MAPPA

MAPPA REPORT 2007-2008

Introduction
Key Achievements
The MAPPA Framework
How the Warwickshire MAPPA works
Lay Advisors
Statistics
Contacts

1. Introduction

This annual report is the seventh published since the formation of the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) It documents some key achievements over the last year, explains the MAPPA framework, how we operate locally and finally gives some performance statistics for the year ending March 2008.

New MAPPA guidance has been issued, and the work in Warwickshire continues to concentrate on improving how all agencies work together, sharing information so that the public can be as well protected as possible, with the focus on the risk of harm that are most serious.

The staff in all of the agencies continue to ensure that the quality of the information shared is of the highest standard, enabling good decision making, and where necessary, intervention.

Thanks go to all staff involved in the MAPPA process for all their effort in protecting the people who live, work or travel in Warwickshire. These efforts continue to result in over 99% compliance by registered sex offenders, in meeting their registration requirements.

Bill Holland	Andy Wade	Sue McAllister
Assistant Chief Constable	Assistant Chief Officer	Area Manager
Warwickshire Police	Warwickshire Probation	HM Prison Service

2. Key Achievements

“We have created effective links with the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC’s) which manage the risks to the victims of Domestic Abuse”

The processes introduced over the previous years have continued to evolve and expand.

During the year we have made more use of the Violent and Sex Offenders Register (ViSOR) (see below) giving the police continuous access twenty four hours a day every day. We have created effective links with the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC’s) which manage the risks to the victims of Domestic Abuse, we have carried out an audit of our MAPPA processes and created a Serious Case Review, though we have not had a need to carry out a review. We have agreed to become a pilot area for disclosure and stable & dynamic risk assessments, both these pilots will commence in 2008 (see how the MAPPA works section). We have also had an input into the National training programme for police officers working in Public Protection Units.

3. The MAPPA Framework

What is MAPPA?

MAPPA are a set of arrangements to manage the risk posed by the most serious sexual and violent offenders. They bring together the Police, Probation and Prison Services in Warwickshire into what is known as the MAPPA responsible authority.
A number of agencies are under a duty to co-operate with the responsible authority. These include: Children’s Services, Adult Social Services, Health Trusts and Authorities, Youth Offending Service, local housing authorities and certain registered social landlords, Jobcentre Plus, and electronic monitoring providers.

The purposes of MAPPA are:

To ensure more comprehensive risk assessments, taking advantage of co-ordinated information sharing across the agencies; and
To direct the available resources to best protect the public from serious harm.

MAPPA Report 2007-2008 Jigsaw image How does MAPPA work?

Offenders eligible for MAPPA are identified and information is gathered/shared about them across relevant agencies. The nature and level of the risk of harm they pose is assessed and a risk management plan is implemented to protect the public.

In most cases, the offender will be managed under the ordinary arrangements applied by the agency or agencies with supervisory responsibility. A number of offenders, though, require active multi-agency management and their risk management plans will be formulated and monitored via MAPP meetings attended by various agencies.

Who are the MAPPA offenders?

There are 3 categories of offender eligible for MAPPA:

Registered sexual offenders (Category 1) - sexual offenders who are required to notify the police of their name, address and other personal details and notify any changes subsequently:

Violent offenders (Category 2) - offenders sentenced to imprisonment/detention for 12 months or more, or detained under hospital orders. This category also includes a small number of sexual offenders who do not qualify for registration and offenders disqualified from working with children; and

Other Dangerous offenders (Category 3) – offenders who do not qualify under categories 1 or 2 but who currently pose a risk of serious harm, there is a link between the offending and the risk posed, and they require active multi agency management.

MAPPA Report 2007-2008 Person watching TV image How are they managed?

There are 3 levels of management, which are based upon the level of multi-agency co-operation required to implement the risk management plan effectively. Offenders will be moved up and down levels as appropriate:

Level 1: Ordinary Management – These offenders are subject to the usual management arrangements applied by whichever agency is supervising them. But this does not rule out information sharing between agencies, via ViSOR and other normal contact routes.

Level 2: Active Multi-agency Management – The risk management plans for these offenders require the active involvement of several agencies via regular multi agency public protection (MAPP) meetings.

Level 3: Active Multi-agency Management – As with level 2 but these cases additionally require the involvement of senior officers to authorise the use of special resources, such as police surveillance or specialised accommodation, and/or to provide ongoing senior management oversight.

What is the role of the Strategic Management Board

Senior representatives of each of the agencies involved in MAPPA form a strategic management board (SMB) which meets at least quarterly to monitor the arrangements and direct any necessary improvements.
The SMB will measure effectiveness against new National MAPPA standards introduced in October 2007 in order to ensure a common standard of effective public protection arrangements and that each of the agencies is playing a full part in MAPPA.

What do the Lay advisers do?

The responsible authority is required to appoint 2 lay advisers to sit on the SMB. The lay advisers acts as independent yet informed observers; able to pose questions which the professionals closely involved in the work might not necessarily think of asking. They also bring to the SMB their understanding and perspective of the local community – where they must reside or have strong links.
There is currently a vacancy for one new Lay Advisor in Warwickshire (from December 2008) anyone interested should contact the MAPPA Co-ordinator as detailed at the end of this report.

Violent and Sexual Offenders’ Register (ViSOR)

ViSOR is a database holding details of sexual and violent offenders, and other dangerous persons. In 2008, for the first time, the three MAPPA Responsible Authority agencies - police, prison and probation - will be able to work on the same IT system enabling the sharing of risk assessments and risk management information on individual violent and sex offenders in a timely way to reduce re-offending.

“The SMB will measure effectiveness against new National MAPPA standards introduced in October 2007 in order to ensure a common standard of effective public protection arrangements”

4. How the Warwickshire MAPPA works

On a day-to-day basis the offenders in the community are managed by Warwickshire Police public protection unit (PPU) and Warwickshire Probation Service offender managers. Young offenders under age 18 yrs are managed by the Youth Offending Service. Sitting over the MAPPA process is the SMB. This consists of senior officers from the police and probation as well as representatives from the prison service, children’s services, youth offending service, health services, fire service and electronic monitoring services.

There is ongoing work to create links with adult services and with jobcentre plus, this will improve the co-ordination and monitoring of offenders and ensure that their employment is appropriate to their risk.

As mentioned previously Warwickshire will become a pilot area for two studies, one in relation to disclosure to a person having custody or control of a child, as outlined in the Home Office child sex offender review, and the other is a new risk assessment tool which combine dynamic and static risk factors, this should give us a better understanding of who is posing the highest risk and enable us to direct our resources.

MAPPA Report 2007-2008 People at meeting image There are good links across the County with other protection structures, the vice chair of the MAPPA SMB also sits on the Crime and Disorder Partnership and on the Criminal Justice Board, members of the SMB are also members of the Safeguarding Children Board and the MAPPA Co-ordinator sits on one of the sub committees.

The victim’s perspective is also brought into the MAPPA process by having the Probation Victims unit as standing members of the level 3 & 2 meetings.

“There is ongoing work to create links with adult services and with jobcentre plus, this will improve the co-ordination and monitoring of offenders”

“He was closely monitored by the police, probation and children’s services and with the close co-operation of all agencies he has been successfully managed back into the community”

Case Studies

David is a convicted sex offender and a violent offender, he imprisoned his ex partner in her own home, tying her up before torturing and severely beating and raping her. His intention was to murder her. All this was done whilst their children were asleep upstairs. For this offence he received a prison sentence of 8 years with an extended licence of 5 years.

He was released on licence to a Probation Approved Premises in Warwickshire. Prior to his release a MAPPA level 2 meeting was held, this involved police, probation, children’s services and victims’ unit representative from both areas.

There was great concern about the safety of his previous partner and his new partner and her children. There was also uncertainty about David’s mental health. It was agreed that he would be visited in prison jointly by the probation and health service.

The police and children’s services would carry out a joint visit to his new partner’s address. The purpose of this was to fully disclose to her the details of his offending behaviour.

After numerous MAPPA meetings and Child Protection case conferences it was decided that the children should be placed “at risk” and a child protection plan put into place, which removed the children from her care.

David had an extensive list of licence conditions on his release including not visiting the area where his new partner and her children lived. He was closely monitored by the police, probation and children’s services and with the close co-operation of all agencies he has been successfully managed back into the community having not breached any of the conditions imposed upon him by his licence. Following the successful period in the approved premises he is currently residing in single person accommodation away from the approved premises.

George is a convicted sex offender. The offence he was convicted of was engaging in sexual activity in the presence of children, whilst in his car. He stopped alongside two girls on the pretence of asking for directions, whilst wearing no trousers and carrying out a sex act. No attempt was made to entice the girls into the vehicle. They took the registration number of the vehicle and reported it to the police.

He was released to his home address on licence. By the police visiting his home address they became concerned about his continued absence from the address. This caused an increased level of surveillance to be placed on him, which discovered he was visiting an adult female who had children. This was discussed at a MAPPA meeting and children’s services decided to disclose to the mother the convictions of George.

Once the probation service became aware of George being in contact with children they immediately breached him and he was sent back to prison to serve the rest of his sentence.

“We remain convinced that the appointment of lay advisors to the MAPPA SMB is an important step in public protection work, and would recommend it to others”

5. Lay Advisors

It is now over three years since our appointment, in that time we have become familiar with the MAPPA process and remain convinced of its importance and effectiveness. We continue to have the opportunity not only to observe and comment, but also to become involved and positively contribute. During the last year, as well as attending all the Strategy Management Board (SMB) meetings, we have contributed to the audit process and to a case review. We also attend, periodically, MAPPA working meetings, when appropriate. In addition there has been ongoing training provided.

Acceptance of the lay advisor role by the professionals has always been an important factor in effectively carrying out our role as ‘critical friend’. This acceptance in Warwickshire has always been willingly made, and remains so.

The appointments were made for four years, so this is a good time for reflection. We remain convinced that the appointment of lay advisors to the MAPPA SMB is an important step in public protection work, and would recommend it to others who, rather than just observe through the media, want to make a positive contribution to the public protection process.

6. Statistics

Warwickshire MAPPA Annual Statistical Information For the reporting period 1st APRIL 2007 - 31st MARCH 2008

Number of MAPPA eligible offenders

Registered Sexual Offenders 239
Violent Offenders 88
Other Offenders 17

Total 344

Level of Management Ordinary management (Level 1)

Registered Sexual Offenders 193
Violent Offenders 34
Other Offenders 0

Total 227

Offenders managed via MAPP meetings (Level 2)

Registered Sexual Offenders 46
Violent Offenders 50
Other Offenders 17

Total 113

Offenders managed via MAPP meetings (Level 3)

Registered Sexual Offenders 3
Violent Offenders 1
Other Offenders 0

Total 4

Enforcement for offenders managed via MAPPA meetings Returned to custody for breach of licence

Level 2 15
Level 3 0

Total 15

Sent to custody for breach of Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO)

Level 2 4
Level 3 0

Total 4

Serious Further Offences involving offenders managed via MAPP meetings Charged with a serious further offence

Level 2 0
Level 3 0

Total 0

Of those charged during the year(Level 2 and 3 combined):

Convicted of a serious further offence N/A
Other outcome
Remain charged with serious further offence

Further data on Registered Sexual Offenders

Total number of registered sexual offenders in (Area) per 100,000 head of population

Registered Sexual Offenders cautioned or convicted for breach

Sexual Offences Prevention Orders

Applied for 15
Interim Order issued 0
Full Order issued 15

Notification Orders

Applied for 0
Interim Order issued
Full Order issued

Foreign Travel Ordesr

Applied for 0
Interim Order issued
Full Order issued

Explanation/Commentary

The data on RSO numbers reflect the picture on 31 March 2008; ie a snapshot. The rest of the data covers the period 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008.

MAPPA eligible offenders - there are a number of offenders defined in law as eligible for MAPPA management, because they have committed certain sexual and violent offences and/or currently pose a risk of serious harm, although the majority (66% this year) are actually managed under ordinary agency (level 1) arrangements rather than via MAPPA meetings.

Registered sexual offenders (RSOs) - those who are required to notify the police of their name, address and other personal details and notify any changes subsequently. Failure to comply with the notification requirements is a criminal offence, which carries a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment.

Violent offenders – this category includes violent offenders sentenced to imprisonment/detention for 12 months or more, or detained under hospital orders. It also includes a small number of sexual offenders who do not qualify for registration and offenders disqualified from working with children.

Other offenders – offenders who do not qualify under the other two MAPPA eligible categories but who currently pose a risk of serious harm which require management via MAPP meetings.

Breach of licence - Offenders released into the community following a period of imprisonment of 12 months or more will be subject to a licence with conditions (under probation supervision). If these conditions are not complied with, breach action will be taken and the offender may be recalled to prison.

Serious further offence (SFO) – any sexual or violence offence, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment or more. For the first time this year we are reporting not only the number of actively MAPPA managed offenders so charged but also on the outcome of the case.

Other outcome means that the case has been dealt with by 31 March 2008 but that the offender was not convicted of an SFO; eg the offender was acquitted or the case was not proceeded with, or s/he was convicted of a lesser offence.

Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) - a court may make a SOPO at the time of dealing with certain sexual offenders or when the police make a special application on account of the offender’s behaviour in the community. The full order lasts for a minimum of 5 years and can last indefinitely. A SOPO will require the subject to register as a sexual offender and can include conditions, for example; to prevent the offender loitering near schools or playgrounds. If the offender fails to comply with (i.e. breaches) the requirements of the order, he can be taken back to court and may be liable to up to 5 years’ imprisonment.

Notification Order – require sexual offenders who have been convicted overseas to register with police, in order to protect the public in the UK from the risks that they pose. Police may apply to the court for the order in relation to offenders in or intending to come to the UK.

Foreign Travel Orders - prevent offenders with convictions for sexual offences against children from traveling abroad where it is necessary to do so to protect children from the risk of sexual harm.

7. Contacts

National Probation Service Warwickshire
Andy Wade
Assistant Chief Officer
2 Swan Street
Warwick CV34 4BJ
Tel 01926 415803

HM Prison Service
Sue McAllister
Area Manager
West Midlands Area Office
The Dana
Shrewsbury SY1 2WB
Tel 01743 284565

Warwickshire Police
Detective Superintendent Graeme Pallister
PO Box 4
Leek Wootton
Warwick. CV35 7QB
Tel 01926 415000

Detective Inspector Roy Wheelwright
Public Protection Unit
PO Box 4
Leek Wootton
Warwick. CV35 7QB
Tel 01926 415000

MAPPA Co-ordinator
Derek Ridgway
PO Box 4
Leek Wootton
Warwick. CV35 7QB
Tel 01926 415226

Click this link to open a PDF version of the MAPPA Report 2008