| Social Work Research Findings No. 15 Social Work and Criminal Justice: The National and Local Context National Objectives and Standards for Social Work Services in the Criminal Justice System and the 100% funding initiative (`the policy') were introduced in l991 [ National Standards for Community Service had been introduced in l989.] in order to secure the provision of services which have the confidence of both criminal justice decision-makers and the wider public. This study is part of the social research programme designed to evaluate policy implementation. It sets the national and local context within which the other studies in the programme examine progress towards policy objectives. Main findings • National consultation, through the Main Consultation Group, and the planning process were found to have engendered a sense of ownership of service and policy objectives amongst key stakeholders. • Initial planning procedures, problems in establishing national and local management information systems and the uncertainty of levels of funding, hindered local strategic planning. Social work managers believed that the development of a comprehensive approach to planning and service delivery was hindered by the fact that not all services were 100% funded. • Managers in authorities with the clearest specialist structures believed that they had introduced more structured offence-focused methods of probation work. • Respondents considered that throughcare was the area in which least progress had been made, partly because it was resource intensive, numbers were low and prison social work services were funded separately from community-based services. • The Main Consultation Group did not facilitate effective monitoring or review of policy implementation. Interviewees identified a need for the establishment of a group to undertake this role. Introduction The National Objectives and Standards (the Standards, 1991) set out a framework within which local authorities are required to provide social work services where costs are met by the 100 per cent funding initiative (initially social enquiry reports and associated court services, community service, probation, parole and other aspects of throughcare). Prior to the development of the Standards, local authorities had to fund most social work services out of their general income. Criminal justice services were, therefore, in competition for resources with other local authority services and as a result were not always of sufficient quantity and quality to meet the requirements of the courts. The main aims of the policy are: • to reduce the use of custody by increasing the availability, improving the quality and targeting the use of community-based court disposals on those most at risk of custody, especially young offenders; • to enable offenders to address their offending behaviour and make a successful adjustment to law-abiding life. The purpose of this study was to describe the national and local context within which the policy had been developed, implemented and reviewed prior to and during the period in which the research programme was conducted. Four social work authorities were selected for study, to reflect areas with urban centres, those which were predominantly rural and to represent both specialist and more generic forms of organising social work criminal justice services. Findings are based on an analysis of central and local government policy and planning documents, and interviews in spring 1995 with: five members of the Main Consultation Group on Social Work Services in the Criminal Justice System; twelve social work managers and seven independent sector service providers located in the study areas. Consultation The Main Consultation Group was established in 1989 with the specific remit to review social work criminal justice services and to oversee production of the National Standards. Respondents considered that the Group had been most successful in involving key stakeholders in developing and generating a sense of corporate ownership of the National Standards. Formal liaison, in which the judiciary were consulted about the quality and quantity of services and proposed developments, did not always take place in the study areas. However informal liaison between the judiciary and court social workers was found to operate well. In some cases it was considered that liaison between the Scottish Prison Service and social work services, and between community-based social workers and those in prisons, could have been more effective. Planning Interviewees considered that local planning was hindered by: the initial planning procedures; the uncertainty of whether proposals in draft plans would receive financial support; problems in establishing national and local management information systems; and the delay in publication of Scottish Office criminal justice statistics and results of the Social Work Services Inspectorate's inspections of local services. Revised planning procedures and the review of the National Core Data System were introduced to facilitate local planning in the future. The Standards were believed to have encouraged the involvement of the independent sector in the planning process and facilitated good liaison arrangements which resulted in greater accountability. The different funding mechanism of prison-based social work was considered to have had an adverse impact on the creation of an integrated throughcare service. Service provision Rural areas were said to have difficulties in accessing or providing services partly because of the relatively low demand and the reluctance of offenders to attend services outwith their local environment. This may have implications for the more rural new authorities. The authorities in which the greatest progress had been made in introducing more structured, offence focused methods of probation work were, managers believed, those which had the clearest specialist structures. Review of policy implementation The Main Consultation Group was not seen to be effective in monitoring and reviewing policy implementation because it met on an annual basis and because (at the time of the research) there was a lack of a comparative national statistical information. Some Main Consultation Group members suggested that, in order to provide a strategic overview of policy implementation, a group such as the Main Consultation Group should be reconvened to encompass more focused representation of key groups and should meet more frequently. Conclusion The main factors which facilitated policy implementation included: • the involvement of key stakeholders in the preparation of the National Standards; • protected funding for core services; • increase in practitioners' skills as a result of greater specialisation; • planning, which provided a focus for development and the establishment of priorities; The main factors which were seen to have inhibited policy implementation included: • the absence of 100% funding for all services; • failure in the allocation of funding, to recognise the resource implications of undertaking effective work with high tariff offenders; • the lack of comparative national statistical information on policy implementation. The study was carried out by The Scottish Office Central Research Unit and the Social Work Research Centre as part of the programme of research to evaluate social work criminal justice policy. The research programme was conducted by The Scottish Office Central Research Unit in collaboration with the Social Work Research Centre at Stirling University and with Edinburgh University. It was funded by the Home Department of The Scottish Office. Social Work and Criminal Justice Volume 3: 'The National and Local Context'; the report of the research programme summarised in this Research Findings is published by The Stationery Office. It may be purchased from The Stationery Office, price £13 per copy. Louise Brown, Liz Levy, Gill McIvor Reports of Individual Studies on this programme are also available: Social Work and Criminal Justice Volume 1: 'The Impact of Policy'.
Social Work and Criminal Justice Volume 2: 'Early Arrangements'.
Social Work and Criminal Justice Volume 4: 'Sentencer Decision-Making'.
Social Work and Criminal Justice Volume 5: 'Parole Board Decision-Making'.
Social Work and Criminal Justice Volume 6: 'Probation'.
Social Work and Criminal Justice Volume 7: 'Community-Based Throughcare'. Cheques should be made payable to The Stationery Office and addressed to: The Stationery Office Ltd,
Mail Order Department,
21 South Gyle Crescent,
Edinburgh, EH12 9EB. Telephone: 0131-479-3141 or Fax 0131-479-3142. The following Research Findings for other studies on this programme are also available: Findings 13: 'The Impact of Policy'.
Findings 14: 'Early Arrangements'.
Findings 16: 'Sentencer Decision-Making'.
Findings 17: 'Parole Board Decision-Making'.
Findings 18: 'Probation'.
Findings 19: 'Community-Based Throughcare'. Research Findings may be photocopied, or further copies may be obtained from: The Scottish Office Central Research Unit
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