Appendix 1 - 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
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report 2023-2024 1 Annual Report 2023-2024
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Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report 2023-2024 2 INTRODUCTION I am pleased to introduce the Tayside Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) annual report covering the year from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. MAPPA is a system that helps agencies like the police, prisons, local councils, and health services (known as Responsible Authorities) work together in partnership to manage sexual and violent offenders. Its goal is to reduce the risk of re-offending and keep communities safe. This partnership has become stronger over time across the Tayside area. The Key Aspects of MAPPA are: 1. Managing Offenders in the Community: When a registered sex offender or a high-risk offender is released from prison or is supervised in the community, they are usually housed in their home Council area however recent changes to housing regulations now mean that such persons can ask for housing to be provided in another area, without having any local connection. Stable and appropriate housing, support systems, and monitoring are vital to help offenders reintegrate into society and reduce the risk of them re-offending. 2. Public Concerns: It is understandable that the public may feel uneasy about offenders living in their community. However, the focus is always on public safety, with strict measures in place to minimise risk. Research shows that providing stability to offenders reduces the chance of re-offending. 3. Partnership and Oversight: MAPPA within the Tayside Strategic Oversight Group (SOG) area operates under strong partnerships between agencies. The introduction of an Independent Chair in 2019 has allowed these agencies to focus on their core tasks, with the Chair providing an independent perspective and scrutiny helping to ensure the system works effectively and safely. 4. Challenges and Achievements: The past year has seen a return to business as usual with services moving on from restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery. We are starting to see courts operate as before and as a result a steady rate of offenders entering the system which, although not evident from the statistics outlined in this reporting year, has now started to show an increase in numbers of registered sex offenders across Tayside. Whilst we have reverted to post pandemic business models in respect of the operational management of offenders ‘new’ practice elements are now used to assist strategic elements of MAPPA with virtual meetings being used to minimise travel and increase efficiency. Re-offending rates among those managed by MAPPA remain low, showing the success of the coordinated approach.
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Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report 2023-2024 1 5. Training and Continuous Improvement: Regular training for staff and constant review of processes ensure that MAPPA partners can adapt to new challenges. These efforts improve how offenders are managed and contribute to making communities safer. Our MAPPA Coordinator continues to assist with practitioner training and ensuring those who chair MAPPA meetings benefit from refresher training. In 2023 we launched our Strategic plan 2023 to 2026 which sets out our ambitions for continuous improvement and allows the SOG to monitor progress. Looking Forward: The commitment of all MAPPA partners to work together remains strong. As challenges continue to evolve, this partnership will keep developing plans to manage offenders and protect the public. The support and dedication of the MAPPA Coordinator and Business Support Team and other agencies are critical to this success. Conclusion: I believe that this report provides evidence that MAPPA is a vital system for ensuring public safety by effectively managing high-risk offenders. While challenges persist, the ongoing collaboration between agencies, strong oversight, and commitment to continuous improvement help keep communities safe. I am sure you will find the contents of the report both informative and reassuring. Alan Small Independent Chair of Tayside MAPPA Strategic Oversight Group
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Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report 2023-2024 2 MULTI AGENCY PUBLIC PROTECTION ARRANGEMENTS (MAPPA) Managing potentially dangerous people in our community can be difficult and challenging, every effort must be made to ensure that this is done as effectively as possible, because mistakes may have serious consequences. The management of high-risk offenders can only be successful if partner agencies work together and actively share information. MAPPA provides the framework for the assessment and management of risk with partner agencies working together to protect the public from these offenders. The principles that govern MAPPA are simple: • Identify those who may pose a risk of harm • Share relevant information about them • Assess the nature and extent of that risk • Find ways to defensibly manage the risk effectively, using available resources most efficiently, to protect victims and reduce further harm It is recognised that the public are concerned about the risks that offenders present and although high risk offenders live in every community, the number of those who pose a risk of serious harm to others is thankfully low. All agencies in Tayside involved in the management of MAPPA offenders play a very important role and the effectiveness of the arrangements rely on close working relationships. We hope that this report will help you understand that managing offenders and developing strong links ensures that we provide the best possible protection to our community. CO-ORDINATING MAPPA There are five key stages to the MAPPA process Stage 1: Identification of the offender When an offender is convicted and falls within one of the MAPPA categories a notification form is sent to the MAPPA Coordinator who is the single point of contact (SPOC) for all MAPPA matters. Stage 2: MAPPA referral Referrals for Registered Sex Offenders (RSO) are made to the MAPPA Coordinator by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), The Social Work supervising officer or Police Scotland Sex Offender Policing Unit (SOPU). For Category 3 offenders, any Responsible Authority or Duty to Co-operate agency can make a referral, although contact should be made with the offenders Social Work Supervising officer in the first instance.
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Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report 2023-2024 3 The referral is submitted to the MAPPA Coordinator following sentence. It is important that the referral form is fully completed and must be informed by the current risk assessment and the proposed risk management plan. If the offender is in custody the SPS must send the MAPPA Coordinator a referral as soon as possible and not less than twelve weeks before release, unless there are extenuating circumstances, following the pre-release Integrated Case Management (ICM) case conference. Following sentence or release from prison, an initial MAPPA meeting will be held allowing all agencies involved in the management of the individual to be sighted on all information known and held on them. Thereafter the MAPPA management level will be agreed. • Level 1 : Routine Risk Management • Level 2 : Multi-Agency Risk Management • Level 3 : Multi Agency Public Protection Panels Stage 3: Pre-meeting information sharing Before any MAPPA meeting, the agencies will submit information held by them about the offender and complete the risk assessment and risk management planning documents. The pre-read document will be then shared with those that have been invited to attend the MAPPA meeting. Stage 4: MAPPA meetings For those offenders in the community, an initial meeting must be held within 20 working days of receipt of referral by the MAPPA Coordinator. If there is a requirement to hold a Level 3 meeting this must be held within five working days of receipt of the referral. For offenders within custody or Restricted Patients in hospital, being managed within the Care Programme Approach (CPA) the initial meeting must take place prior to their release/discharge into the community. The risk management plan will be agreed by the meeting, this will include who is responsible for undertaking each specific action including the timeframe in which it is expected the action will be completed. The purpose of the meeting is to: • bring additional information or assist agencies to assess the relevance of existing information • review and establish agreement regarding the development and implementation of a risk management plan (RMP) • consider whether the MAPPA level should increase or decrease • set a formal review date for the risk management plan
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Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report 2023-2024 4 All MAPPA meetings will be attended by the social work supervising officer and police lead investigator who are responsible for managing the offender in the community along with the housing liaison officer, the NHS liaison officer, Social Work Child protection representative and MAPPA Coordinator. MAPPA meetings in Tayside are now held in Perth & Kinross and Angus via MS Teams and by a hybrid mix (in person and MS Teams) in Dundee. The chair of the meeting will ensure that the meeting is focused and should summarise the risk factors and provide direction on the actions and resources required to appropriately manage the case. A review meeting should be scheduled to assess the progress of the risk management plan. The timing of this review will reflect the individual circumstances of the risk management plan and should be agreed at the initial meeting. • Level 1 cases will be reviewed at 6 months for those identified as medium risk and 12 months if identified as low risk • Level 2 cases will be reviewed no less than once every 12 weeks • Level 3 cases will be reviewed no less than once every 6 weeks Review meetings are held to ascertain if the risk management plan is still appropriate. The level of management may be changed based on information shared at the review meetings. All agencies have a responsibility to report any changes in risk at whatever stage to the MAPPA Coordinator. In these circumstances, an extra review meeting may be called, or the offender may be escalated to a higher level of MAPPA management. Stage 5: MAPPA meetings We know that the notification period has no bearing on the risk presented and the need to manage it but the exit of an offender from MAPPA is determined by the length of the Sex Offender Notification Requirements (SONR). Registered Sex Offenders are subject to Notification requirements (SONR) contained within the Sexual Offences Act 2003. These legal requirements state that the offender must register their name, address, National Insurance number, Passport details and details of all bank and credit card accounts held by them at a prescribed Police Station. The length of time (notification period) an offender must comply with the requirements is determined by the sentence they receive. Failure to comply with these requirements can lead to arrest and may result in a fine or imprisonment. The lead agency must notify the MAPPA Coordinator when an offender is nearing the end of their SONR and about to exit the arrangements. This notice should be provided with enough time to review the circumstances and consider whether there are criminal or ongoing concerns which evidence that further law enforcement is necessary. In a small number of cases, the offender may be assessed as still posing a significant risk of serious harm at the point where they would normally exit the MAPPA process. However, if Police Scotland consider these individuals to be
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Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report 2023-2024 5 classed as Potentially Dangerous Persons, then they will continue to manage them going forward. Case studies The following case studies give an insight to the joint working that occurs within Tayside and with all agencies involved in MAPPA: Sex Offender Policing Unit (SOPU) and Community Justice Social Work (CJSW) were closely working together to manage a RSO who had recently been released from prison and returned to reside with his wife. Through information provided by the Police, it was noted that this RSO was travelling to another divisional area and was in contact with another RSO. Enquiries with the SOPU in the area quickly established that both RSO were in breach of their Licence conditions. As a result, CJSW in each area submitted breach reports, and both RSOs were recalled to prison. This case shows the close working of the two SOPU units and the quick response of the breach report resulting in the recall to custody of a high risk RSO. Dundee SOPU, CJSW, MAPPA Coordinator and NHS MAPPA Liaison officer are co- located, and this allows for real time sharing of information and the close working and managing of RSOs. A recent example of close working was when an RSO failed to attend his weekly CJS appointment and was not answering his mobile telephone. Concerns were raised as this individual had been voicing suicidal ideation. His Supervising officer raised the concern and with his Lead investigator SOPU a visit was immediately carried out and the RSO traced and found to be safe and well. Managing sex offenders in the community is a difficult task and when preparing for them returning to the community from a prison sentence requires the co-operation of several agencies. In 2023 a very high-risk individual was released from custody after serving the custodial part of his sentence and returned to his hometown. He presented as homeless on release and through involvement with the Housing Sex offender Liaison Officer (SOLO) accommodation was found in a city centre homeless unit provided by the third sector. This individual had been previously managed and was known to be non- engaging and non-compliant, the concern being that he would return to drug misuse. However, both CJSW and SOPU worked closely together carrying out joint unannounced home visits and office appointments. Support was given to the RSO, and he quickly moved into a support flat within the homeless unit. To date he is engaging and accepting of the support, seeking out help when needed and actively avoiding negative peers. As a result he is now managed as a medium risk Level 1 RSO.
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Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report 2023-2024 6 In the summer of 2023, Police Scotland received contact from an English Police force regarding a complaint that a Tayside managed RSO was contacting young teenage females in their force area via Snapchat. A home visit to the RSO was carried out and it was established that he had purchased a Samsung smart phone but had later sold it to Cash Converters. Officers attended at Cash Converters and seized the mobile phone. Over the winter of 2023 Police Scotland received further contact from 6 English Police forces all with similar complaints that the RSO had contacted young teenage females via Snapchat. Enquiries were made, and it was established that the RSO had purchased another mobile phone and his username and address were identified in each case. Screenshots were provided by each force and the RSO was identified in one image. He was arrested, cautioned and charged with sexual offences of contacting and communicating indecently with the children and was released on an undertaking to appear at Court. Following his caution and charge, Police Scotland received a further complaint from another English police force again contact with a 13-year-old female in their area by the same RSO. As a result, the Procurator Fiscal (PF) was contacted for the case to be added to the crime file. The RSO subsequently failed to attend court and was later arrested abroad before being returned to Scotland where he is now in custody. This case study gives an insight into the investigation of a cybercrime and highlights the links to the English forces. This enquiry also demonstrated a clear indication of persistence after punishment by the individual. STARTEGIC OVERSIGHT GROUP (SOG) To oversee and ensure that the agencies involved in MAPPA are carrying out their statutory duties the Tayside SOG meets regularly and monitors and reviews how the above Public Protection Arrangements are working in this area. Members include senior representatives of Angus, Dundee City and Perth & Kinross Councils, Police Scotland, NHS Tayside, and the Scottish Prison Service. (closed and open estate). The SOG is chaired by an independent chair and the MAPPA Coordinator also attends each meeting. The group meets quarterly, and provides local oversight in relation to: • Business Planning, management, • Publication of an annual report • Raise public awareness of the management of individuals subject to MAPPA processes • Significant Case Reviews (both local and national) • Training • Liaison and communication, both within MAPPA and with other local multi- agency structures designed to protect the public • Ensure adherence to the MAPPA guidance and other relevant National Protocols and standards
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Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report 2023-2024 7 • Identify, implement, and share effective practice; • Liaise with the Scottish Government Public Protection Unit. (SGPPU) The Tayside SOG is supported by the MAPPA Operational Group (MOG) which ensures that the strategy set by the SOG is applied to operations. The MOG also takes responsibility for training to be delivered to staff when required and carries out self-evaluation activities including audits, reporting the findings to the SOG. It is recognised that, on occasion, individuals managed under MAPPA may cause or be subject to serious harm. When either of these occur the MAPPA policies and processes are examined. The Significant Case Review (SCR) process provides a consistent framework to enable the MAPPA SOG to scrutinise the quality of practice and adherence to legislation and guidance. The initial stage of this process is the submission of an Initial Notification Report (INR) to the SOG Chair. The INR will include a clear description of the circumstances, an outline of the agencies involved, details of any other on-going formal proceedings, details of risk assessment, the latest MAPPA minutes and areas of good practice and recommendations. More information on the SCR process can be found in Chapter 20 of the National MAPPA guidance. Within this year’s reporting the MAPPA Coordinator carried out an audit of the INR submitted between 2019 and 2023 to the SOG Chair. Of this cohort, 48 reports were examined with only 2 progressing to the SOG SCR subgroup and none requiring progressing to a SCR. The findings from the audit were that of all the cases examined only one was managed at Level 2, and 47 being managed at Level 1. 18 of the cases were under statutory supervision from Community Justice Social Work and 9 were found by proactive policing and related to the possession of indecent images of children. Learning from the audit concluded that good information sharing was evident with key staff. The functionality and potential use of a data clearing application (App) found on the mobile telephone of one offender was shared with all frontline staff for awareness. Record keeping was highlighted as an area for improvement as in some cases the Court decision was not evident in the offender’s records. Despite this learning point it was it was however ascertained that none of the offences could have been prevented. Fortunately reoffending by high-risk sex offenders is relatively low and the publications of SCRs is a rare occurrence. When an SCR is published, the Tayside SOG examines the report and compares the Tayside position against any recommendations and learning points to identify areas of learning and improvement for future policy and practice. Recently, the SOG examined the published Person H SCR from Glasgow which highlighted recommendations for NHS. From this, the SOG were content that in Tayside there has been an NHS MAPPA liaison officer in post for 12 years which has ensured health representation at all levels of MAPPA meetings. The NHS liaison officer prepares pre-read information for every meeting and each MAPPA client has an alert placed on the NHS systems. In relation to the recommendation for the use of the ViSOR database, the SOG were reassured that in Tayside that there is good use of the database by all three local authorities who have access to and regularly update the ViSOR records.
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Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report 2023-2024 8 STATISTICAL INFORMATION As of 31 March, 2023, there were 399 Registered Sex Offenders managed in the community in Tayside, and is a decrease of 2 on the previous year. Of the 399 there were 137 (34%) on statutory supervision managed by Community Justice Social Work The number managed as of 31 March 2024, in each local authority area are: ANGUS 108 (a decrease of 4 from the previous year) DUNDEE 165 (an increase of 3 from the previous year) PERTH & KINROSS 126 (a decrease of 1 from the previous year) Category 3 offenders continue to be managed under MAPPA and in this reporting period there have been 3 individuals considered and managed by the Responsible Authorities. Of this group 1 was subject to recall to custody for failing to adhere to his Llcence conditions. As stated in the body of this report, the reoffending rate is low and in this reporting year 18 (3%) registered sex offenders were convicted of a further sexual offence. Following a report of reoffending Police Scotland will always carry out a review of the case and should the offence meet the criteria for an Initial notification report the SOG chair will have oversight as described earlier in this report. Of the 18 reoffending cases none required an initial notification report. Also 34 (6%) individuals were given warnings by Community Justice Services for not adhering to their Licence or Community Payback Order conditions with 9 (2%) being recalled to custody. Failing to comply with the sex offender notification requirements (SONR) is deemed a reportable offence and within this year 17 (3%) offenders were deemed as failing to comply. WHAT WE SAID WE WOULD DO IN 2023/2024 In our previous annual report, the Tayside MAPPA SOG stated they would prioritise the following points: • The Tayside MAPPA SOG will deliver a new Strategic Plan for the years 2023 -2026. Objectives - In this reporting year the SOG have developed a new 2023 - 26 Business plan, and its objectives will be monitored throughout the coming years.
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Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report 2023-2024 9 • Establish a robust training programme for staff involved in MAPPA by ensuring that MAPPA is better understood by our wider workforce and our communities -Training is a priority that is overseen by the MOG and during the reporting year was delivered to front line staff across all 3 local authorities. This ensures that staff who are at the fore front of practice have an up to date understanding of the MAPPA process and their roles and responsibilities • Working with the Responsible Authorities to agree guidance and training in respect of the interface between the Child Protection Care and Risk Management Process (CARM) and MAPPA – this is ongoing and will be carried forward into the objectives for 2024-2025 • Carry out audit and self-evaluation work which will further enhance the considerable progress we have achieved in capturing our core data set for MAPPA which has enhanced our routine reporting and analysis - The MAPPA MOG are now responsible for carrying out audits and overseeing the self- evaluation work. The MAPPA Coordinator also now carries out 6 audits per month to examine the content of the MAPPA meetings and minutes provided. The group has also compiled a self-evaluation calendar which now reports into the SOG. • Further strengthening the links with Child and Adult Protection Committees including Violence against Woman and Girls Partnerships to promote a whole systems approach to protecting people. - this is ongoing and will be carried forward into the objectives for 2024-2025 In addition we will continue to; • Proactively respond to any national learning from published SCRs • Monitor the progression of the new Home Office management database Multi Agency Public Protection System (MAPPs) which will replace ViSOR in 2025. • Both the MAPPA Coordinator and the SOG chair sit on National Groups and ensure any updates are communicated and progressed in Tayside. Both also are closely monitoring the progression of the new MAPPs database system. • MAPPS (Multi-agency Public Protection System), is the new Home Office led programme which will allow for all multi-agency users to collaborate securely, efficiently and effectively to better protect the public from people who pose the highest risk. It is to be implemented in 2025-2026 and will replace all current ViSOR functionality and will have automated interfaces to Ministry of Justice, Police, Home Officer and Border force systems.
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Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report 2023-2024 10 WHAT WE WILL DO IN 2024-2025 • Develop a Tayside MAPPA Training Calendar around identified topics of concern or interest which have been raised nationally or locally. • Work with the Child Protection Committees in Dundee City, Angus and Perth & Kinross to agree guidance for staff which clearly defines how CARM interfaces with MAPPA • Carry out a planned series of ‘deep dive’ audits subject to agreed priorities • The Tayside MAPPA SOG will strengthen engagement with the Protecting People workstreams across Tayside ensuring MAPPA is seen as having an integral role in protecting children and adults at risk of harm. We will also continue to; • Monitor the progression of the new Home Office management database MAPPS • Proactively respond to any national learning from published Significant Case Reviews
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Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report 2023-2024 11
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Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report 2023-2024 12 Designed by Communications, Dundee City Council SM/10/24 MAPPA Co-ordinator Friarfield House Barrack Street Dundee, DD1 1PQ Tel: 01382 435518 Fax: 01382 435080