Item 7 - CJP Report
West Dunbartonshire Council · 22 February 2024
Back to Community Planning West Dunbartonshire Management Board — 22 February 2024 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 Date of report 29/01/2024 Name and email of lead contact Lesley.James@west-dunbarton.gov.uk 1 Highlights of activity and progress since last meeting ‘Arrest Referral Scheme’ (ARS): Pilot and Learning Report. Community Justice Partnership (CJP) is working in partnership with the Alcohol & Drugs Partnership (ADP) to progress activity and build on the learning report. The CJP is currently undertaking a Strategic Needs and Strengths Assessment (SNSA) of the Arrest Referral Scheme to better understand challenges and positive outcomes of the pilot, as well as changes in the local landscape with consideration to Police Scotland and MAT Standards. A multi-agency focus group is being created to drive forward the SNSA and implement a joint strategy to progress the ARS and embed the model successfully within the locality. The ‘Caledonian System’ Training is now complete and staff are in a position of readiness to begin to use the model to effect behaviour change for perpetrators of domestic abuse. Data systems are being implemented and the CJP is addressing the best way to capture data for women and children who voluntary undertake support. The CJP is considering how to better understand this data in regard to MARAC and Child Protection/Adult Support & Protection – working in partnership with the VAWGP to ensure that risk is managed safely. As part of this partnership work the CJP is in the process of creating an operational Risk Assessment & Safety Protocol to ensure that service generated risk is mitigated and that there is effective communication and unified process between children & families and justice social work. Community Justice Scotland (CJS) Undertakings AS part of CJS undertakings WD CJP is currently undertaking SNSAs for: Arrest referral Scheme Bail Support & Supervision Diversion from Prosecution ITEM 7
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Custody to Community – in partnership with SPS/VAWG/HSP/ADP Third Sector/Grass Roots Service Provision The SNSAs will inform the priority areas for the CJ Outcome Improvement Plan (CJOIP) – highlighting areas of good practice and challenges to effect the deliverables attached to the national outcomes within the locality. The CJP has recently competed a draft Community Support Services Tool (CSST) to assist Sheriff’s with decision making in regard to diversion. The tool is to help Sheriff’s (including travelling Sheriffs who sit in the virtual courts) better understand what services are available in the locality. There is national conflict around the use of the tool and what should be included, WD CJP has raised concern in regard to service generated risk and the legitimacy of including 3rd sector partners without due diligence, consultation and agreement. The CJP has asked CJS for time to consult with other strategic partners notably the ADP and VAWGP to ensure appropriate scrutiny and consultation. CJS will be engaging with ongoing narrative and discussion regarding the use of the tool. CJOIP A draft Community Justice Outcome Improvement Plan has been written. Data analysis and 5 year trend data requires to be analysed and inserted into the plan to allow the plan to be developed and priority areas identified. Meetings have been organised with partners to ensure that all priorities are represented in the plan and to ensure the competing demands for service areas are considered at the outset. The CJOIP will inform priority areas and work plans will be created to achieve the deliverables. It is anticipated that the deliverables will be tasked to working groups attached to the work plans. Authentic Voices As part of the CJOIP WD CJP is required to include a participation statement and evidence that those with lived experience, workers and the wider community have been consulted on activity, their voices sought, and included as part of the co- production model. The CJP has created a survey for current and service users and will undertake this in partnership with the ADP. Justice managers have been sent the first draft of the survey for comment and contribution as part of the first phase of participation. The second phase will involve an agreed draft being sent to wider CJP and ADP partners for review, comment and contribution. The third phase will involve the final draft being agreed and ratified by the partnership. Following this a work plan will be created to define undertakings, method and design. As part of this activity the CJP is creating an Authentic Voices working group that will be chaired by a Community Voices advisor who will ensure that the voices of those with lived experience continue to shape and influence service development and delivery going forward. The job profile for the chair of this group has been created and in the process of being agreed.
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CJP ToR/Branding The CJP has developed a draft ToR that was discussed at the most recent CJP meeting. Partners have been asked for comment with a view to the ToR being ratified at the next CJP. The CJP wanted to have its own identity to raise the profile of the CJP and CJP activity. The new CJP logo was ratified at the most recent meeting and is now the official branding for the partnership. Restorative Justice The CJP is at the start of the process with SACRO to look at partnership working with their ‘Hate Crime’ restorative justice resource. SACRO has already established their hate Crime RJ project in other areas and are looking to extend into WD. The Justice services manager is meeting with SACRO at the beginning of February to explore if this is resource is a needed and viable resource for the locality. Information and Awareness Raising Activity: The CJP provided input along with VAWG specialist services to the Information and Awareness Session held as part of the 16 Days of Action event in November. This was well received and the activity will continue during 2024 to raise the profile and reduce the stigma attached to community justice. 2 Outline of any issues/risks and how these are being managed Issues or risk will be identified and assessed in the Strategic Needs and Strengths Assessments, reported to the CJP in the first instance and escalated through governance procedures where appropriate. Management of issues/risk will be identified in the CJOIP and associated delivery plans. Uncertainty around budgets and finance are an ongoing risk for all justice activity. These risks will be managed through the appropriate governance structures 3 Outline of the main outputs expected before next meeting Progress update reporting in each area.
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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’ https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-strategy-community-justice-2/ To support the CJP with the uncertainty (nationally) regarding funding and budgets to support the local delivery of the strategy. 5 Please outline any good news story you wish to share “Very informative session. Also great to hear from community justice agencies who are involved in the local authority and build knowledge of their services” (Comment from a delegate who attended the information and awareness raising event in November. The evaluations were overwhelmingly positive and the event will be part of ongoing CJP activity in 2024.)