This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Minister orders audit of sex offender cases
18/04/2005
Scotland's council, prison and police chiefs were have
been instructed to review all their medium and high risk
sex offender cases following publication today of the
Social Work Inspection Agency report on James Campbell.
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson has today written to
local authority chief executives, the chief executive of
the Scottish Prison Service, and chief constables, asking
them to ensure that in light of the report, they are
confident that:
- Sex offenders in their area have been subject to
comprehensive and competent risk assessments
- Appropriate arrangements for supervising such
offenders are in place and being kept under regular
review. These arrangements must include effective local
procedures for managing sex offender accommodation
The Minister will also be asking agencies to ensure that
the broader lessons and recommendations from the report are
used to improve working practices across Scotland to
minimise the risk of similar cases occurring elsewhere.
Each report will be required to be submitted to the
SWIA, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and HM Chief Inspector
of Constabulary by the end of September.
At that time, SWIA will also be undertaking a planned
inspection of North and South Lanarkshire criminal justice
social work grouping during which it will audit the
performance of the authorities in applying the lessons from
today's report.
Ms Jamieson said:
"Sex offenders may be small in number but they rightly
generate considerable public concern. As today's report
makes clear, we cannot completely eliminate the risk they
pose. However, every agency involved in managing sex
offenders - council social work and housing services, SPS
and the police - must do everything possible to minimise
that risk and protect the public.
"These organisations generally manage such
responsibilities well. However this report shows how
important it is to ensure that everything that can be done
is done and that agencies continually ensure the highest
standards of professional practice and management.
"I am determined that lessons from this case are not
just learned locally, but nationally. And I have therefore
asked all organisations involved in the management of sex
offenders to undertake an immediate, thorough review of
their medium and high risk sex offender cases.
"Clearly, all this work will be of little comfort to the
victims and their families in the James Campbell case.
However, I want to assure them this Executive - in
partnership with the new Social Work Inspection Agency -
will ensure that every organisation responsible for
monitoring and managing sex offenders - in North
Lanarkshire or elsewhere - learns lessons from today's
report. And that appropriate and immediate steps are put in
place to minimise the risk of similar events happening
again."
Current work underway by the Executive to improve the
management of sex offenders includes:
- Taking forward provisions in the Management of
Offenders etc (Scotland) Bill to place a duty on the
police, criminal justice social work and SPS to
establish joint arrangements for assessing and managing
the risk they pose
- A review of the operation of the sex offenders'
registration scheme to check whether further
improvements are required. Professor George Irving has
been appointed to undertake this review. We expect to
receive this report in the summer
- Providing funding for enhanced training for up to
500 frontline police and social workers in assessing
the risk which individual sex offenders pose to their
communities
- Creation of the Risk Management Authority - a
recently appointed independent body which has
responsibility for ensuring the effective assessment
and management of risk. It will set standards for and
issue guidance to those involved in the assessment and
minimisation of risk, accredit staff to ensure they are
properly experienced, carry out research and promote
best practice
- Improvements to throughcare services for sex
offenders through an enhanced strategy which seeks to
deliver better public protection through closer
supervision of prisoners released on licence and
certain target groups
- Providing funding to the Chartered Institute of
Housing to take forward work to inform the development
of a national accommodation strategy for sex offenders.
Following research commissioned by the CIH and taking
account of wider Executive measures to reduce the risk
posed by sex offenders, further work is now underway to
prepare a national accommodation strategy and to update
good practice guidance for landlords