We are pleased to commend this 2006/2007 MAPPA

Annual Report to you.

The report identifies a year of progress, development and success in the management
of public protection issues within County Durham and Darlington. The strength of the

partnership between the Responsible Authorities, Prison, Police and Probation has
continued to grow and additional resources have been brought in. The report also

includes inputs from Duty to Co-operate Agencies and it is the bringing together of all
these people which has contributed to the success we have had in managing those
offenders who pose the highest risk of harm in our communities.

Russell Bruce Jon Stoddart Phil Copple

Chief Officer Chief Constable North East Area Manager
National Probation Service Durham Constabulary HM Prison Service
County Durham
Ministerial Forward
These are the sixth MAPPA annual reports, and the first with a foreword by the Ministry of Justice.
I want, first of all, to underline the Government's continued commitment to these arrangements.
Protecting the public from dangerous offenders is a core aim for the new Department. Just as the
effectiveness of MAPPA locally depends on the quality of working relationships, we will work with
the Home Office, the Police, and others, to develop the best possible framework within which the
MAPPA can operate.

On 13 June, the Government published a Review of the Protection of Children from Sex Offenders.
This sets out a programme of actions which include developing the use of drug treatment for sex
offenders and piloting the use of compulsory polygraph testing as a risk management tool,
enhancements to the regime operating at Approved Premises, and also a range of actions
impacting directly upon the way the MAPPA work. I want to highlight two of them here.

Firstly, research tells us that the arrangements are already used successfully to disclose
information about dangerous offenders but we think this can be improved upon. MAPPA agencies
will be required to consider disclosure in every case. We will pilot a scheme where parents will be
able to register a child-protection interest in a named individual with whom they have a personal
relationship and who has regular unsupervised access to their child. If that person has convictions
for child sex offences and the child is at risk, there will be a presumption that the offences will be
disclosed to the parent.

Secondly, as MAPPA has developed over the past 6 years, best practice models have been
identified which show that specific roles and approaches are required to ensure it is managed
effectively. We are committed to strengthening MAPPA arrangements and ensuring that robust
performance management is in place. To achieve this, we intend to introduce new national
standards, which will ensure a consistent approach across Areas and we will be making available
£1.2million to support Areas in implementing the standards.

We aim to do everything that can reasonably be done to protect people from known, dangerous
offenders. We know that there is always room for improvement. I commend this annual report to
you as an indication of the commitment, skills and achievements of the professionals, and lay
advisers, in managing and monitoring this essential, often difficult area of business.

Maria Eagle MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
 What is MAPPA?

MAPPA stands for Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements and MAPPA has now been in place since
2001 in all 42 Police and Probation areas in England and Wales. These arrangements provide the
framework for the co-ordinated 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 who are assessed as posing a risk of serious harm to the public

Just as there are three categories of MAPPA offenders, there are also three levels of risk which offenders
fall into under the MAPPA process:

sis.

Level 1 is the lowest risk.

Offenders will be managed by a single agency, usually the Probation Service or the Police but
also the Youth Service or Health Care agencies.

Level 2 offenders pose a higher risk.

Offenders are managed by Multi-Agency Risk Management Meetings, which draw in staff from
across the statutory and voluntary sector.

Level 3 is the highest risk.

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.

Level 3 offenders are managed by Multi Agency Protection Panels, chaired by a Chief Officer
from Probation. Part of his/her task is to draw together comprehensive
risk management plans and to hold other agencies to account for there part in the plans
which are reviewed on a regular basis.nt for there part in the plans which

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 the County Durham & Darlington Public Protection Unit has
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. 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.
Risk Management Plans
What’s in them and who makes them?

John had been convicted on two separate occasions for offences of rape and had been released
from prison at the end of his sentence. He was subject to an extended period of supervision on
licence by the probation service and was a registered sex offender for life. He had completed the
sex offender treatment programme in prison, but was felt to have made little progress

Meetings about John began approximately 6 months prior to his release from prison. Initial
meetings were attended by representatives from all three responsible authorities - Police, Probation
and Prisons - and the process began of ensuring that all relevant information and intelligence was
shared.

As the release date came closer the attendance at the meetings broadened to reflect the
comprehensive nature of the risk plan which was needed to be put in place. The case was
managed at MAPPA Level 3 and because of the seriousness of the risks posed, advice and
support was sought from a Chartered Forensic Psychologist who provided specialist assessments
of the risks of re-offending and the sort of behaviours that might occur. Victims views were
represented by the Victim Liaison Officer.

The Initial Plan

 To reside in approved premises with curfew conditions

 Approved premises to monitor times of entering and leaving residence

 An exclusion order to be drawn up to prevent John being in the vicinity of the victims

 Victims to be visited by Victim Liaison Officer and updated regularly on situation and
offered panic alarms

 Licence conditions to require him to do further work on Sex Offender Treatment Programme, and
disclose details of any relationships he formed with females

 John to notify vehicle details to police

 John not to take employment without the consent of his offender manager

 John to be seen weekly by Offender Manager and Police Officer from PPU in addition to contact
with approved premises staff

Despite the tight package which was put around him, concerns about John remained high and in
fact began to increase. Under these circumstances the plan was expanded and he was:

 Placed under surveillance by the Police

 His mobile phone records were monitored
 As he had found a job, a disclosure was made to his employer

Plans were also identified to allow for his swift recall to prison if the point was reached were it was
felt he could no longer be managed in the community.
What is Serious Harm?
Definitions of Harm

Serious Harm
Harm which is life threatening or traumatic and from which recovery, whether
physical or psychological, can be expected to be difficult or impossible

Very High Risk

There is imminent risk of serious harm. The potential event is more likely
than not to happen imminently and the impact would be serious

High Risk

There are identifiable indicators of risk of serious harm. The potential event
could happen at any time and the impact could be serious

Medium Risk
There are identifiable indicators of risk of harm. The offender has the
potential to cause harm but is unlikely to do so unless there is a
change of circumstances

Low Risk
No significant current indicators of risk
MAPPA: The Reality
Fact:
Registrations are up
This year the number of sex offenders required to
register with the police has gone up to 468. This
was not unexpected as due to the length of time
offenders are required to remain on the register,
the number of new people joining exceeds the
number of people de-registering. This doesn't
mean County Durham and Darlington are
becoming more dangerous places to live. It means
that the number of people who are being actively
supervised in the community continues to grow. In
County Durham and Darlington no offenders were
unaccounted for during 2006-2007.
Fact:
Domestic Violence continues to be the
biggest growth area
Awareness of domestic violence has brought an
increasing number of perpetrators into the
MAPPA arena and has stretched resources
available to protect women across statutory and
voluntary agencies. In the coming year County
Durham and Darlington will be implementing the
MARAC process (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment
Conferencing) which will provide a specialist
forum where the needs of victims of domestic
violence can be assessed and management
support offered. MARAC and MAPPA will be
complimentary processes but both are aimed at
keeping the safety of the victim and the
prevention of further victimisation at the heart of
the process.
Fact:
No one at the highest level of risk
committed a Serious Further Offence (SFO)
Offenders within MAPPA and those on the sex
offenders register are proactively managed within
County Durham and Darlington with additional
resources being made available to manage the
higher risk offenders. This has included
surveillance operations, intelligence gathering in
co-operation with neighbouring police areas,
requirements to reside in approved premises and a
range of special assessments and interventions.
Where offenders are identified and managed within
MAPPA, everything possible is done to ensure that
the community is kept safe and that the
opportunities for further offences are minimised.
Fact:
Over 6,000 hours has been spent
planning the management of MAPPA Level
2 & 3 Offenders
This figure is a conservative estimate based on an
average of eight people attending meetings that
last approximately 2 hours each with around 400
meetings being held in a year. This represents a
massive commitment of resources from the
agencies involved and on top of this is the time
spent on delivering the plans which have been
identified
Fact:
Sex Offenders Prevention Orders are up
SOPO's are orders of the court which place
additional prohibitions on offenders. In 2006-2007
100 orders existed in the area. In Co Durham and
Darlington SOPO's are requested routinely for all
sex offenders appearing at court and the range of
prohibitions included are designed to manage the
risks of individual offenders. Typically this might
involve prohibiting an offender from being in
children's play areas. Breaching the terms of a
SOPO is an offence punishable by imprisonment of
up to five years by the Crown Court.
Local operation of MAPPA
Review of the last 6 years

Within County Durham and Darlington, the core mechanism for delivering MAPPA remains the joint
Police and Probation PUBLIC PROTECTION UNIT (PPU). The unit was set up in 1999 originally
with three staff from the Police and three from Probation. Over the last seven years it has grown to
include five Police Constables and a Sergeant, six Probation Officers and a Probation Middle
Manager, a member of the Youth Engagement Service and a full time MAPPA administrator.

The staffing within the unit has been relatively stable which has allowed high levels of expertise and
knowledge to be developed. 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 VISOR. VISOR is
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. Probation staff are currently
leading a rollout of VISOR to Probation areas.

During the life of the unit staff have had to adapt to new legislation including the introduction of Sex
Offender Prevention Orders. SOPO's are now requested at point of sentence and allow additional
protective measures to be put in place which restrict offenders movements and exclude them from
areas where they might seek to target new victims. SOPO conditions include:

 Prohibited from owning or using a computer/laptop or any other equipment capable of

downloading images from the internet including a camera phone

 Prohibited from permitting children or a person under 18 years of age of entering/remaining in

premises/vessels/tents/caravans or similar closed places in possession/control of the offender

 Prohibited from entering/remaining on premises/land including parks/school

play areas used by children

 Prohibited from entering/loitering within 50 metres of public toilets

Since the unit was established the number of registered sex offenders in County Durham and
Darlington has increased to the current 468. This number is unlikely to fall in the near future
mainly due to the very lengthy registration period which some offenders face.

The biggest growth area within MAPPA however is in the number of Level 2 meetings which are
being held in relation to perpetrators of Domestic Violence. All agencies in County Durham and
Darlington have invested significant resources in identifying and bringing to justice perpetrators of
Domestic Violence and there is increased awareness of the impact on victims and on their children.

Last year Police and Probation were joined by the Prison Service as a responsible authority and a
wide range of other agencies have signed up as ‘Duty to Co-operate Agencies’ within County
Durham and Darlington. These include PCT and Mental Health Trusts, Children's Services, Housing
Providers, Local Authorities, Domestic Violence Services, Education Providers, Crown Prosecution
Service and Victim Support.

continued...
continued...

Attendees at meetings are drawn from statutory and voluntary agencies. There is nationwide
co-operation with staff travelling from across the country to attend relevant meetings, for
example when an offender proposes to move from one area to another. During the past 12 months
in County Durham and Darlington we have worked closely with criminal justice partners from as far
south as Sussex and as far north as Edinburgh.

The high levels of co-operation within the unit and between agencies and the willingness to be
flexible and adaptable all work to support the high levels of protection afforded to communities and
individuals in County Durham and Darlington.

MAPPA & Victims

Part of the management of any offender is the identification of past victims and of individuals who
are currently at risk. The action plans which are drawn up at MAPPA meetings require attention to
be given to the offender, but they also look at the information needs of victims and protective
factors which can be put in on their behalf. The Probation Service employs a full time Victim Liaison
Officer as well as a Women's Support Worker who supports victims of Domestic Violence. Victims
are entitled to know of any key developments regarding the offender, such as:

 Details of a recall or a reduction in sentence after an appeal

 If an offender applies for or is given a work placement in the Community

 If the offender absconds

 If the offender is transferred to a different prison

 The outcome of a parole review

 If the case is closing and contact with the offender is being ended

 When the offender is due to be released

The job of victims workers in relation to MAPPA is to represent the views of victims at meetings, if
they are known, and need to be considered. As a result, restrictions are often placed on offenders
to exclude them from areas where victims live or work and to prevent them from making contact.
This can be done as part of licence requirements on release from prison or as a condition of a Sex
Offender Prevention Order (SOPO).

Victims can also be offered more personal protection including alarms which are monitored and
linked directly to the police, changes in locks and in extreme cases, cameras which cover their
houses.
The role of the Prison Service in MAPPA
The Prison Service, as a Responsible Authority for MAPPA, has an Area Public Protection
Co-ordinator who represents the Area Manager on the MAPPA Strategic Management Board and
co-ordinates the delivery of public protection across North East prisons. Each prison has a Head of
Public Protection who works within an Offender Management Team and is the dedicated contact
point for public protection.

In September 2006 a single system for managing offenders assessed as high or very high risk of
causing serious harm to the public was introduced. These offenders have an Offender Manager,
based in the Probation Service, who will work with them from the beginning to the end of their
sentence. The Prison Service ensures that they have an Offender Supervisor who provides a strong
link between the offender and the Offender Manager. The Offender Supervisor is responsible for
ensuring that targets set for the offender by their Offender Manager are worked towards and met.
A large part of this work will be directed at reducing and managing risk.

The prisons in the North East make an important contribution to MAPPA

and public protection by:

 Prompt identification of MAPPA offenders following reception into prison

 Sharing information with Police and Probation to make sure that there is a full picture
for risk assessment

 Attending and providing information for level 2 and level 3 panels

 Using the Offender Assessment System (OASys) - a risk assessment tool shared with Probation -
to assess risk regularly and consistently

 Manage and identify risk whilst individuals subject to MAPPA are in custody through
Inter-departmental Risk Management Meetings (held within the prison and attended by prison based
Offender Supervisors, internal Probation Officers, Offender Managers and the Police)

 Through sentence planning, identify and use offending behaviour programmes and other
interventions to reduce individual offender's risk

 Ensuring that the release dates of MAPPA offenders are notified to police and Probation well in
advance and that necessary contributions are made to ensure that an effective release
plan is in place.

VISOR

The Violent and Sexual Offenders Register (VISOR) is currently being introduced to the Prison
Service. It is a networked confidential system, created and owned by the Police Service, which
allows information about dangerous offenders to be shared by Police, Probation and Prisons
nationally. Whilst prisons are in the early stages of introducing this work, early indications are that
it will have a significant impact on the delivery of public protection.

The Prison Service recognises that there is an ever increasing MAPPA population, and that the
proportion of those received into prison is likely to grow with the introduction of public protection
sentences. As a responsible Authority, the Prison Service acknowledges the importance of this work
and recognises that they have a vital role to fulfil in protecting the public.
The role of the Police in MAPPA
The partnership arrangements for the management of registered sex offenders and dangerous
people have developed over the past 10 years. I have witnessed these developments first hand,
from the early visionary days of joint Police Officer and Probation teams to the situation we have
now where these partnership arrangements have been extended and supported by robust risk
assessment processes and the willingness to share information across multi-agency partnerships.

Durham Constabulary is committed to working in partnership to protect the public from offenders
who are managed within the community. In order to provide community reassurance about these
arrangements, the Constabulary has undertaken to commit dedicated police resources, a position
which is mirrored by our Probation Service and Youth Engagement Service colleagues. The
investment in staff dedicated to public protection has grown incrementally over the past 10 years
and I have witnessed on many occasions the commitment by public protection staff and the
professionalism they demonstrate in discharging their duty.

Inevitably, registered sex offenders and dangerous people will live in our communities and must be
monitored following their requirement to register as a sex offender. Our multi-agency teams
demonstrate the utmost professionalism in the assessment of risk and the range of options at their
teams disposal. They ensure not only that these offenders are managed within these communities,
but also that where appropriate, restrictions are placed upon them to minimise any risk that they
pose.

The past ten years has coincided with the use of increasingly innovative techniques in the
management of this risk, as well as using legislation effectively, in particular the use of Sexual
Offence Prevention Orders. At the same time, Durham Constabulary has utilised a number of both
overt and covert methods of monitoring such offenders, commensurate with a continuous
assessment of risk. This assessment is an ongoing process during the period of registration and is
reliant upon both Police intelligence as well as information from our partner agencies.

Our operating practices, in particular the dedicated staffing of joint multi-agency teams, has been
recognised as best practice nationally and County Durham and Darlington continues to attract
attention from across the country to explore what we do.

Protecting vulnerable people and communities is high on the agenda of both Durham Constabulary
and the Police Authority. Public protection is just one aspect within this vulnerability agenda but it
will continue to receive a high priority with our partners.

Ian Scott
Detective Chief Superintendent - Durham Constabulary
 The Role of the Safeguarding Children Unit -
Children’s Services Darlington
Children's Services in Darlington have worked closely with Durham and Darlington MAPPA since its
implementation. Whilst this provides a framework for the assessment and management of risk
posed by serious and violent offenders, it also provides a crucial tool for planning and protecting
children from harm.

The MAPPA and the Darlington Safeguarding Children Board Child Protection Procedures both
compliment each other. They are constantly reviewed and updated in line with new legislation and
good practice identified. There have been a number of situations that have clearly reduced the risk
posed to children and vulnerable adults by the sharing of information.

A recent case was brought to the notice of Darlington Safeguarding Unit from a prison in the south
of the country. A serious sex offender was due for release after a 10 year sentence and so a MAPPA
was held. The offender wished to return to the area, stating clearly the child was now an adult and
there would be no concerns for their welfare. This allowed Children's Services to share information
relating to the index offence and clarify the current risk to the victims. On release, the offender did
not report to his officer and an alert went out which resulted in a recall. This was because the
offender was found attempting to make his way to the area. Clearly this is an example of the
relationship the agencies have with the MAPPA process.

As an officer that has worked in the child protection/safeguarding field before the development of
MAPPA up to the current time, it is my opinion that the identification of risks to children are
minimised due to the information sharing from all level of meetings through the arrangements in
place. Plans agreed by multi-agency professionals are robust and increase the protection to
vulnerable adults and children. These plans assist decision-making at child protection conferences
and aid assessments carried out by key workers to reduce any drift in planning for children.

I am aware that there is and has always been an excellent working relationship with my colleagues
in the Public Protection Unit. The flow of information/intelligence has been a catalyst for a number
of successful outcomes in relation to cases involving RSO and other violent offenders.

Recently, a case involving a serious offender from Darlington was the subject of frequent MAPPA
meetings prior to his release in to the community. During the course of these meetings I suggested
a joint approach to the extended family via the family group conference process (a service widely
used in Darlington Children's Services). This proved very successful and was another example of
how MAPPA procedures can be linked with current procedures to support and enhance the
planning and protection of children from suffering or likely to suffer significant harm.

Elaine Clarke
Safeguarding Children Manager
The role of Primary Care Trusts in MAPPA*
PCTs came into being on 1st April 2002 following implementation of The Primary Care Trust
(Functions) England Regulations (2002). As part of the NHS re-organisation in 2003, six PCTs in
County Durham and Darlington were created. In a 2006 reorganisation, the PCTs in County Durham
merged to form one County Durham PCT (Darlington remains a separate PCT although some
functions are shared, including Executive Directors of Commissioning and Public Health.)

PCTs work with the public as individuals and communities. They have a responsibility for Public
Health within PCT geographical boundaries. County Durham and Darlington PCTs have been
partners in the MAPPA process since 2002.

The earliest links between PCTs and MAPPA were via child protection processes and these links
remain strong. The Director of Public Health is the lead PCT Director for Child Protection and
MAPPA; Senior professionals and managers within Child Protection are the PCT representatives
on MAPPA; and Child Protection professionals are the most likely to attend MAPPA case meetings.

As well as commissioning NHS services for Acute Hospitals and Mental Health/Learning Disability
Service providers, the PCTs commission prison health services. PCTs also directly provide such
services as Health Visiting and District Nursing. General practitioners (GPs) are employed as
independent Practitioners through PCTs, and GPs in turn directly employ primary care practice
staff.

Primary Care workers (i.e. GPs, their staff and Health Visitors) are at the forefront of public
protection as they can be in a position to recognise risk and identify possible victims and
perpetrators. They are also very likely to be involved in offering support services to families and
victims, referring clients and patients to other associated NHS services, particularly mental health
services and Genito Urinary Medicine (GUM), as well as referring to other agencies such as Social
Care or Police.

With regard to the protection of the public, PCTs exercise this responsibility through their
contribution to MAPPA, Domestic Abuse Strategies and plans, Homicide Reviews and Child
Protection work. The Public Health function works closely with Clinical Governance in the PCTs to
ensure that all staff who come into contact with the public have an appropriate level of training and
are risk assessed themselves e.g. CRB checked.

The Director of Public Health and PCTs also work with Local Authorities, Constabulary and other
organisations to plan for emergency situations other than those covered by MAPPA.

*Section 343 (6) of the Criminal Justice Act (2003) whereby PCTs have a duty to cooperate with the
Responsible Authority for Durham and Darlington.
The role of the Youth Engagement Service in
MAPPA
County Durham Youth Engagement Service (CDYES) has been represented within Durham and
Darlington Public Protection Unit since 2000 and, as a service, continues to value the close links
between the two agencies.

There are a number of benefits to be gained from dual representation that impact positively on the
work delivered by practitioners working with young people who pose a risk of harm to the public.
One of the benefits has been the speed at which information is exchanged between CDYES and
the PPU. Locally, shared intelligence received by PPU staff has proved to be invaluable as it has
allowed practitioners managing high risk young people to take positive action if required,
especially those subject to licence conditions, I.S.S.P or those included in MAPPA arrangements.
The recall of a small minority of young people who have been considered to pose a risk of harm
has been facilitated by the close links between the two agencies.

Young people who are due to be released from custodial sentences for sexual or violent offences
are not always considered appropriate for inclusion into the MAPPA arena. However, the exchange
of information regarding potential risk issues can be swiftly communicated via CDYES and PPU and
the secure estates. In terms of referring young people for consideration for level 2 meetings, this
process has witnessed a more considered approach from CDYES case managers who have the
opportunity to discuss cases with PPU in advance. This has ensured that only those young people
who do pose a significant risk of harm are entering the MAPPA arena as the consequences for this
small group can be far reaching.

One of the benefits of improved links is raising awareness that young people should not be treated
with the same approach as adult offenders or perpetrators of sexual harm and there is recognition
that many of these young people are extremely vulnerable in their own right. The risk management
meetings make this distinction, as demonstrated recently with a high profile case which has been
successful, not only in significantly reducing the risks identified but also in meeting the needs of the
young person's emotional, social and educational development.

The changes to sex offender registration requirements have resulted in many young people being
ineligible to register and these numbers have seen a decline over the past two years. While they
may not attract registration, many still pose significant risks and consultation and information
exchange between the two agencies has proved to be extremely beneficial. The recent introduction
of the A.I.M (Assessment, Information and Moving on) procedures offers another route for agencies
that have concerns regarding young people who sexually harm. Some young people who do not fit
the criteria for MAPPA can be signposted into these procedures if appropriate, but it allows for the
PPU to maintain a presence as they are invited to the A.I.M meetings and can equally
contribute.

There are some young people who are subject to lengthy custodial sentences that require their
supervision to be transferred to Probation colleagues within the PPU and there is now a
mechanism to ensure a smooth transition between agencies. Where possible, the Probation Officer
within the PPU will attend the young person's custodial planning meeting (usually held every three
months) with the CDYES case manager so the young person has the opportunity to be introduced
and changes and expectations discussed.
continued...

Recently, the presence of CDYES within an initial adult MAPPA meeting saw information being
shared which was a result of that young man being under the supervision of CDYES as a youth.
Having that information and being able to participate in the subsequent risk management planning
that took place is evidence of good practice .

In terms of future plans to improve links and good practice, it is important not to become too
complacent. CDYES are currently beginning to develop risk management policies that incorporate
not just the assessment process, but look at the journey a young person could take from when their
behaviour may be simply causing concern through to them entering the criminal justice system and
onwards.

CDYES is awaiting guidance from the Youth Justice Board on Minimum Standards for Public
Protection and a self assessment matrix will assist in developing CDYES’s own action plan that will
build and strengthen existing arrangements. More recently discussions have been taking place to
explore the introduction of a screening panel with the PPU managers. This panel will make
decisions regarding referrals from CDYES to the PPU much more robust and improve CDYES’s
recording of the decision making process.

Gill Shelby
Acting Head County Durham Youth Engagement Service

The role of Local Authority Community

Services in MAPPA
From a housing perspective, we engage with MAPPA at both a strategic and operational level. The
multi-agency meetings held at a local level are of vital importance in determining the most
appropriate accommodation for specific individuals. The meetings give us an opportunity to share
information, measure the risks involved and minimise potential harm.

Most of the local meetings we attend relate to people in need of accommodation. Without
satisfactory housing these people are more likely to re-offend, so it is in everyone’s best interest
that we actively assist in identifying suitable accommodation.

Without MAPPA we would be putting both our Housing Officers and members of the public
inadvertently at risk so it is a valuable tool for all parties involved in the process.
 MAPPA ANNUAL REPORTS STATISTICAL INFORMATION

Required for the reporting period 1st APRIL 2006 - 31st MARCH 2007

County Durham & Darlington

Type your area name here: NPS County Durham
Question
1. Category 1 MAPPA offenders: Registered Sex Offenders (RSO)

i) The number of RSOs living in your Area on 31st March 2007 – Area total, plus broken
down to named BCU level.

This is information principally held by the police and is a snapshot of RSOs on 31/03/07. It should NOT
include RSOs in prison.
Total
348

BCU (List Below) RSO

North 180
South 168

a) The number of RSOs per 100'000 head of population. (This figure will be calculated
centrally by NOMS).

RSO Per 100k

57

ii) The number of sex offenders having a registration requirement who were either
cautioned or convicted for breaches of the requirement, between 1st April 2006 and 31st
March 2007.

Only those cautions that have actually taken place and breaches that have been successfully
completed during the reporting period should be counted

Total
15

iii) The number of (a) Sexual Offences Prevention Orders (SOPOs) applied for (b) interim
SOPOs granted and (c) full SOPOs imposed by the courts in your Area between 1st April
2006 and 31st March 2007.

(a) (b) (c)

44 0 34

The total number of full SOPOs imposed should include both those granted on application and as an
auxiliary order at the point of sentencing.
iv) The number of (a) Notification Orders applied for (b) interim Notification Orders granted
and (c) full Notification Orders imposed by the courts in your Area between 1st April 2006
and 31st March 2007.

(a) (b) (c)

0 0 0

v) The number of Foreign Travel Orders (a) applied for and (b) imposed by the courts in your
Area between 1st April 2006 and 31st March 2007.

(a) (b)
0 0

2. Category 2 MAPPA offenders: Violent offenders and Other Sexual offenders (V&OS)

vi) The number of violent and other sexual offenders (as defined by Section 327 (3), (4) and
(5) of the Criminal Justice Act (2003)) living in your Area between 1st April 2006 and 31st
March 2007.

You should include in this figure only those Category 2 offenders who are living in your Area during
the reporting period. You should NOT include those Category 2 offenders who are still in custody.
Care must also be taken NOT to include here any Category 1 offenders.
Total
104

3. Category 3 MAPPA offenders: Other Offenders (OthO)

vii) The number of ‘other offenders’ (as defined by Section 325 (2)(b) of the Criminal
Justice Act (2003)) between 1st April 2006 and 31st March 2007.

This figure should not include any offenders who are included in either the Category 1 or 2 (i.e. (i)
and (vi) above).

Total
78

4. Offenders managed though Level 3 (MAPPP) & Level 2 (local inter-agency management)

(viii) Identify how many MAPPA offenders in each of the three Categories (i.e. (1)- RSOs,
(2)- V&O and (3)- OthO above) have been managed through the MAPPP (level 3) and through
local inter-agency risk management (level 2) between 1st April 2006 and 31st March 2007.

The criteria for referring a case to the MAPPP are defined in MAPPA Guidance as those in which the
offender:

is assessed under OASys as being a high or very high risk of causing serious harm; AND

presents risks that can only be managed by a plan which requires close co-operation at a senior
level due to the complexity of the case and/or because of the unusual resource commitments it
requires; OR
 although not assessed as a high or very high risk, the case is exceptional because the likelihood of
media scrutiny and/or public interest in the management of the case is very high and there is a
need to ensure that public confidence in the criminal justice system is sustained.
The level 2 figure should include those offenders who have not been managed at level 3 at any point
in the counting period & meet the criteria set out in the MAPPA Guidance as follows:
The management of the offender requires the active involvement of more than one agency but the
complexity of managing the risk is not so great as to require referral to Level 3, the MAPPP.

Cat.1 (RSO) Cat.2 (Violent) Cat.3(Other)

Level 2 26 45 78
Level 3 17 1 2

(ix) Of the cases managed at levels 3 or 2 (i.e. (viii)) between 1st April 2006 and 31st March
2007, how many, whilst managed at that level:

(a) Were returned to custody for a breach of licence?

(b) Were returned to custody for a breach of a sexual offences prevention order?
(c) Were charged with a serious sexual or violent offence??

PLEASE NOTE: Only record outcome measures appropriate to the level at which the
offender was managed at the time of their breach/further offence (e.g. if an offender was
initially managed at Level 3 but goes on to commit a serious further offence after he has
been moved to Level 2, he should be recorded in the 'Level 2' row for question (c))

For these purposes a serious sexual and violent offence is one of the following (i.e. the same
offences as used to trigger reporting in the National Probation Service as a ‘serious further offence’):
a Murder; b Attempted murder; c Arson (where there is an intent to endanger life); d Manslaughter; e
Rape; f Kidnap/abduction or attempted kidnap/abduction.
g Any other very serious violent or very serious sexual offence, armed robbery (defined as robbery
involving a firearm), assault with a deadly weapon or hostage taking. h Any other violent or sexual
offence where the offender/ offence is likely to attract significant media interest or which raises
wider issues of national interest.

(a) (b) (c)

Level 2 0 0 0
Level 3 0 0 0
 Strategic Management Board

The SMB is the group which is charged with the responsibility to oversee the operation of
the MAPPA in County Durham and Darlington. The group meets on a quarterly basis and is
jointly chaired by Hazel Willoughby Director of Offender Management In Probation and
Chief Supt Ian Scott who is Head of CID within Durham Constabulary. Agencies represented
on the SMB are:

Prisons
Education
Strategic Health Authority
PCT’s
Mental Health trusts
Domestic Violence Groups
Durham County council
Darlington Council
Youth Services
Victims
Lay Members representing local communities

(In addition to the SMB, a steering group meets on a monthly basis to look at operational
issues affecting the PPU)

County Durham Probation Servicece

Forest House
Aykley Heads Business Park
Durham
DH1 5TS
Tel: 0191 383 9083
Fax: 0191 383 7979

www.durhamprobation.gov.uk