Colleagues

MAPPA INFORMATION NOTICE - January 2008

STATUS- INFORMATION ONLY

NATIONAL MAPPA COORDINATOR

1. We are pleased to announce that Willie Manson has been appointed to the position of National MAPPA Coordinator. As national coordinator Willie will play a key role in implementing the programme to improve the way violent and sexual offenders are managed in Scotland. The post will provide a national resource to ensure the proper coordination of the work of the individual MAPPAs across Scotland, to provide support and advice to the responsible authorities in their role of implementing the joint working arrangements introduced by sections 10 and 11 of the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Act 2005 and to assure the quality of the new arrangements.

2. Willie took up appointment for a period of 3 years from 21 January 2008 and will be co located with Community Justice Services Division in St Andrew's House, Edinburgh.

E-Mail: Willie.mansonMAPPA@scotland.gsi.gov.uk, alternatively contact Bruce Sutherland at Bruce.Sutherland@scotland.gsi.gov.uk .

HEALTH MAPPA GROUP

3. Health Services have a duty to co-operate with the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in order to meet these obligations each Health Board area has identified representatives to attend their local MAPPA implementation groups. A group has now been established, chaired by Dr Raj Darjee, to allow these representatives to meet regularly to share good practice, and experience from a health perspective, both in terms of clinical and management issues. The group had its first meeting on 23 November and was well attended. The idea of regular meetings supported by a virtual network was welcomed as being an important forum as well as an opportunity to develop specific areas of work. The group agreed to meet again in January or February to consider the implications of MAPPA arrangements expanding to Restricted Patients in April. Further information is available from the Forensic Network Manager, vivienne.gration@tsh.scot.nhs.uk and the network website will be updated with the group's developments. http://www.forensicnetwork.scot.nh.uk/

HEALTH RESTRICTED PATIENTS

4. Arrangements are now being taken forward to commence from April 2008 the provisions in section 10 of the Management of Offenders etc (Scotland) Act 2005 which provide for the joint establishment of the arrangements for restricted patients (this will include sex and violent offenders). The Health Service (Health Boards) will be a responsible authority for this group of restricted patients who will be managed in accordance with the guidance on the Care Programme Approach set out in Forensic Services (CEL 13(2007) http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2007_13.pdf.

Guidance on the interaction of the CPA and the MAPPA will be issued as part of the guidance in due course.

VIOLENT OFFENDERS

5. The implementation of MAPPA arrangements for violent offenders will not take place before 2009. The MAPPA working group will be taking forward work to develop the arrangements for violent offenders, which will include the roles and responsibilities of the responsible authorities. Additionally, as part of the undertaking given by the Scottish Government at the time of the passage of the legislation the Risk Management Authority is considering a risk management framework for violent offenders.

JOINT INSPECTORATE THEMATIC INSPECTION

6. SWIA, HMIC amd HMIP are to carry out a thematic inspection of the management of high risk of harm offenders. The inspection will begin in early 2008 and report before the end of the year. It will look at both sexual and violent offenders, and will include detailed case reviews of up to 60 offenders living in the community on licence, a review of risk management procedures in prisons, and a review by the Inspectorate of Constabulary of the management of high risk of harm offenders in selected police areas. In its later stages the inspection will focus in on three local areas to ask staff about their experiences and views about themes arising from the case review, and there will also be a national seminar to allow staff not involved in the focus areas to express their views.

7. The findings of the inspection will not identify individual areas or otherwise resemble a performance inspection, but will concentrate on identifying key themes to sponsor improvement and inform future policy development. The inspectors know that this policy area is developing and that MAPPA arrangements for serious violent offenders are still to be implemented, and they will take this into account when carrying out the inspection.

8. If you have any queries regarding this information notice please contact :Bruce.sutherland@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

Sharon Grant