PERFORMANCE INSPECTION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SOCIAL WORK SERVICES
Report on Argyll, Bute and the Dunbartonshires' Criminal Justice Social Work Partnership
4. HIGH-RISK OFFENDERS
4.1 The document 'Committed Protection' sets out policies and procedures agreed across the partnership for dealing with offenders assessed as constituting a high risk of harm to others. It outlines arrangements agreed between the police and criminal justice social work for sharing information about risk and for participating in risk assessment. It specifies that the decisions about the accommodation needs of high-risk offenders should be made on the basis of a discussion involving the police, housing, and social work. It sets out the procedures to be followed when members of the public or elected members make enquires about high-risk offenders. It establishes a corporate high-risk offenders group in each authority to develop, implement, and oversee policy. Each authority must also convene an operational high-risk offenders group quarterly.
4.2 A further document sets more detailed operational procedures. These specify that:
- social enquiry reports should be co-authored, allocated to trained and experienced staff, and countersigned by the responsible senior social worker;
- a risk management plan must be drawn up for each offender;
- co-working arrangements must be considered, ideally with a gender balance;
- the senior social worker must ensure continuity of contact;
- a further multi-disciplinary case conference must be held at the end of the order or licence;
- offenders on community service must always be placed away from children or vulnerable adults.
The social enquiry sample
4.3 The sample of social enquiry reports included six reports on offenders whose current offence placed them in the high-risk category. Encouragingly, the overall ratings for these reports were higher than for the sample as a whole. There were no 'poor' reports; 1 report was rated 'adequate', 1 'good' and 4 'very good'. In no instance was the assessment risk of harm to others considered to be less than 'good'.
The case file sample
4.4 Inspectors asked the partnership to include a number of cases designated high-risk within the sample of 75 files and 12 were identified. The main findings of this analysis are discussed below.
4.5 Of the 12 cases, 9 had a supervision plan. Of the three without a plan, one was in custody and another, whose case had been recently closed, had been supervised by another authority and the file contained no detailed account of work undertaken. 5 plans related the proposed level of supervision to the assessed risk of harm either 'well' or 'very well', 3 did this 'adequately', and 1 was 'poor'. 3 plans related the proposed content of supervision to the assessed risk of reconviction/harm and offending related need either 'well' or 'very well' and 6 did this only 'adequately'. 5 plans involved partnership work with other agencies. 6 plans were reviewed at the intervals required in National Standards
Supervision
4.6 7 cases were considered well managed in terms of compliance and enforcement with the remaining 5 receiving an 'adequate' marking. In 6 cases, the content of supervision reflected the assessed levels of risk and need either 'well' or 'very well', 3 cases were assessed as only 'adequate', and 2 were 'poor' (there was 1 n/a). Appointments were kept at the appropriate times in the majority of cases, although there was some slippage.
Discussion with staff
4.7 Arrangements for supervising and managing high-risk cases across the partnership are currently in transition. The partnership is in the process of establishing a dedicated throughcare team that will consist of 4 social workers, dealing with all throughcare and most sex offender cases. The senior social worker responsible for this team, who is employed by West Dunbartonshire, will have direct line management responsibility for all 4 staff. She will be line managed by the service manager for East Dunbartonshire who will assume overall management responsibility for throughcare and work with high-risk offenders.
4.8 When the inspection fieldwork took place, these new arrangements were not in place and the operational guidelines for work with high-risk offenders were still in draft although they have since been issued. Existing arrangements provided for a senior social worker, based in West Dunbartonshire, to be available across the partnership to provide oversight and advice to practitioners and managers in their work with high-risk offenders.
4.9 Work with sex-offenders across the partnership was undertaken on an individual basis, rather than in groups. This was individually planned and supervisors selected appropriate materials from a work pack that had been developed 'in-house'.
4.10 The geography of Argyll and Bute created particular difficulties for supervising high-risk offenders. Working relationships with the police were better in those places where the opportunities for joint work were more frequent, for example Oban and Dunoon.
4.11 Practitioners in Argyll and Bute reported that supervision of high-risk offenders was very rarely undertaken in pairs, although they had worked with selected sex offenders in this way. Although they had been issued with personal alarms, they felt personally vulnerable, particularly when they made home visits. The service manager commented that the number of home visits had dropped considerably in recent times with the majority of contacts with offenders taking place in office locations. Staff were briefed on procedures and protocols and improved methods of ensuring staff safety were being actively considered.
4.12 In East Dunbartonshire the first line manager said that he reviewed all the structured risk assessments and related reports his staff prepared on high-risk offenders. He also drew in the specialist senior social worker from West Dunbartonshire when he thought there was a need. He said there was close co-operation with local police and that practice followed the requirements of 'Committed Protection'.
4.13 In West Dunbartonshire, an inspector observed 2 case discussions convened under the auspices of the 'Committed Protection' procedures. One involved a meeting between the criminal justice staff responsible for the supervision of a sex offender and local authority colleagues in community care, where a potential risk to an adult family member with learning difficulties had been identified. The outcome was an agreed risk management plan. Whilst these discussions were 'in-agency', they were a good example of working across sections in the department and the linkage seemed to work well.
4.14 The second meeting involved the criminal justice service, the local police, and the senior homelessness officer from West Dunbartonshire. The case concerned the forthcoming release of a high-risk offender following a period of 17 years in prison. The offender wished to change the release package that had been set up with him in order to go to another area. His release had therefore been delayed whilst new arrangements were made. This had involved negotiating within a tight timetable. Intelligence and other relevant information was exchanged appropriately. The meeting demonstrated that the various agencies were working well together and seemed a good example of the 'Committed Protection' protocol in action.
Conclusions and areas for improvement
4.15 The sample of high risk cases in this inspection was very small, However, the findings indicate that whilst there was much positive work being carried out there were areas of weakness that cannot be overlooked. The positive aspects are:
- the partnership has developed a comprehensive policy framework;
- local operational high-risk offender groups have been established involving relevant partner organisations and appear to be working well;
- SER quality was above average;
- steps have been taken to create a specialist resource and tighter management structure for this important area of work;
The following steps should be taken to improve services:
- every high-risk case must have a risk management plan in place from the outset;
- these plans should ensure a better 'match' between the proposed content of supervision and the assessed levels of risk, harm and need;
- although work with sex offenders within the partnership draws on a range of appropriate materials, a more consistent and structured programme should be adopted to ensure that all areas identified by research as important for work with this offender group are appropriately addressed;
- orders and licences should be rigorously enforced at all times;
- further consideration should be given to staff concerns about personal safety.