The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 places a duty on the Council to identify and assess the environmental consequences of its proposals. 3.2.1 The proposals have been considered under the Act; however, no action is required as the Act does not apply to the matters presented in this report.
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This is because the Committee are requested to note the contents of the report only and the Committee are not being requested to approve, adopt or agree to an action or to set the framework for future decisions. adopt or agree to an action or to set the framework for future decisions. Sustainability 3.3 Under the provisions of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003, the Council has to discharge its duties in a way which contributes to the achievement of sustainable development. Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 the Council also has a duty relating to climate change and, in exercising its functions must act: • In the way best calculated to delivery of the Act’s emissions reduction targets. • In the way best calculated to deliver any statutory adaption programmes. • In a way that it considers most sustainable. 3.3.1 There are no sustainability issues in respect of this report. Legal and Governance 3.4 This report contains no issues which would have a legal or governance impact on the Council. 3.5 There are no implications for the Council’s Scheme of Administration in this report. Risk 3.6 There are no issues of risk arising from the proposals in this report. 4. Consultation Internal 4.1 The Senior Management Team in Children, Families and Justice Services have approved this report. External 4.2 The Tayside MAPPA SOG have approved this report. 5. Communication 5.1 Not relevant to this report.
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2. BACKGROUND PAPERS 2.1 No background papers, as defined by Section 50D of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (and not containing confidential or exempt information) were relied on to a material extent in preparing this report. 3. APPENDICES 3.1 Appendix 1 – Tayside MAPPA Annual Report 2023-24