PERFORMANCE INSPECTION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SOCIAL WORK SERVICES
Report on Argyll, Bute and the Dunbartonshires' Criminal Justice Social Work Partnership
7. END NOTE
7.1 As the first in this series of inspections it seems appropriate to reflect on what happens next, what has been learnt from piloting the process, and what the findings might suggest for criminal justice social work as a whole.
7.2 The report has been submitted to Ministers and copies provided to Argyll, Bute and the Dunbartonshires' Criminal Justice Social Work Partnership and other interested parties. The report will also be available on the Scottish Executive website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk. The report identifies a number of areas for improved practice and the partnership is asked to send a response to these together with an action plan within three months of the date of publication. It is expected that the recommendations will be implemented within 12 months and a further report on progress will be due at this point. SWSI will follow this up if there are any continuing concerns.
Piloting the process
7.3 One of the aims of this programme of inspections was to establish a methodology that was transparent and that could be systematically delivered. It was also felt that there was value in involving local staff in undertaking some aspects of the investigation work (the file reading) and in drawing in other criminal justice service managers as co-opted inspectors to support the process. Much of this has been achieved and we are very grateful to Argyll, Bute and the Dunbartonshires Criminal Justice Social Work for working with us so collaboratively in piloting the process. However, piloting the approach has offered a number of insights into how to improve the inspection methodology. As a consequence:
- the questionnaire has been revised to improve the collection of the factual information which forms the basis of judgments about the quality of the work as reflected in the case files;
- the time allowed between file reading and fieldwork was very tight and will be extended;
- observing practice was seen as an important element in obtaining a more rounded picture of performance. However, scheduling the observation of practice was not straightforward. Offenders did not always keep appointments and a considerable amount of time was lost waiting for practice to happen. Ensuring that sufficient practice is observed will require more forward planning with the authority/ grouping concerned and the extension of the time allowed for fieldwork.
Implications of this inspection for criminal justice social work services
7.4 As well as being the first inspection of a grouping, this was the first inspection that examined core criminal justice social work services delivered in a specific area. As such, the inspection has identified a number of issues pertinent to the delivery of criminal justice social work services more widely. These issues, which have resonance for both management and practice, are considered below.
Assessment
7.5 Assessment is the foundation of all the work undertaken within criminal justice social work. A number of the problems identified in this inspection were highlighted in 'Helping the Court Decide', SWSI's report on social enquiry reports published in 1996 and were also noted in 'Reducing the Risk: Improving the response to sex offenders' (Scottish Executive 2001), the report on the findings of the Expert Panel on Sex Offending chaired by Lady Cosgrove. There are continuing difficulties in undertaking assessments within the limitations of the information available to the authors of reports about the circumstances of the current offence and the subject's previous offending. In this context:
- the developments with ISCJIS are noted in Chapter 2 of the report but there is clearly a need to find a solution to ensuring that report authors receive the URN with the other papers when the court requests a report;
- as a result of recommendations in the Cosgrove Report, The Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 makes provision that, where cases proceed to trial, the trial judge in qualifying cases must prepare a report in writing about the facts established by the evidence heard at the trial, and that this report should be made available to a local authority social worker and psychologist from whom a report has been requested;
- there is no doubt that the increasing demand for social enquiry reports places a substantial burden on criminal justice social work resources. Consideration must be given at a national level to how best to meet the information requirements of the courts more efficiently.
Compliance
7.6 For court orders involving community supervision to have credibility both with the courts and the public, rigorous adherence to compliance is essential. This inspection has shown that staff responsible for supervision and enforcement act promptly to enforce orders in most instances. However, the inspection did raise a number of issues with regard to compliance:
- there can be substantial delays in processing breaches and executing warrants once the decision to breach has been taken. A working group chaired by a representative of the Scottish Court Service has been examining this problem and the group's report has been issued. The report sets out clearer, simpler procedures for dealing with breaches and it is hoped this will speed up the process;
- the inspection findings also pointed to difficulties with regard to medical certifications for absence. It is unlikely that there are any easy answers but a national review of current arrangements could generate a better policy and practice framework in this sensitive area;
- the inspection noted that dealing with issues of compliance places significant demands on supervisors' time. Given the need to find capacity for a range of delivery tasks that clearly require professionally qualified staff, managing compliance is an area that could be appropriately dealt with by non-qualified staff.
Effective practice
7.7 Effective practice is the key focus of the inspection programme. It consists of a number of crucial activities: assessment, appropriately targeted interventions either on a group or individual basis, and case management and evaluation, which all sit within a context that recognises the importance of social inclusion in supporting desistance from offending. This inspection demonstrated both the value and the challenge of delivering targeted, structured offence focused interventions. It also identified a number of issues for developing this approach nationally:
- the need for sound administrative and assessment procedures, the right working environment, and confident, competent staff;
- the importance of work done with offenders individually to support desistance, for example in the fields of substance misuse, education/employment, and accommodation;
- the need for clarity about the specific contributions made by key partner agencies within the framework for delivering effective practice;
- the delivery of effective, structured interventions is resource intensive. Consideration needs to be given to how to make the best use of available to resources in order to maximise capacity to achieve positive outcomes.
Monitoring and evaluation
7.8 Internal monitoring plays a crucial role in defining need and ensuring delivery and, with the focus increasingly on effective outcomes, evaluation also plays a critical role. Inspection is only one mechanism for ensuring the quality of service delivery which must be the responsibility of local authorities. The inspection has pointed up weaknesses in this area and the extent of the challenge this poses. Establishing common performance indicators for criminal justice social work services across Scotland will assist with this task and is being taken forward by a national working group which will complete the work shortly. The inspection identified two other related issues for consideration:
- there is confusion in how data are collected and presented to Audit Scotland and the Scottish Executive. Efforts are now being made to clarify the position and this should be done as a matter of urgency.
- evaluation is a critical component for the accreditation of structured programmes. The Scottish Executive will shortly publish a 'Guide to Monitoring and Evaluation' which should aid this activity. However, it is also clear from the inspection that drawing together and analysing outcome data is resource intensive and there is a need to consider how this could be better supported both within organisations and externally through, for example, the Criminal Justice Social Work Development Centre.
Cross cutting issues within authorities
7.9 The findings of the recent enquiry into the death of Caleb Ness were published during the course of this inspection. These show how important it is for local authority criminal justice and child protection services to work closely together in cases where they have a shared responsibility to protect children. These issues cut across every aspect of criminal justice social work. The inspection showed that there were procedures to co-ordinate the work of criminal justice, child protection, and mental health services at the local level and that some joint training had also taken place. However, our process did not examine the effectiveness of this and we may need to review our methodology in this respect. Service managers said they would be reviewing these procedures in the light of the findings of the enquiry. It will be important for all authorities to review their current arrangements to ensure that staff are clear about the nature of their responsibilities and that appropriate procedures and related training are in place.
Grouping arrangements
7.10 The inspection looked at practice across one grouping of authorities. Groupings were formally introduced in April 2002 and these developments are still at a relatively early stage. The groupings are founded upon a set of key partnership principles which provide a basis for future development. These principles support the goal of more integrated service delivery and commit the authorities in each grouping to come together for the purposes of planning and delivering services. This inspection highlighted the complexity of this task. To be more efficient and effective, local authority criminal justice social work groupings must be prepared to:
- pool resources and to deploy them where they are most needed;
- re-examine management structures, responsibilities, and lines of accountability;
- build the capacity to deliver effective practice consistently across the partnership;
- develop single systems for performance management and quality assurance.