MAPPA

MAPPA stands for Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements and MAPPA has now been in place since 2001 in all Police and Probation Trusts in England and Wales. These arrangements provide the framework for the coordinated risk management of potentially dangerous offenders by different agencies. Its aim is to protect the public from these offenders once they are given community sentences or are released from prison.

There are three categories of offenders managed under the MAPPA arrangements:

1. Registered Sex Offenders (RSO's)
2. Violent and other sexual offenders
3. Other offenders assessed as posing a risk of serious harm to the public

There are also three levels of risk which offenders fall into under the MAPPA process:

Level 1 is the lowest risk – Ordinary Agency Management. The risks posed by the offender can be managed by the agency responsible for supervision / case management of the offender. This does not mean that other agencies will not be involved. Such agencies may be Durham Tees Valley Probation Trust, the Police, the Youth Service or other agencies.

Level 2 offenders pose a higher risk – Active Multi-Agency Management. Offenders are managed by Multi-Agency Risk Management Meetings, drawing staff from across statutory & voluntary sectors.

Level 3 is the highest risk – Multi-Agency Management at Senior Management Level. It is reserved for the critical few who present a risk of serious harm in the community. Comprehensive assessment tools are used to ensure that they are properly identified, monitored and supervised.

A tool which is used in the MAPPA arena is the Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO). Legislation allows Courts to make SOPOs on conviction and County Durham & Darlington and Teesside Public Protection Units have taken the opportunity to ask Courts to consider such Orders in every case where they could assist in managing offenders more safely in the community.

Sentencers appear to have welcomed this decision and in most cases have followed the proposals made by Probation staff in their reports. It has resulted in some very practical steps to control offenders' behaviour. For example, such Orders have limited offenders access to the internet; prevented unsupervised contact with children and prevented access to areas where children might gather such as playgrounds or leisure centres.

Teesside and County Durham & Darlington Public Protection Units
Within County Durham, Darlington and Teesside the core mechanism for delivering MAPPA remains the joint Police and Probation Public Protection Units (PPU). In Durham the unit was set up in 1999 and in Teesside in 2004. Staff have been trained to administer and interpret a range of assessment tools and Durham Constabulary was a lead partner in the roll out of the Violent and Sex Offenders Register, a national database of high risk offenders which is used by the Police as a case management tool and an aid to investigation. Since the units were established the number of registered sex offenders has increased in both areas year on year. These numbers are unlikely to fall in the near future mainly due to the very lengthy registration period which some offenders face.

Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC)
The central aim of the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) is to encourage good practice in the treatment of all victims and witnesses. The MARAC is one of the component parts of the required services that need to be in place for areas to have Specialist Domestic Violence Courts.

The MARAC is a forum for sharing information and taking actions to reduce harm to high and very high-risk victims. Police are the lead agency in the project and provide the chair to the meeting and the Probation Service also has a specialist MARAC Coordinator. In addition, as many agencies as possible are represented at the meetings, including health, social services, housing, probation and the domestic violence forum. Referrals can be made to the process from all agencies having contact with domestic abuse victims. The process helps to:

• Reduce repeat victimisation,
• Improve agency accountability
• Enhance information sharing
• Offer a consistent approach to risk assessment.

Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVA)
Domestic Violence Advocates (also known as Independent Domestic Violence Advisors or IDVAs) are trained specialists whose goal is the safety of survivors. They particularly focus on providing a premium service to survivors at medium to high risk of harm. Advocates focus on risk and risk management. They work directly with survivors to provide advice and support to help them make safety plans and understand the options they have. They also assist in accessing the full range of legal and non-legal services and resources and engage proactively in multi-agency work to keep survivors and their children safe. They are active participants in MARACs. Most of their referrals are from statutory agencies – few are self-referrals.

Accredited programmes for Sex Offenders

N-SOG - Northumbria Sex Offenders Programme - NSOG is a nationally-accredited programme based upon research into what works to prevent sexual re-offending. It can be a Requirement of a Community Order or Suspended Sentence Order or a condition of a licence. The programme is suitable for men aged 21 and over who have committed contact or non-contact sex offences against children or adult victims of either gender. It is not suitable for female sex offenders, men with an IQ of less than 80, men with mental health problems or severe drug/alcohol misuse, men assessed as psychopathic or men in total denial of their sexual offending.

I-SOTP - Internet Sex Offenders Programme - I-SOTP is an accredited programme for male offenders aged 17 and over who have been convicted of sex offences related to use of the internet. Offenders below 21 will follow the programme on an individual basis with their probation officer. It can be a Requirement of a Community Order or Suspended Sentence Order or a condition of a licence.