Item 10 - Appendix 1
West Dunbartonshire Council · 16 November 2023
Back to Community Planning West Dunbartonshire Management Board — 16 November 2023 and its agenda
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Community Justice Outcome Activity Across Scotland Local Area Annual Return Template 2022-23 April 2023 Community Justice Scotland Ceartas Coimhearsnachd Alba Community Justice Outcome Activity Across Scotland Local Area Annual Return Template 2022-23 Appendix 1
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1) Community Justice Partnership / Group Details Name of local authority area/s West Dunbartonshire Name and contact details of the partnership Chair Name: Beth Culshaw Email: beth.culshaw@ggc.scot.nhs.uk Telephone: 01389 737321 Contact for queries about this report Name: Dominique Haggerty Email: dominique.haggerty@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Telephone: 07779 775778 2) Template Sign-off from Community Justice Partnership / Group Chair Date: 26/09/2023 Name: Beth Culshaw Signature:
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3) Governance Arrangements Last year, we asked partnerships to describe their governance structure for community justice arrangements and include links to wider community planning. Please describe any substantive changes since your previous answer. There are no substantial changes in governance arrangements. The management of the Community Justice Coordinator has moved to the Justice Social Work Manager during 2023-2024. 4) The year overall 2022-23 saw substantial developments and change within the service delivery and strategic policy landscape. This section should be used to reflect some of the a) challenges/negative implications and b) opportunities/positive implications from the reporting year on the community justice partnership. This can include impact on the improvement activity, partner collaboration, and delivery of services. Challenges / Negatives The summary of the activities below are presented in updates on the WD CJP establishment, development and strategic considerations and the community justice pathways: Establishing a new Community Justice Partnership/Understanding the Landscape/Horizon Scanning The West Dunbartonshire Community Justice Partnership was established early in 2022, with support from Community Justice Scotland, Community justice key statutory partners were identified, including third sector lead organisation, and a range of development sessions took place. The challenges of establishing a local CJP with a diverse range of partners who were already operating together across complex local and national strategic and operational landscapes, six years after the Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016, were not insignificant. Another strategic forum to operate across and significant policy area for WD Community Planning Management Board WD Community Justice Partnership Justice Social Work Community Justice Coordinator
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partners to try to get a grasp of quickly in an already crowded strategic planning landscape. Since community justice is, in essence, community planning for those within and/or on the edges of the justice system, the focus on reducing barriers to service within the justice pathways (point of arrest, through prosecution, court, community sentence, custodial sentence and release from custodial sentence) was a new one for most. The pressures across public and third sector post pandemic are at times critical, with tight finance and resources operating within a savings environment due to reducing/flat lined budgets. Whilst improving community justice outcomes are reliant on a collaborative partnership approach, creating meaningful criminal justice partner baselines is key to understanding the scope and detail of local strategic needs and strengths assessments with finite resources is a continuing challenge. The main areas of focus and consideration for WD CJP have been: Point of Arrest: Police Scotland Clydebank Custody Suite ADP third sector arrest referral service, funded by Corra through Drug Death Taskforce funding, managed through West Dunbartonshire Alcohol and Drugs Partnership. Community Justice Partnership representation through CJ Coordinator post. The information sharing arrangement with Police Scotland where appearances to court are shared with JSW. Through Prosecution: COPFS decisions on charge outcomes (JSW diversion or fiscal work order, fine, court or no further action). Information sharing, decision making and the regional Community Justice Sheriffdom forum, chaired by COPFS. The information sharing arrangement where ‘bail opposed’ cases are shared by COPFS with JSW. At Court: Justice Social Work court-based service restart following pandemic, launch of JSW Bail Supervision service and prison releases from court. Community Sentence: Justice Social Work Community Sentences, including those on extended prison release statutory order/licence. Custodial Sentence: Scottish Prison Service establishments across Scotland. Custody to Community: Scottish Prison Service and WD CJP collaborative service delivery. The commitment to community justice has been strengthened by the partnership with the recruitment of a full time co-ordinator from previously a part time resource, the full- time replacement has already begun mid-September 2023. This will make a significant difference in relation to supporting the WD CJP finalise their draft local plan and establish the process, structure, reporting methods and content of future meetings.
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WD CJP main focus during 2022-2023 was on five of the six pathways: Point of Arrest; Through Prosecution, Community Sentence; and, Custody to Community. Point of Arrest WD Alcohol and Drugs Partnership supported a third sector bid for Drug Death Taskforce funding in 2021-2022, the service was setting up at a time where some pandemic restrictions were still in place and ADP senior/service management changes were taking place. A remote referral system was established, where Police custody staff would ask the person if they wanted to speak with someone from the service, this would be dependent on how busy the custody suite staff were. If someone agreed, the on-call member of staff would go to the custody suite and engage within the allocated interview room. Discussions around an in-person approach at the cells model could not be agreed with the third sector providers, this model was already showing success through Aid and Abet model in the west of the country and in Inverclyde. The additional barrier was the delay in police vetting checks due to change of key personnel within Police Scotland Custody Division The current arrest referral project ceased in June 2023, numbers engaged were lower than expected. The final pilot report will contribute to the completion of the CJS Arrest Referral Targeted Strategic Needs and Strengths template to be completed within the next year. Data collection has been an area of discussion with regard to the Clydebank Custody Suite, extracting data that is specific to residents of West Dunbartonshire has proven difficult. The Suite also serves parts of Glasgow and Argyll & Bute, creating a baseline that’s specific to West Dunbartonshire residents is critical data for the WD CJP Point of Arrest pathway, further discussions to progress this data gap are ongoing during 2023- 2024. Justice Social Work receive information via an information-sharing agreement with Police Scotland for those in custody appearing in court. The process that follows is an area of interest for WD CJP during 2023-2024 and how that connects with other information received from COPFS through bail opposed notifications that are also received as part of the court pathway. Through Prosecution (COPFS Sheriffdom Community Justice Forum) Whilst Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Services are not named in the legislation as a statutory partners, this regional forum was established to take forward community justice related improvement activity and is attended by North Strathclyde area representative in Community Justice (Coordinators), Justice Social Work Manager and Police Scotland Divisional representatives. Local Authority areas include: West Dunbartonshire, Argyll & Bute, Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire. This forum has been in place for a number of years and has recently (September 2023) had a change of chair, the first meeting has set the scene to shift to a wide range of discussions around Diversion, Bail Support, COPFS case marking update, Court pilots, Government legislation, etc. With the development of local plans underway, the recommendations from the national thematic review and the Lord Advocate review on diversion for sexual offences, the key focus for WD CJP is how this regional forum connects to local planning and delivery. Justice Social Work activity in this pathway has been focussed on managing increased referrals and delivering increased support for completion of Diversion cases, local workforce challenges during this period contributed to a backlog occurring. This has
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being addressed during 2023-2024 however COPFS is working towards a target of 100% cases marked within 4 weeks, this has potential to create another bottle neck for Justice Social Work, an area raised at the regional forum. The learning from and the improvement activity required from the publication of the national thematic review of Diversion was noted by the WD CJP as a key contributory document for the completion of the CJS Diversion Targeted Strategic Needs and Strengths template. The need for COPFS input has been raised at the regional forum for consideration during this year. Challenges to date including workforce resource will be eased with full-time Coordinator in post from September 2023, however, WD CJP recognise the multi-agency input required to complete. Completion date expected to be by March 2024. At Court The newly forming WD CJP has yet to have representation from Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service however local liaison meetings out with the partnership are productive and effective with very good local working and increased implementation of community disposals. Formal communications/invites are sent to the Sheriff Clerk, there has been a change of personnel with Dumbarton Sheriff Court during 2023-2024, clarify around representation on the WD CJP and what that contribution looks like is being sought. Justice Social Work activity within the local court increased during 2022-2023 with the launch of their Bail Support Service, again against a backdrop of local workforce capacity challenges. During 2023-2024, the focus for WD CJP is the completion of the CJS Targeted Strategic Needs and Strengths Assessment so create a baseline for improvements that are delivered through a co-ordinated multi-agency response. Community Sentences Whilst community justice is about more than Justice Social Work, they are key partner that’s delivering across all 6 pathways, it’s critical that our WD CJP understand the nature, type and demand of delivery as we move towards the national drive to increase community based sentencing. This alongside the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act 2023 and Children (Care and Justice)(Scotland) Bill at Stage 2 of the parliamentary process, the incremental implementation of increased statutory duties across community justice pathways, will require significantly increased input from a wider range of local services, as well as Justice Social Work. Local trend data is already showing an increasing workload and developing multi-agency responses will require needs analysis from Justice Social Work data sources. The annual funding model restricts our ability to plan and sustain services beyond the current financial year, including services commissioned from the Third Sector. This means we are only able to enter into short-term contractual arrangements, which creates difficulties in both the recruitment and retention of suitably qualified staff. Justice Services do not have the ability to reduce demand on our statutory services therefore a robust funding model is essential.
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High numbers of Domestic Abuse offending within the local authority: staff are listed to attend national training on the Caledonian system Referrals from the Crown Office and Prosecution Service (COPFS) have significantly increased. In line with national policy of early intervention, the service has seen an increase in those subject to diversion in sustained attempts to reduce the number of individuals going through the criminal justice system. We continue to have regular meetings with the COPFS service through the local community justice forum. Horizon scanning to anticipate the impact on Justice Social work from the Children’s Care and Justice (Scotland) Act, alongside the forthcoming Bail and Release Act, currently passing through parliamentary approval. All of which will be a consideration for WD CJP in the future when developing our Community Sentence Strategic Needs and Strengths Assessment. During 2023-2024 we are developing 5 year trend data from Justice Social Work Aggregate Returns to improve the WD CJP understanding of workload, capacity to deliver and for improvements. An early draft is included within this report at Appendix 2. Caledonian Programme WD CJP committed to financing and delivering the Caledonian Programme locally as a contributor to addressing the stubbornly high incidents for well over a decade in relation to domestic abuse. Initial funding and in-kind resources for two years has been identified whilst we await the promised wider funded Scottish Government roll out during this parliamentary term. CJS Caledonian Team and Justice Social Work have continued this work during 2023-2024 with recruitment, training and stakeholder events taking place from October 2023. The challenges overcome to reach this stage included local workforce capacity and recruitment processes. WD CJP recognises the key strategic links with the Violence Against Women & Girls partnership locally in terms of the Caledonian Programme. Whilst the monitoring and scrutiny responsibilities will sit within the WD CJP, we will work to ensure that communication are aligned with our local VAWP. Equally Safe Aim 4 on addressing and delivering responses involving people committing gender-based violence crime has a critical alignment to improving community justice outcomes. During 2023-2024 WD CJP this is a consideration during the development of our local plan and as a refreshed VAWGP is being established. Challenges have included creating dedicated time for key leads to consider. Custody to Community With the information sharing arrangement between Scottish Prison Service, Housing and Justice Social Work in place since May 2020, data collation and collection has been a key focus. A community justice spreadsheet was developed to collect data and information around those being released, this community justice collaboration between Homeless Prevention lead and Justice Social Work admin will provide wider information for the WD CJP than just who was released. Additional data collected includes whether
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people were open to Justice Social Work (statutory through-care) or not, whether they have been previously known to JSW, when and why to gain an understanding of reoffending, what their needs were upon release. The needs upon release information is provided by the Homeless Prevention operational lead who contact everyone on the Liberation list to offer a housing options interview. The data collection also notes whether engagement took place or not. A high level summary is attached to this annual report (Appendix 1) The challenge now is how WD CJP provides an equity of support to those who are not supported by Justice Social Work through statutory through-care process. If people are engaged with Homeless/Housing certain support services are available, however, these are currently ad-hoc and not part of a collaborative approach to prevent/reduce further offending and support people to live stable and safe lives. Nationally, Community Justice Scotland are reviewing the contracts for voluntary through-care, the numbers in West Dunbartonshire supported by these national contracts (Wise Group and Shine) is minimal, with some of that additional funding we could potentially develop an improved model that meets local needs. It is the intention of the WD CJP to establish a sub-group to take forward this significant challenge, with a view to understanding what improvements we can implement through improved collaborative working, alongside this clearly identifying what we cannot do without further investment. The significant publications from Community Justice Scotland in 2022-2023 around the national review, which include lived experience input, are critical reference documents which assist to establish a baseline model. Youth Justice/CARM The interface between youth and community justice was also under discussion and review through HSCP Children & Families/Justice portfolio, a review is underway during 2023-2024, the WD CJP will consider their role and responsibilities and the alignment requirements during this year. The local CJ plan under development will also reference this work. In 2022 CARM/FRAME TTT was attended by WD staff with a view to adopt and embed the CARM and FRAME model as part of a best-practice response to managing and supporting children and young people who come into conflict with the law, within the context of child protection. CARM/FRAME follows the 4 principles of GIRFEC and is underpinned by a child welfare and children’s rights approach. Adopting and embedding the CARM/FRAME will bring about opportunity for a whole systems response between Children & Families Social Work and Youth Justice Social Work, and will naturally bring opportunity to strengthen partnership working across and between areas with particular priority alignments to the commitments and undertakings of: ‘The Promise’ strategy; The Children & Young People (Scotland) Act (2014); and the pending Children (Care & justice) (Scotland) Bill. These documents collectively work towards improving children’s experience of the care system and the justice system whilst fulfilling the commitment of ‘The Promise’ where every child in Scotland grows up feeling loved, safe and respected. The CARM work plan has been created and will be partnership lead by the Community Justice Co-ordinator and the Child Protection Lead Officer. The work plan incorporates information and awareness raising activity, training for front line staff; training for senior social workers and senior managers and considerations for evaluation and impact measurements. There is also an associated undertaking for staff to be trained on the START –AV risk assessment tool as part of the CARM model. CYCJ have offered (limited) free training but there is an on cost for the purchase of manuals.
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Violence Against Women & Girls/Equally Safe Outcomes for the National “Equally Safe” Strategy Priority 4, lie with justice social work: ‘Men desist from all forms of violence against women and girls and perpetrators of such violence receive a robust and effective response.’ There was a VAWG strategic needs assessment conducted in 2022, scoping the work currently contributing to this outcome, mapping areas that require attention. Both The Caledonian Programme and the CARM/FRAME model have shared outcomes connecting VAWG and Community Justice national and local agendas. These shared priorities require to be reported on across both sector areas. The Community Justice Co-ordinator has been contributory to the national refresh of the VAWG annual data returns/quality standards, and has made comment regarding areas that would help improve meaningful reporting activity for ES Priority 4 outcomes: Data Returns On the data returns excel sheet where perpetrator data is noted the questions lack relevancy. For example there are no specific court mandated or non-court mandated interventions for CSE, FGM or Honour Based Violence for perpetrators. It may be better to scope: 1. Does the LA have the Caledonian group/1:1 programme? 2. Does the LA have offer any other perpetrator focused interventions? 3. Does the LA routinely use the SARA to assess perpetrator risk and guide interventions? 4. How many perpetrators are male and how many are female? 5. Are perpetrators part of wider MAPPA arrangements? 6. As part of the Safe & Together framework how are perpetrators being engaged? 7. Perpetrator work and links with MARAC. 8. The CARM/FRAME model. Quality Standard 4 WD doesn’t currently have a DA Courts and suggested it may be more beneficial to reflect on IDDA services and the parameters of this service in each area i.e. is ASSIST operational in your area; who provides IDDA services?; is VIA offered to relevant victims; it may also be worth reflecting on the new SCIMS model for child witnesses? With regard to the commentary regarding the refresh of VAWG data, WD CJP requires to consider data collection, data analysis, information sharing protocols, and recording and reporting systems.
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Positives / Opportunities Establishing a new Community Justice Partnership/Understanding the Landscape/Horizon Scanning The timing of the establishment of the WD CJP came when the national strategy and associated documentation were due be refreshed, whilst the sporadic timescale of the publication of all documentation was a challenge, the refreshed national strategy was more streamlined and focussed which was helpful. Prior to this publication the WD CJP focussed their meetings on the following areas: • Community Justice Scotland: Community Justice strategic landscape and local Community Justice Partnership statutory duties, roles and responsibilities • Violence Against Women and Girls, range of partner inputs including Housing No Home for Domestic Abuse response; MARAC and Violence Against Women & Girls Partnership update; Caledonian Programme from Community Justice Scotland Leads and Safe & Together overview from the Safe & Together Scottish national lead • Introduction to Justice Social Work and peer support input from East Dunbartonshire Chief Social Work Officer/Head of Service Children & Justice, also their CJP chair With all national publications now available, the WD CJP will continue to focus on meeting our statutory duties, creating the baseline for improvements across all community justice pathways and collaborating (within current resources) to evidence our activity to improve community justice outcomes. Evidencing where we are unable to achieve this without further investment will also be critical to our horizon scanning activity. During 2023-2024, WD CJP has also extended membership invites to a lived experience advisor and Health Board Community Justice lead, both will now contribute to our local planning and delivery. There are significant opportunities within the WD CJP membership, the focus and support from Community Justice Scotland to date have been on statutory duties, data, evidence and leadership. These continue to be a key focus during 2023-2024 through the continuous improvement approach undertaken towards the development of the Partnership and our local plan. We are developing a range of data sets to support the development of our local plan and are committed to scrutinising the evidence, collaborating to improve service responses and delivering improvements that are within our combined capacity to do. The commitment to the Caledonian Programme during 2022-2023 provides evidence of determination to reduce domestic abuse and its wider and long-term impacts on all involved. Point of Arrest Whilst the model of service for the Arrest Referral Scheme did not meet the expectations of what we hoped to achieve, people were still engaged who may not have otherwise been. As noted above, the final report is outstanding as at mid-September 2023, service ceased in June 2023. Following a change in Police Scotland representation on the WD CJP, more activity began to take place to review our ARS, cross-authority examples of
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more effective Arrest Referral Scheme as well as improved collaborative working between L Division, Police Scotland Custody Division and local partners developed. WD CJP and ADP, is committed to completing our local CJS Targeted ARS Strategic Needs & Strengths Assessment during 2023-2024 to establish our baseline for improvement. The outstanding final report from the previous scheme is a critical to informing this work, as is the West Dunbartonshire specific data related to Clydebank Custody Suite. Discussions to progress this are ongoing during 2023-2024. Through Prosecution The COPFS led forum is an opportunity to align strategic planning for the organisation, however, whether this can meet the need of the local community justice partnerships is not yet evident, although the newly appointed chair has helped bring some clarity in some areas. There is an opportunity to align improvement activity with a joint approach to completion of Diversion Strategic Needs & Strengths Assessment and a response to the national thematic review recommendations. The establishment of a national group to progress recommendations from the review, the Lord Advocate review of sexual offences in relation to sentencing options (including Diversion) and the local response to supporting Justice Social Work deliver improved outcomes through improved multi- agency working are all key activities underway and progressing during 2023-2024. At Court The increase in activity, following pandemic, for Justice Social Work at Dumbarton Sheriff Court has provided opportunities to improve and strengthen not only service provision and involvement in the local court forum. These local liaison meetings out with the partnership are productive and effective with very good local working and increased implementation of community disposals. As noted in challenges, representation for Scottish Courts & Tribunal Service at WD CJP is yet to be established, however there is an opportunity to review the work of the Court forum, how that links to improving community justice outcomes and identifying a new joint approach between the WD CJP and SCTS Dumbarton Court forum. This can be included as part of the suite of improvement actions in the new local community plan. Community Sentences The national drive to increase Bail Supervision and Diversion provision was an opportunity taken and delivered by Justice Social Work. Launching the Bail Supervision service at the end of 2022 and focussing on how to best deliver the significantly increased Diversion referrals from COPFS has delivered additional service and shorter waiting times. It should also be noted this was during a period of core staff shortages through vacancies and illness. The CJS Targeted Strategic Needs and Strengths Assessment templates for both will be completed during 2023-2024. Identified strengths include: • Strong partnership working is evident in the planning of support for individuals being released from prison. Our justice and housing services are working closely together to ensure short stay accommodation is identified for individuals prior to release and support then provided to access a permanent tenancy • Positive and supportive working relationships with Police Scotland colleagues in the management and supervision of those assessed as posing a high risk of re-offending
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• During this year we have enhanced our unpaid work service by ensuring that tasks are meaningful to communities and provide learning opportunities for service users, including improving the environment and supporting charitable and voluntary organisations. • Service users have went on to employment, further education and volunteering through our close association with employability services. • We continue to work closely within established partnerships in the community including CHAS, Alternatives and Greenspace. • The ‘Moving Forward’ Women’s Service supports females involved in the Justice system and offers one to one holistic supports, looking at increasing independent skills, self-confidence and mindfulness. • The Women’s Safety and Support Service provides specialist responses and interventions to increase the safety and wellbeing of survivors of Domestic Abuse. The service supports women offenders, (via groupwork and one to one supports) who have additional vulnerabilities and complex needs resulting from multiple experiences of Violence Against Women. • Service Users have worked alongside their allocated workers looking at specific needs relevant to their own personal/offending circumstances. This has been done via structured one to one interventions including: • Home learning and focussed discussion at supervision appointments of blended learning packs concentrating on topics such as substance misuse, pros and cons of offending, healthy relationships and anger management. These have included utilising a CBT approach alongside motivational interviewing techniques. All of which has been trauma informed practice. • Dependent on the type of offending, staff trained in the NOTA Individual Treatment Program have supported service users, convicted of sexual offending, to understand their offending pathways and support them to contribute to their risk management plans in order to address the risk of re-offending. The spread of Justice Social Work input is across all community justice pathways (including custodial sentences with involvement in statutory Integrated Case Management meetings, Parole Board hearings, etc). The need to develop and produce a Strategic Needs & Strengths assessment across all Justice Social Work caseload is clear, the approach and resources to progress is being considered during 2023-2024. The complexities that people on community sentences are presenting with and the need to improve and expand the operational responses to assist are key considerations during 2023-2024. Custody to Community The analysis that is currently being produced from the information collated from the SPS prison liberation sheets and additional local data will provide an informative strategic needs and strengths baseline for the WD CJP on the prison population for West Dunbartonshire since May 2020. High level summary is included with this annual report
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as Appendix 1. This in turn will inform the WD CJP Custody to Community sub-group planning and delivery of a refreshed model (within current resources), whilst we await the outcome of CJS voluntary through-care review, as previously noted, the publications associated will inform this development. The opportunity to understand what delivering equity of service to those without statutory requirements being liberated from prison, is a key priority during 2023-2024 for the WD CJP. How we resource this is a conversation that must include national partners including CJS, Scottish Government and COSLA amongst others, however, there are key opportunities to be progressed locally, this includes the establishment of the sub- group, development of terms of reference and key membership. This sub-group requires the following resources in the first instance: CJ Coordinator ADP Coordinator Lived Experience Advisor – as agreed with CJS representative Housing/Homeless Resettlement Justice Social Work Management WD Addiction Services (consideration to be given to third sector representation as well) WD Mental Health Services Working 4 U Management (consideration to be given to WD CAB representation) Social Security Scotland (prison liaison lead HMP Greenock and Low Moss) Job Centre Plus (prison liaison representatives) A series of development workshops will be organised and WD CJP will identify the Custody to Community pathway statutory partner who will support the sub-group in strategic oversight of the project on behalf on the WD CJP. Development of the reporting framework into the WD CJP is already underway during 2023-2024. This section is designed to capture the evidence and data that has been used by your partnership over the reporting period to assess progress against the national outcomes. NATIONAL OUTCOME ONE Communities improve their understanding and participation in community justice* Where applicable have regard to the following indicators: Activities carried out to engage with ‘communities’ as well as other relevant constituencies Consultation with communities as part of community justice planning and service provision Participation in community justice, such as co-production and joint delivery Level of community awareness of / satisfaction with work undertaken as part of a CPO Evidence from questions to be used in local surveys / citizens’ panels and so on Perceptions of the local crime data
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*Community Justice comprises the activities, services and partners that work with and around people from the point of arrest, through the justice system and supporting their exit from justice contact and integration into their community 5) How have you engaged with partners, communities, and individuals to improve their understanding and participation in relation to community justice? We have explored best options to ensure lived experience is at the heart of our community justice planning and have recently appointed a former justice service user onto our community justice partnership. A questionnaire was developed for current justice service users and this will be implemented and evaluated late 2023. Engagement activity focussed on the representatives of the WD CJP and Community Justice Scotland collaborating to establish the partnership, within the Clydebank Custody Suite Arrest Referral pilot and planning for engagement with people on Justice Social Work orders. WD CJP Community Justice Scotland has contributed resources and time to assist establish the WD CJP with both ensuring that national and local knowledge was shared and contributing towards understanding the scale and scope of community justice alongside improving understanding and participation in relation to community justice. The ongoing engagement which took place as part of the WD CJP establishing and meeting facilitated a high level overview of statutory responsibilities and main portfolio areas, with the new national strategy and associated documentation providing a sharpened focus in relation priorities, actions and outcomes. As to be expected with any new partnership coming together into a community justice strategic planning landscape and its significant scope, some partners naturally saw how their service delivery fitted (criminal justice system partners namely Police Scotland, HSCP Justice Social Work) and for others it’s been recognising the contribution they can make across the community justice pathways . Work is ongoing during 2023-2024 to maximise the opportunity to develop a local plan that reflects the potential contribution of all statutory partners across all community justice pathways, including scrutiny and monitoring of improvements. Clydebank Custody Suite Arrest Referral Pilot The Community Justice Coordinator was the representative for community justice during the majority of the pilot’s timescale, however, was not involved from December 2022 due to a significant reduction in working hours (from 17.5 to 5 hours weekly). The pilot has featured in most of the WD CJP meetings for discussion, however formal reporting was through the WD ADP. Engagement with the third sector providers, ADP representative and Police Scotland Custody Division and L-Division representatives was an ongoing feature. A range of challenges were identified previously in this report, the main ones around key staffing changes in both Police Scotland strands, new key leads in Addictions and contract management/service delivery model were all encountered. Whilst solutions could not be found, the process of identifying the challenges, data gaps and improved knowledge of what seems to work are key areas of focus for the WD CJP during 2023-
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2024, as part of our commitment to completing the CJS Targeted Strategic Needs & Strengths template taking a multi-agency approach. People on Justice Social Work Orders/Licences Planning to engage with people on Justice Social Work orders was also a key activity undertaken during 2022-2023 that has carried into 2023-2024 with the final questionnaire agreed in late August 2023. Commissioning began with REACH Advocacy to carry out consultation with people on Justice Social Work orders, an approach that includes both quantitative and qualitative outputs. At the time of this report, this is in the final stages of commissioning and we expect completion by December 2023, findings will be included in our annual report for 2023-2024. Violence Against Women & Girls Strategic Lead and Alcohol & Drugs Partnership During the reporting period, communications between VAWG lead and ADP Coordinator increased in relation to the key alignments in their portfolios and community justice. The Community Justice Coordinator has highlighted key overlaps and opportunities to align strategic and operational planning activities. Equally Safe 4 Aim which focuses on interventions for those suspected and/or convicted of a crime and the public service response to that within VAWG. This is a key statutory responsibility of the community justice partners. Within Scottish Government, VAWG sits within Community Justice Division, WD CJP have an opportunity to align strategic and operational planning activities to remove duplication. A Public Health Approach to Justice focuses mainly on the how substance use services are accessed within community justice pathways, of particular interest to the WD CJP is to jointly, with the ADP and Public Health Scotland, create a baseline for MAT Standards across Point of Arrest, Through Prosecution, At Court, Community & Custodial Sentence and Custody to Community. This was not an area of progress during 2022-2023. However, during 2023 WD CJP invited James Docherty, Scottish Violence Reduction Unit/Community Justice Scotland, to become a member of the group as an expert advisor on trauma-responsive services and meaningful lived experience involvement. The impact overall has been significant and WD CJP has made extremely good progress by coming together and discussing the scope of their statutory duties for community justice. The involvement and support from the range of Community Justice Scotland colleagues was extremely helpful, WD CP would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to all of those involved, Chief Executive; Specialist Advisor; and the Local Improvement Leads. Others who input to meetings, including: Safe & Together; Care Inspectorate; Housing; Lomond Advice & Advocacy Service; East Dunbartonshire Council; and, Caledonian Programme leads. The implementation of the Caledonian Programme, funded locally for 2 years until Scottish Government national roll-out during this Programme for Government, was a significant achievement for WD CJP. The levels of domestic abuse in West Dunbartonshire have remained stubbornly high for over a decade, to be able to offer this service to reduce offending/reoffending and keep victims and children safer is an opportunity we are committed to supporting.
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Building relationships is a key impact for all of those involved, the diverse range of local and national partners coming together to share knowledge, learning and expertise around community justice. Many learning for the first time what the scope and scale of community justice statutory duties entail. The timing of the refreshed national documentation published during 2022-2023 has been helpful for WD CJP, they provided a clear (and complex) focus and rationale which assist identification of local priorities. During 2023-2024, the focus is on development of the local plan, a process that will include all members of the WD CJP supported, for the first time, by a full-time Coordinator.
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NATIONAL OUTCOME TWO Partners plan and deliver services in a more strategic and collaborative way Where applicable have regard to the following indicators: Services are planned for and delivered in a strategic and collaborative way Partners have leveraged resources for community justice Development of community justice workforce to work effectively across organisational/professional /geographical boundaries Partners illustrate effective engagement and collaborative partnership working with the authorities responsible for the delivery of MAPPA 6) How has your partnership worked to enable strategic and collaborative service planning and delivery? During 2022-2023 WD CJP was focussed on gaining an improved strategic oversight of community justice statutory duties, with enhanced leadership. The publication of the National Strategy assisted greatly to provide a focus on how the national aims and priority actions translated locally. WD Health and Social Care Partnership were developing their strategic plan during 2022-2023, the final version included an alignment to community justice planning and delivery, aligning to the newly published national strategy. The Clydebank Custody Suite Arrest Referral pilot communications were assisted by the publication as it clearly prioritised a multi-assessment approach. The third sector services delivering the pilot were substance use support organisations and therefore the service was only offered to people who appeared under the influence. It provided strategic planning clarity around where the ultimate responsibility lies in terms of developing an arrest referral model that responds to everyone, irrespective of whether they appear under the influence. For Justice Social Work, the new national strategy provided clarity around which areas of business was to be the focus. There is clearly a heavy burden on Justice Social Work in relation to delivering on an increased number of orders/licences at a speedier rate as the Courts address their backlogs. As previously noted, budgets, workforce and capacity issues are an ongoing challenge, what is clearly defined in the new national documentation delivery of community sentences must shift to a collaborative partner model. The MAPPA process continues to deliver strong and effective collaborative approaches, learning from audits and delivering training across workforces to reduce reoffending. As previously noted, WD CJP was newly formed early in 2022, during 2022-2023 the focus has been on establishing the partnership and understanding the community justice statutory duties and it’s alignment with violence against women & girls. We expect to move onto this approach as we develop and deliver our new local plan 2023-2027. The establishment of the WD CJP has provided some opportunities for this, the focus on understanding our community justice statutory duties has meant that during 2022-2023 this was limited. However, we expect that to change significantly during 2023-2024 and all members of the WD CJP will contribute to the development of our new local plan and associated responsibilities.
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NATIONAL OUTCOME THREE People have better access to the services that they require, including welfare, health and wellbeing, housing and employability Where applicable have regard to the following indicators: Partners have identified and are overcoming structural barriers for people accessing services Existence of joint-working arrangements such as processes / protocols to ensure access to services to address underlying needs Initiatives to facilitate access to services Speed of access to mental health services % of people released from a custodial sentence: a) registered with a GP b) have suitable accommodation c) have had a benefits eligibility check Targeted interventions have been tailored for and with an individual and had a successful impact on their risk of further offending 7) What steps have you taken to improve access to services, and what impact has there been as a result? As above, the focus on understanding our community justice statutory duties has meant that during 2022-2023 this was limited. However, we expect that to change significantly during 2023-2024 and all members of the WD CJP will contribute to the development of our new local plan including joint activities and associated responsibilities. During 2022-2023, there were some discussions with involved WD CJP on a place- based scoping exercise. This was through our CPP Safe DIG, however, the change of significant personnel meant this was not progressed. The launch of the Justice Social Work Bail Support Service would be a strength and achievement, led by the service who provided updates to the newly establishing WD CJP. Whilst the pilot for the Clydebank Custody Suite Arrest Referral Scheme did not reach its full potential, a number of people were engaged and assisted during its existence. As previously noted, the WD CJP awaits the final pilot report from the WD ADP during 2023-2024 Summary: • A newly establishing partnership • A Justice Social Work service with statutory demands beyond capacity • Part-time CJ Co-ordinator • High level of turnover of key Police Scotland Custody Division leads during Arrest Referral Pilot
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NATIONAL OUTCOME FOUR Effective interventions are delivered to prevent and reduce the risk of further offending Where applicable have regard to the following indicators: Use of ‘other activities requirements’ in CPOs Effective risk management for public protection Quality of CPOs and DTTOs Reduced use of custodial sentences and remand: a) Balance between community sentences relative to short custodial sentences under one year b) Proportion of people appearing from custody who are remanded The delivery of interventions targeted at problem drug and alcohol use [NHS Local Delivery Plan (LDP) Standard] Number of Police Recorded Warnings, police diversion, fiscal measures, fiscal diversion, supervised bail, community sentences (including CPOs , DTTOs and RLOs ) Number of short-term sentences under one year 8) What changes have been made to community justice arrangements to enable desistence, reduce reoffending, and promote integration, and what impact has there been as a result? As noted previously, the focus on understanding our community justice statutory duties has meant that during 2022-2023 this was limited. However, we expect that to change significantly during 2023-2024 and all members of the WD CJP will contribute to the development and delivery of our new local plan including joint activities and associated responsibilities. We have started to develop a custody to community subgroup of our community justice partnership following direct engagement with Scottish Prison Service. This will be a priority focus in 2023-2024.
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NATIONAL OUTCOME FIVE Life chances are improved through needs, including health, financial inclusion, housing and safety, being addressed. NATIONAL OUTCOME SIX People develop positive relationships and more opportunities to participate and contribute through education, employment and leisure activities. NATIONAL OUTCOME SEVEN Individuals’ resilience and capacity for change and self-management are enhanced. Have regard to the following indicator: Individuals have made progress against the outcome 9) What mechanisms and arrangements enable your area to understand progress for people against these outcomes? As noted in previous annual reports this is an area of significant challenges however not without opportunities. The particular area of focus on recording and responding to individual needs has been with Justice Social work. During 2022-2023, challenges with LS/CMI system being offline and workforce challenges that affected the implementation of Justice Outcome Star, expected progress towards developing an evidence-base stalled. This will be progressed during the lifetime of our new local plan and is an ambitious approach which will take time to embed and increased resources to maintain. Whilst individual partners will have their methods and processes for measurement, as a collective the WD CJP has this area as a priority focus during the lifetime of the next local plan. This will begin will focussing on Justice Social Work implementation and the associated data and information from Justice Outcome Star assessments. As noted, there is information available within Justice Social Work systems, some of which we are not able to report on at this point. This is in the early stages of exploration and discussion within the WD CJP, we expect to continue to build on the progress we’re making during 2023-2024.
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10) If available, provide one or more supporting case studies, lived experience narrative or other information to demonstrate activity and impact relating to the objectives reflected by person-centred outcomes 5, 6 and 7. Whilst we are unable to provide this within this annual report, the experience and involvement of lived experience expertise is a key priority for WD CJP during 2023-2024, beginning with the addition to the partnership of a lived experience specialist advisor.
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11) Look ahead with the new National Strategy, Community Justice Performance Framework and Community Justice Improvement Tool. Please tell us what the next steps are for your partnership in light of these significant developments. The refreshed national strategy and associated documentation delivered a clarity of community justice focus with the 4 aims and 13 priority actions. Areas of identified strengths in WD CJP commitments within the developing local plan are summarised below: Aim 1: Optimise the use of diversion and intervention at the earliest opportunity • Baselining the delivery of Justice Social Work Diversion provision through commitment to support completion of the CJS Diversion Strategic Needs & Strengths Assessment incorporating the national thematic review of Diversion recommendations. Opening discussions with the WD CJP and ADP around the increase in referrals for drug possession and potential collaboration to strengthen opportunities to change for those on Diversion • Building on the knowledge from the Clydebank Custody Suite Arrest Referral pilot and commitment to support completion of the CJS ARS Strategic Needs & Strengths Assessment to create a baseline for improvement considerations. Aim 2: Ensure that robust and high quality community interventions and public protection arrangements are consistently available across Scotland • Baselining the delivery of Justice Social Work Bail Supervision & Support provision through commitment to support completion of the CJS Bail Strategic Needs & Strengths Assessment to create a baseline for improvement considerations. • The implementation of the accredited Caledonian Programme, self-funded with additional in-kind resources, this will result in increased options for sentencing, expand the scope of Justice Social Work delivery which we would hope will have an impact of the levels of domestic abuse and, in particular, repeat offending of this nature. At September 2023, an initial in-person stakeholder event has been organised for October 2023 and staff training scheduled, aim is to be able to offer as a sentencing option early 2024. Aim 3: Ensure that services are accessible and available to address the needs of individuals accused or convicted of an offence (upon prison release and employability access on community sentences) • As previously noted, West Dunbartonshire currently has a process, delivered by Housing Resettlement Officer, whereby every person who appears on the SPS 12 week notification of liberation lists, which are received on a weekly basis is offered a housing options interview/review. Appendix 1 shows the range of data gathered from that process, with Justice Social Work admin contributing by adding service specific data. WD CJP is committed to establishing a Custody to Community Sub-Group to initially take forward the scoping work relating to voluntary through-care for those not subject to JSW community-based orders/licencing conditions following release (statutory through-care). Development of a pathway of support, including input from a lived experience perspective is a priority activity during 2023-2024.
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The CJS publications from the national commissioning/contract review for voluntary through-care are helpful baselines for this strategic planning work. Aim 4: Strengthen the leadership, engagement, and partnership working of local and national community justice partners Since establishment in early 2022, WD CJP has continued to make significant progress in relation to the national strategy priority action 4 Deliver improved community justice outcomes by ensuring that effective leadership and governance arrangements are in place and working well, collaborating with partners and planning strategically. • The opportunity to develop our first local plan together, having at this stage, identified what our associated local actions may be and building up the evidence base of data to inform future planning and delivery. • WD CJP commitment to understanding the data available and the evidence it presents is further demonstrated in our local improvement activity during 2023- 2024 to complete the national CJS Targeted Strategic Needs & Strengths templates. This, together with creating 5 year trend data for Police Scotland Recorded Crime and Justice Social Work, places the WD CJP in firm stead for the lifetime of the national strategy and our local plan. • Ongoing support for the implementation of the accredited Caledonian Programme • Strengthening strategic planning links across a range of policy areas including alcohol and drugs, violence against women and girls and local policing, for example. • The commitment to understanding how WD CJP take forward lived experience input meaningfully by inviting James Docherty (Scottish Violence Reduction Unit and Community Justice Scotland) to be a permanent member of the group. WD CJP are currently developing the local plan, the process of identifying priorities is already underway and expected to be completed by October/November 2023. The key next step for the WD CJP is to finalise the local plan for consultation, develop a reporting framework and agree a Terms of Reference Throughout this annual report we have also provided updates on activity that has carried over in 2023-2024 and provided an up to date position. The WD CJP will continue to progress and monitor these activities which are directly linked to national aims and priority actions and the developing local plan. WD CJP are already exploring a wide a range of opportunities with the membership as noted throughout this annual report and are committed to progressing these. The refreshed national documentation provides a focused and diverse strategic planning landscape and WD CJP is committed to strengthening the local strategic oversight, planning and delivery of community justice services that lead to improved outcomes for those in, or around the edges, of the criminal justice system, victims and families. Taking opportunities to widen the membership of WD CJP will continue to be pursued to strengthen the knowledge and expertise that contribute to reducing offending and reoffending through delivery models that incorporate holistic assessment of needs, ease of access to services and that is trauma-informed and responsive.
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The main barriers and risks are around finance and resource, while the collective potential of WD CJP membership is understood, members are operating within an environment of reducing budgets within public sector, separate funding streams, formulas and associated constraints will impact on capacity for improvement, without additional funding. Delivery of restorative justice services at a local level, as an example from the national strategy, will not be possible without national additional funding/resources. WD CJP through the processes underway: data collection; evidence base; and, completion of a range of Strategic Needs & Strengths Assessments will provide a solid baseline to identify what improvements can be delivered locally within current resources, and what is out with our ability to deliver. The wider improvements within the criminal justice system, including COPFS in relation to quicker marking targets (all within 4 weeks) and SCTS in relation to reducing court backlogs, all have a potential impact for Justice Social Work in particular in relation to Diversion, Court related work and new Community Sentence orders. WD CJP is committed to developing a performance framework that will ensure we are able to address any barriers and/or support any improvement activity. The potential for the creation of bottle necks as JSW workload increases will be of particular interest to the WD CJP. The range of legislation which impacts on community justice outcomes, particularly the Bail and Release (Scotland) and Children’s Care and Justice (Scotland) Act alongside the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill amongst others, will have a local impact across several portfolio areas. WD CJP will continue to develop and strengthen the strategic planning relationships and give careful considerations to the local impacts and ultimately how it contributes to improving community justice outcomes. The introduction of the National Care Service and how that aligns and impacts the statutory duties and deliverables of the WD CJP will also be a key consideration during the next few years.