Item 12 - Community Justice Partnership
West Dunbartonshire Council · 20 November 2025
Back to Community Planning West Dunbartonshire Management Board — 20 November 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Management Board Meeting Community Planning Partnership Highlights and Issues Report FOR INFORMATION ONLY X FOR DECISION Name of Partnership Community Justice Partnership (CJP) Date of report 23/10/2025 Name and email of lead contact Lesley.James@west-dunbarton.gov.uk 1 Highlights of activity and progress since last meeting Working/Steering Group Updates: ➢ Arrest Referral Scheme The ‘National Launch’ of the ARS by Police Scotland has been slow to gain traction. There is a meeting arranged for the 4th November (chaired by Police Scotland) for East and West Dunbartonshire to discuss arrest referral pathways in both localities. Due to forthcoming changes with service providers for both alcohol and drug services in West Dunbartonshire it is likely that there will be further delays in terms of providing full-service engagement details to the National Police Scotland Custody team who require a list of commissioned services for their internal processes – it is expected that changes to service providers will delay progress further. In terms of data – numbers of WD residents being supported by the scheme are disproportionately (and concerningly) low compared with level of need and intersectionality that underpins offending. SCARO provided input into the CJP to explore the ‘Navigators’ Model” operated in Fife and North Ayrshire. Both the CJP and ADP require to make a decision regarding the model; potential for funding the model; and the procurement process. This has been put on the agenda for the next CJP in November. As part of early and effective intervention the ARS working group are pushing for national and local progress to ensure that needs are identified and met at the point of arrest, fulfilling our commitment and obligations set out in the outcome improvement plan. ITEM 12
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➢ Custody to Community (C-C) 1. Emergency Early Release of Prisoners Communication from the Scottish Government has confirmed that there will be a subsequent Emergency Early Release (EER) of Prisoners in November 2025. The CJP hosted 2 Information and Awareness Raising Sessions in October to raise the profile of the release scheme and to allow for whole systems planning to commence. The C-C working group are meeting in November to ensure that services are prepared to support the release of prisoners and ensure that the health and social care needs of WD residents are met on release. This group will capture and report on any barriers or challenges to effective service provision and this will be fed in to a wider evaluates of impact. The C-C Vulnerability/Risk management & Victim Safety Planning Group met at the start of October to begin preparations for a whole-systems approach to managing risk and victim safety. Core universal services as well as out 3rd sector partners ASISST were represented at the meeting. First tranche release names were discussed at the meeting to support the process for governor veto’s which is included as a safeguard for the EER process. L. Smith Justice Services Manager is the single point of contact for liaising with the Veto HQ team and returning risk concerns and requests for Veto’s to the Scottish Prison Service. The criterion for veto is strict: “Immediate or current live risk to an individual or group” 2. Custody to Rehab (C2R) “Proof of Concept” WD Justice Services has been invited to be part of the C2R concept by Community Justice Scotland (CJS). CJS have secured money from the Scottish Government to pilot a direct pathway from community to rehab modelled on the Custody to rehab pathway. WD has been funded for up to 4 places from now until March ’26. To date 3 referrals have been accepted by providers with 1 service user already to admitted to the treatment facility. If the concept if proved CJS will liaise with the Scottish Government for an ongoing budget to support and develop this pathway going forward. 3. Talking About Mental Health Toolkit Community Justice NHS GGC have been working in partnership with Penumbra who have created a “Talking about Mental Health” toolkit for those working with justice populations. Working 4 U were trained on the use of the toolkit in October and are now equipped to support justice populations as part or the collaborative “Fairer Futures” Project in partnership with Justice services. The Train the Trainer event is due to take place in November, the CJ Co-ordinator will be part of this training and will develop a work plan for rolling the training out for justice, Working 4 U Homelessness/Housing and wider partners in 2026. ➢ Prevention and Early and Effective Intervention 1. The use of Diversion in both adult and youth justice context: ‘Understanding Youth and Adult Diversion’ whole-systems development sessions are being held in December 2025 and February 2026. A specialist input to Education services will take place in November 2025 to ensure that the voices of education colleagues are captured as part of outcome improvement planning activity. The sessions will shape and support enhancing the use of Diversion and contribute to supporting the national and local community justice outcome improvement plan.
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2. Framework for Risk Assessment, Management & Evaluation (FRAME) and Care and Risk Management (CARM) (multi-agency) FRAME/CARM training was delivered to to Justice and Children and Families social workers in October 2025. This will support the inception of the new Children (Care & Justice) (Scotland) legislation and provide a risk management framework for the critical few young people who pose a risk of significant harm to self and others. This training was delivered in a partnership approach with the Centre for Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ) and WD CJP and was well received by delegates. Next steps will be supported by CYCJ and will include the development of local guidance including process, protocol and governance. 3. WD CJP has placed a funding bid application to GGC HealthCare Charity To support discovery activity as part of outcome improvement planning. Specifically, the partnership would like to better understand the mental health and wellbeing needs of the population it serves and supports to ensure a targeted and meaningful approach to service development, delivery and provision. Currently there is very little know about the mental health and wellbeing needs of those on the fringes of justice or those involved with justice services in West Dunbartonshire. This activity will contribute to tackling recidivism, enhancing outcomes for justice services users and their victims, making WD residents and communities safer. WD CJP are awaiting confirmation of funding for this activity. 4. Justice services have introduced a safeguarding protocol for sharing risk and concerns around child protection and violence against women and girls. To support the safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults affected by domestic abuse, justice services are triaging the names of those due to be released from prison with our partners in VAWG and children and families’ services to ensure effective victim safety planning and safeguarding. This process has proved to be both effective and beneficial in terms of best – safe practice. ➢ Women in Justice As part of a collaborative approach with SafeLives the women in justice working group has engaged with discovery activity in the locality to better understand the journey of women who have experienced domestic abuse, involvement with justice systems, from the point of arrest through to prosecution. The discovery report was heard at the Justice conference in June 2025 and embedding the recommendation from the report is being considered by both WD VAWGP and CJP a part of a unified response to improving outcomes for women involved with justice systems. https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/media/kbjav3dm/womans-justice-journeys- document.pdf WD CJP and whole-systems partners require to develop a delivery plan to undertake embedding the recommendations from the report – this will be discussed at the CJP in November ‘25. The Discovery Report has also been shared with COPFS to support action relating to violent resistance/reactive violence and how this is not fully understood by defence agents or the judiciary and thus leading to the criminalisation of women who
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are using self-defence to enhance safety in domestic abuse situations. There is a clear training gap and COPFS are seeking to understand this better. ➢ Authentic Voices 1. Next Chapter Scotland Has engaged with justice services users to better understand the challenges and barriers that are faced by those who are or have been part of justice systems. WD was included in the report and the AV working group will seek to explore implementing the recommendations of the report: What is the Point report FINAL.pdf Action for children, Engagement Coordinator, Voices of the Promise, is part of the authentic voices working group. They are currently undertaking lived experience discovery activity, and this will be reported on in the forth coming months. The report will be escalated to WD CJP to consider the implementation and embedding of recommendations as part of prevention work. 2. Action for Children Are supporting embedding The Promise in West Dunbartonshire are hosting an event to raise the profile of the Promise and ensure that the voices of children and young people are heard in terms of systems and practice changes to improve outcomes. The event is called “Unheard Voices, Unbroken Spirits” and will be showcased across October and November 2025 3. Heath Needs Analysis NHS GGC WD Justice Services are collaborating with NHS GGC to better understand the health needs of community justice populations. Phase 2 of the project has commenced with data transfer and seeding activity is underway. Focus groups and qualitative activity has been arranged with the justice team and justice service users has commended. Reporting is expected in spring/summer 2026. ➢ Caledonian Systems Steering Group The group has been developing a Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) between partners to ensure effective communication and agreed protocols to manage risk and ensure the safety of victims as paramount. The SOP is being developed in a partnership approach, and each partner has contributed to its development. The 1st draft of the SOP has been referred to other strategic partner i.e. the VAWGP and the MARAC steering group for scrutiny and agreement. The group is working closely with further considering protocols regarding breeches of orders and responding to breeches timeously to ensure that the men who are on the programme are engaging a meaningful way and that risk is always considered in a dynamic manner and shared with relevant partners i.e. justice and children and families’ social work. A template has been developed and created to ensure robust meaningful information sharing between justice and Police Scotland – the template is under consideration at this time.
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Recording as part of Domestic Abuse EEI is under development and the Caledonian steering group is contributing toward this Children & Families Social Work to ensure that service generated risk and trauma is mitigated. As part of a partnership approach with the Child Protection Committee the working group is considering the incorporation of multiagency chronologies as part of best practice to ensure that all significant information is shared with relevant stakeholder partners. The group is developing protocols around ensuring contribution to the chronologies as standard practice for those who are part of the Caledonian men’s programme. ➢ Employability WD Justice Services are working closely with Working 4 U “Fairer Futures” Proof of Concept. W4U have secured money from the Scottish Government until March 2026 to support justice populations with a routes out of poverty agenda. There has been much development and implementation work undertaken and there will be a targeted approach to service provision operating through 7 separate work strands: 1. Community to Rehab 2. Caledonian men’s group 3. WSSS women’s groups 4. Community based sentences 5. Education & Higher Education 6. Youth Justice 7. Justice Throughcare The proof of concept will seek to engage with services users to support them to a position whereby they see employability as a viable option, cognisant of the challenges and barriers faced by the justice population. ➢ End of Year Report 2024-2025 WD CJP has completed and returned the End of Year report to Community Justice Scotland. There is much to celebrate in terms of progressing the local outcome improvement plan EYR 24-25 Final.pdf ➢ Training, Learning & Development Since August 2025 training has been delivered in the following areas: • 5th August ’25: Justice & Partners Service Information and Awareness Raising Session (multi-agency) • 26th August ’25: Trauma Informed Practice Development Session (multi- agency) • 2nd September’25: Routine Sensitive Enquiry & Dash-Ric (Domestic Abuse, Stalking, Honor based Violence – Risk Indicator Checklist) Competency Training (multi-agency) • 5th September ’25: Custody to Rehab “proof of concept” Information and Awareness Rasing Sessions (multi-agency)
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• 8th October ’25: Custody to Rehab “proof of concept” Information and Awareness Rasing Sessions (multi-agency) • 10th October: Emergency Early Release of Prisoners 2025 Information and Awareness Raising Session (multi-agency) • 13th – 15th October ’25: Framework for Risk Assessment, Management & Evaluation (FRAME) and Care and Risk Management (CARM) (multi-agency) • 17th October ’25: Emergency Early Release of Prisoners 2025 Information and Awareness Raising Session (multi-agency) 2 Outline of any issues/risks and how these are being managed Currently justice services are scrutinising the impact of the EER of prisoners and what this means in terms of pressure and capacity for services. The ongoing housing crisis will potentially face further stress as a ripple effect of this activity. Concerns will be escalated through the CJP and wider governance structures. Budgets and capacity are an ongoing issue for community justice – this is a national issue and hopefully we will see a bigger investment in community justice with the presumption towards liberty and away from custodial sentences. Issues or risk will be identified and assessed in the Strategic Needs and Strengths Assessments and identified at working/steering groups. These will be reported to the CJP for escalation where necessary. 3 Outline of the main outputs expected before next meeting Progress reporting updates from all working groups. Training and development activity: • 4th November ’25: Justice & Partners Service Information and Awareness Raising Session (multi-agency) • 11th November ‘25: Justice and The Mental Health Act. Information and Awareness Raising Session (single agency) • 25th November ’25: Domestic Abuse, Addictions and Mental Health – Intersectionality (DAAMH -I) Training (multi-agency) • 3rd December ’25: Adult & Youth Diversions Development Session (multi- agency) • 4th December ’25: Cross Cutting Agendas: Trauma, Justice, VAWG & The Promise. Information and Awareness Raising Event (multi-agency) • 10th December ‘25: Dash-Ric (Domestic Abuse, Stalking, Honor based Violence – Risk Indicator Checklist) Training (multi-agency)
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4 What are your requirements of partners in the Community Planning Management Board to achieve the outcomes of the DIG? ➢ To support the CJP to deliver locally on the ‘National Strategy for Community Justice’ at a local level. ➢ To support the CJP with the uncertainty (nationally) regarding funding and budgets to support the local delivery of the strategy. ➢ The CJP will be required to identify funding to deliver the local CJOIP and associated activities. 5 Please outline any good news story you wish to share All training & development events have evaluated well and were well received by delegates: “I think something like this would be useful as an annual mandatory training for everyone.” (Dash-Ric/RSE) “Excellent event with networking opportunity. The knowledge and passion from the presenters was inspiring!” (Justice & Partners Info Sessions) “Fantastic training and knowledgeable trainers.” (FRAME/CARM)