Gloucestershire Area

Multi-agency

MAPP Annual Report 2003

Public Protection

Annual Report 2003

NATIONAL PROBATION SERVICE

for England and Wales

Gloucestershire
1. Local Foreword
This is Gloucestershire's second annual report and
covers the first full year of operation of the Multi-agency
Public Protection Arrangements in the County since
they were placed on a statutory footing. Although until
now Police and Probation have been the only statutory
partners we are pleased to report that colleagues from
other agencies in the County have demonstrated
total commitment to multi-agency public protection.
This is evident from the contents of this report.
Agencies have also been represented at a senior level
on the Strategic Management Board which has both
demonstrated commitment to this work and also
enabled the speedy implementation of policies across
agency boundaries. It is disappointing that no
additional government funding was made available to
implement these new arrangements but such is their
importance that the Gloucestershire Police Authority
and the National Probation Service in Gloucestershire
have made resources available to ensure their effective
implementation. In particular the appointment of a
jointly funded co-ordinator with appropriate
administrative support has been instrumental
in strengthening inter-agency risk assessment and
management work in the county.
The local community have a right to know how
publicly funded organisations work together to provide
the best possible practice in the assessment and
management of high risk offenders. This is a difficult
and sensitive area of work which can attract the
concern and interest of many. This report
demonstrates that all agencies in Gloucestershire are
fully committed to both working together, and also
importantly, striving towards best practice in order to
improve levels of public protection.
Timothy Brain
Chief Constable
John Carter
Chief Probation Officer
National Forward
By Paul Goggins, Parliamentary Under-Secretary
for Community and Custodial provision in the
Home Office
As the recently appointed Minister with responsibility for
the MAPPA, I am pleased to introduce this, the second,
annual MAPPA report. It is clear that in the last year
(2002/3) the multi-agency public protection
arrangements (MAPPA) continued to play an important
role in what remains one of this government’s highest
priorities – the protection of the public from dangerous
offenders.
As someone with many years experience of working in
the field of child protection, I am particularly impressed
by the important contribution the MAPPA are making to
strengthen collaboration between agencies at a local
level where the focus is on the dangerous offender.
These improvements must, however, impact on the
protection of children. As the tragic death of Victoria
Climbie showed, an effective multi-agency partnership
is crucial and the MAPPA are an important element.
To ensure greater consistency in the MAPPA across the
42 Areas of England and Wales, and to prepare for the
implementation of measures contained in the Criminal
Justice Bill, we published the MAPPA Guidance in April.
Building on good practice, that Guidance clarified the
structure of the operational arrangements as well as the
importance of formal review and monitoring – of which
this annual report is a vital part. The Criminal Justice
Bill will strengthen the MAPPA in two ways. Firstly, it
will make the involvement of other agencies part of the
statutory framework. Secondly, it will introduce the
involvement of lay people – those unconnected with
day-to-day operation of the MAPPA – in reviewing and
monitoring the MAPPA. Annual reports and this new lay
involvement show the Government’s commitment to
explaining how the often sensitive and complex work of
public protection is undertaken.
The Government is also strengthening the protection of
the public with other measures in the Criminal Justice
Bill. They include new sentences for dangerous
offenders to prevent their release if they continue to be
dangerous. Additionally, the Sexual Offences Bill will
tighten up sex offender registration, introduce a new
offence of ‘grooming’, and enable sex offender orders
to be imposed on violent offenders who pose a risk of
causing serious sexual harm – thereby extending sex
offender registration to them.
I commend this report to you and congratulate all the
agencies and individuals who have contributed to the
achievement of the MAPPA locally in your local Area.
Paul Goggins
2. The National Picture
This section of the report draws
attention to the wider context of the
operation and development of the
Multi-Agency Public Protection
Arrangements (the MAPPA).
The most important work undertaken
within the MAPPA is done locally, led
by the police and probation – who
act jointly as the ‘Responsible
Authority’ in your Area – and in each
of the 42 Areas of England and
Wales. The experience and good
practice upon which this work is
based began in the 1990s – most
significantly as a result of the closer
working relationship required by the
Sex Offender Act (1997). The
Criminal Justice and Courts
Services Act (2000) formalised that
relationship, and built on the existing
experience by requiring the police
and probation services to establish
arrangements, (the MAPPA) for
assessing and managing the risks
posed by sexual and violent
offenders. The Act also required the
Responsible Authority to publish an
annual report on the operation of
those arrangements. This report,
covering April 2002 to March 2003,
is the second annual report.
The importance of partnership
Key to the development of the
MAPPA in the past year has been
the closer involvement of other
agencies, such as Housing, Health
and Social Services, working
alongside Police and Probation.
The truly multi-agency nature of the
MAPPA and the collaboration which
underpins it is to be strengthened
further by the Criminal Justice Bill.
The Bill will place a ‘duty to
co-operate’ on a wide range of
organisations including Local Health
Authorities and trusts; Housing
Authorities and registered social
landlords; Social Services
departments; Jobcentres; Youth
Offending Teams; and Local
Education Authorities. In addition,
the Prison Service will join the
Police and Probation services and
become part of the MAPPA
‘Responsible Authority’.
Supporting and co-ordinating the
development of the MAPPA
throughout the 42 Areas of England
and Wales, is the National Probation
Directorate’s Public Protection Unit
(PPU). This Unit acts as a central
point for advice, and increasingly,
involvement in the management of
difficult cases. These include, for
example, UK citizens who have
committed serious offences abroad
and return to this country without
anywhere to live. The Unit is also
able to provide financial support,
when the risk management plans
make exceptional demands upon
local resources.
Involving the public
MAPPA developments in the next 18
months will also include the
appointment by the Home Secretary
of two ‘lay advisers’ to each Area.
The eight areas of England and
Wales which have been piloting
these arrangements since January-
(Cumbria, Greater Manchester,
Durham, South Wales, Dorset,
Hampshire, Surrey and West
Midlands) report that they add real
value. Lay advisers will contribute to
the review and monitoring of the
MAPPA, which is undertaken by
each Area’s Strategic Management
Board – the work of which, you can
read more of in this report.
The purpose of appointing ‘lay
advisers’ is to ensure that
communities understand more of
what is done to protect them, and
that those involved professionally
with the MAPPA are aware of the
views of the community. The lay
advisers will not ‘represent’ the
community in the way, for example,
that local councillors do, nor will they
be involved in operational decision-
making, Given the sensitivity of
much of what the MAPPA does,
especially with the few offenders
who pose a very high risk of serious
harm to the public, it is not
practicable for the general public to
be involved. Lay advisers will,
however, ensure an appropriate and
a practical level of community
involvement.
MAPPA Offenders
This year the annual report provides
a more detailed breakdown of the
number of sexual and violent
offenders who are covered by the
MAPPA in your Area. As last year,
the figures include the number of
Registered Sex Offenders. Because
sex offender registration is for a
minimum of 5 years (and generally
for much longer) the figures are
cumulative. This is why they have
increased – by 16 per cent in
England and Wales. Only a very
small proportion (about six per cent
throughout England and Wales) are
considered to pose such a high risk
or management difficulty that they
are referred to the highest level of
the MAPPA – the Multi-Agency
Public Protection Panels (the
MAPPP).
Figures alone do not, of course, tell
the whole story. The anonymised
case studies illustrate the practical
work of the MAPPA, and
demonstrate the preventive action
which can be taken. Prior to the
MAPPA, action of this kind was
mainly taken by one agency alone,
with the effect that on occasion
offenders’ behaviour which might
have triggered preventative action
went unnoticed. The multi-agency
approach of the MAPPA helps
ensure that if an offender does
breach the condition of the licence
under which they were released
from prison or a court order
prohibiting certain activities, then
action to enforce the condition or
order and protect the public can be
taken more swiftly.
3. Area Background
Arrangements to assess and
manage the risks posed by sexual,
violent and other offenders who may
cause serious harm to the public
have been in place in
Gloucestershire for some years.
This early work provided the
foundations for the Multi-Agency
Public Protection Arrangements and
Multi- Agency Public Protection
Panel meetings which are now in
place.
In 1995 Risk Management
Procedures were established by the
Probation Service in liaison with the
Police, Social Services, Health and
Housing. Protocols were agreed to
facilitate the sharing of information
regarding these groups of offenders.
This resulted in regular multi-agency
meetings where information was
exchanged to ensure a
comprehensive assessment of the
risks posed by the offender and a
Risk Management Plan agreed.
In 1997 a further critical milestone
was the implementation of the
requirements of the Sex Offender
Act which placed a joint
responsibility on the Police and
Probation Services to risk assess
and manage those sex offenders
who were required to register with
the police.
In 1998 further work was developed
with regard specifically to people
with a mental disorder, personality
disorder or learning difficulty, who
were assessed as posing a serious
risk of harm to themselves or others.
This led to the introduction of
multi-agency risk meetings on this
particular group; some of whom
were offenders. This work had
evolved from arrangements that had
been established in Gloucestershire
in 1992 to protect vulnerable adults
– the Adult at Risk Procedures.
Developments in 2000 led to the
establishment of a Co-ordinated
Community Response to Domestic
Violence, a multi-agency group from
the statutory and voluntary sectors,
working to protect victims of
domestic violence, both adults and
children, and holding perpetrators of
domestic violence accountable for
their behaviour.
Section 67 and 68 of the Criminal
Justice and Court Services Act
2000, which came into force on
1 April 2001, conferred a statutory
duty on the Police and Probation
Service to undertake work with other
agencies to protect the public from
sexual, violent and other offenders
who may cause serious harm.
Within Gloucestershire, a joint
Police and Probation Service
working group was set up to
develop arrangements for the local
implementation of the Act.
The group produced a report, which
was considered by the County’s
Joint Chief Officers Group.
In February 2002 the Chief Officers
group agreed to establish a
Strategic Management Board (SMB)
to oversee local arrangements for
Public Protection, and the work of
the Multi-Agency Public Protection
Panel, (MAPPP) which the 2000 Act
required to be in place.
In January 2003 a Protocol was
signed by members of the SMB from
Police, Probation, Social Services,
Health, Housing and HM Prison
Gloucester, which formally supports
the Gloucestershire Multi-agency
Public Protection Arrangements
(MAPPA).
In order to support this work, the
Police and Probation Service jointly
fund a Multi-Agency Public
Protection Panel Co-ordinator Post.
The MAPP panel assesses and
manages the risks posed by a small
number of very high risk offenders
who require special attention in
addition to agencies existing risk
management arrangements.
Good communication between
agencies is the critical ingredient of
sound risk assessment and risk
management procedures.
The established protocols regarding
the sharing of information, ensure
that this is done in accordance with
agencies statutory duty to share
information and the relevant Acts of
Parliament which confer a statutory
power to exchange information.
Initial and ongoing information
exchange is essential to the
effective assessment and
management of high-risk offenders.
"The multi agency public
protection panel meetings have
brought key people together from
the various agencies involved with
very high risk offenders, to share
information in order to assess
risks and to put together and
monitor risk management plans.
The panel meetings and the
working arrangements established
have helped to increase our
ability, by working together, to
protect the public from the risks
posed by these ‘offenders’ "
(Assistant Chief Officer),
National Probation Service,
Gloucestershire.
4. Roles and responsibilities
The Police
Public Protection is a priority for the
Gloucestershire Constabulary.
It supports the MAPPA by
representation at both a strategic
and operational level. Designated
Police officers, on each of the three
divisions within Gloucestershire,
monitor sex offenders required to
register under the Sex Offender Act
and contribute to the multi -agency
assessment and management
processes in place. This work is
co-ordinated centrally and overseen
by the Chief Superintendent who
represents the Police on the
MAPPP. The Police have
responsibility for managing the Sex
Offender Register and taking action
if any offender breaches any
requirements of the Sex Offender
Act. The additional requirements of
the Criminal Justice and Court
Services Act, to assess and manage
other offenders identified as posing
a risk of serious harm, has led to
additional resources being allocated
to ensure these public protection
requirements are met.
The Probation Service
The Probation Service in
Gloucestershire protects the public
in its day to day work by supervising
offenders in the community and
enforcing the conditions of their
court orders, or licences, after
release from prison, in accordance
with Probation Service National
Standards.
Offenders who do not comply with
their court order are taken back to
court, or if they fail to comply with
their prison release licence they are
reported for recall to prison.
The Public Protection Team is a
specialist team of probation officers
dedicated to managing offenders
assessed as posing a high risk of
serious harm, who work in close
collaboration with the Police, the
Prison Service, the Home Office,
Social Services and other agencies.
The Assistant Chief Officer (Field
Services) attends MAPPP meetings.
Social Services Departments
The duties and responsibilities of
Social Services Departments include
services to vulnerable groups both
adults and children. This applies to
children in need and their families,
older people, people with disability
and those with mental health needs.
The department’s responsibilities to
protect children through the Area
Child Protection Committee, Child
Protection procedures, and the Adult
at Risk procedures ensures the
department works together with
other agencies in the assessment
and management of risk.
A Fieldwork Services Manager with
responsibility for child protection
issues attends the MAPPP
meetings.
Mental Health Services
The Inter-Agency Monitoring Group
for Mentally Disordered Offenders is
responsible for the development of
strategies for interventions with
mentally disordered offenders.
This group was instrumental in the
drawing up of the ‘Common
Approach’ to Risk Assessment
signed up to by all agencies in
Gloucestershire in 1995.
The Multi Agency Risk Management
Assessment Panel meetings are
attended by psychiatrists,
community psychiatric nurses, social
workers, police officers and
probation officers, and other
agencies involved assess and
manage the risks posed by people
suffering from personality disorder,
mental disorder, learning difficulties
or any combination of these.
A psychiatrist from the
Gloucestershire Partnership NHS
Trust attends the Multi-Agency
Public Protection Panel Meetings.
Housing Authorities
Gloucestershire Probation Area has
an established protocol with local
housing authorities and registered
social landlords regarding the
exchange of information to assist
offenders and ex-offenders gain
access to appropriate housing and
to manage risk which may be posed
by individual offenders.
The relevant district-housing officer
attends MAPPP meetings.
HM Prison Gloucester
Arrangements exist which enable
sharing of information between the
Prison Service, Police and Probation
Service. Seconded probation staff
work within the local prison, and
probation officers maintain contact
with prisoners throughout their
custodial sentence and supervise
them on release on licence.
The Senior Probation Officer for
HMP Gloucester has recently joined
the MAPPP, and Prison / Probation
staff from prisons elsewhere in the
county also attend MAPPP
meetings.
Youth Offending Service
The Youth Offending Service work
with all young offenders aged 10 –
17. Young offenders may be subject
to referral to a MAPPP. The Youth
Justice Board requires the Youth
Offending Service to identify young
offenders who present a risk and
design a plan of intervention. This
can, where appropriate be in tandem
with the MAPPA processes. The
Youth Offending Service Senior
Operational Manager attends
MAPPP meetings.
5. The Operation of MAPPA
Multi-agency Public Protection
Arrangements (MAPPA) include all
the measures put in place by the
agencies involved to identify, assess
and manage those offenders
assessed as posing a risk of serious
harm.
Those assessed, as posing the
highest risk of serious harm will be
referred to a Multi Agency Public
Protection Panel (MAPPP) meeting.
Cases fitting any of the following
criteria should be considered:-
 where there is an imminence
of serious harm.
 where unusual resource
allocation is required.
 where there are serious
community concerns.
 where there are media
implications.
 where there is a need to involve
agencies not normally involved.
The role of the MAPPP is to:-
 share information on those
offenders referred to it.
 decide upon the level of risk
posed by the offender.
 recommend the action
necessary to manage the risk,
including any contingencies.
 monitor and ensure
implementation of the agreed
action plan.
 review the level of risk and the
action plan in the light of
changes in circumstances or
behaviour.
 consider and manage
necessary resources.
The Multi-Agency Public Protection
Panel, chaired by the MAPPP Co-
ordinator includes a Detective Chief
Superintendent, Assistant Chief
Probation Officer, Social Services
Field Work Services Manager,
Forensic Psychiatrist, Forensic
Psychologist, Housing Manager,
Youth Offending Team Manager and
Senior Prison Probation Officer.
Experienced trained professionals
from agencies with first hand
knowledge of the offender are
invited to contribute to the Panel’s
careful and rigorous consideration of
each case; this includes the
Probation Service Victim Enquiry
Officers.
Whilst the MAPPP risk assess and
manage those offenders assessed
as posing the very highest risk of
serious harm, similar arrangements
exist to assess and manage other
offenders who do pose a risk of
serious harm and require multi-
agency intervention. These Local
Risk Management Meetings
(LRMM’s) are convened either by
the Police or Probation Service.
The risk assessment and
management process are consistent
for all meetings:-
Risk Assessment
This is a process carried out to
establish whether the offender is
likely to cause serious physical or
psychological harm to others. The
areas of risk examined are:-
 risk to the public
 risk to children
 risk to known adults / relatives
 risk to staff
 risk to themselves
 risk to prisoners
To aid this assessment, nationally
validated assessment tools are used
as well as agencies individual
knowledge and professional
assessments of the offender.
The required outcome of the risk
assessment is to be as specific as
possible with regard to:
 What is the nature of the risk?
 Who is at risk?
 Under what circumstances.
 Identify triggers and patterns of
behaviour that would increase
the risk.
The MAPPA processes ensure that
the risk assessment is regularly
reviewed, as circumstances change.
Risk Management
The detailed risk assessment
informs the Risk Management Plan.
This plan will describe actions that
can be taken to monitor the
offender’s behaviour, and attitudes
and intentions, in order to manage
and minimise the risk of serious
harm. This plan will include
measures that involve the offender
in addressing the causes of
offending behaviour and future
strategies to manage behaviour, and
also measures designed specifically
to protect, such as conditions in a
licence on release from prison, not
to contact previous victims, not to go
to certain areas, to live where
directed. The plan will also detail
what actions the individual agencies
will take, should the risk escalate
and / or should the offender not
comply with licence conditions.
Critical to the risk assessment and
management process is the
information provided by the
Probation Service’s Victim Enquiry
Officers, who will have offered
contact to all victims, of a sexual or
violent offence, whose perpetrator
has been imprisoned for a period of
12 months or more.
These Victim Enquiry Officers attend
risk management meetings to
ensure that information from the
victim(s) is appropriately shared and
that measures are included in risk
management plans to protect the
victims.
" The MAPPP meetings are an example of effective inter-agency working. It is my impression that the
meetings that have taken place have provided tangible benefits by way of both risk management and, in
some cases, risk reduction. The representatives of the various organisations that attend the MAPPP
meetings have demonstrated an ability to work collectively, flexibly and creatively in order to assess and
manage risk" (Consultant Psychiatrist)

Case Example 1

The offender was referred to the MAPPP by the Probation Service.

Background
 Convicted of a violent attack on a relative involving the use of a weapon.
 Previous convictions for offences of violence both within his family and upon strangers,
again using weapons.
 Serious alcohol and drug problem.
 Due to be released from prison and suitable accommodation needed to be secured
for his release.
 Engaged well with prison based staff in addressing his alcohol and drug problem.

Risk Assessment
 Very high risk of serious violent assaults on both people known to him and strangers.
 Risk increases if return to alcohol / drug misuse.

Risk Management Plan

 MAPPP supported application for additional funding to secure accommodation in specialist hostel.
 Licence conditions on release would include condition to reside where directed, to abide by special
rules of the hostel to manage his behaviour, and to address his alcohol and drug misuse.
 Would not be allowed to return to his home town.
 Would not be allowed contact with previous victims.
 Victim Enquiry Officer to advise victims of these arrangements.
 Police to advise previous victims of security measures available to protect themselves.
 Probation Service to recommend re-call to prison immediately if offender failed to comply.

Outcome
 Released to a specialist hostel out of Gloucestershire.
 Required to remain within the hostel for specific periods of time and initially only
leave when escorted.
 Required to attend a treatment programme.
 Did not contact previous victims.
 Remained drug / alcohol free for 6 months – the longest period ever achieved.

Current Position
Facing a difficult stage in addressing his behaviour he returned to the hostel late, had been
drinking alcohol and was verbally aggressive to hostel staff.
Arrangements were in place anticipating this as a possibility, he was arrested immediately and recalled to
Prison.
 Case Example 2

The offender was assessed at a multi-agency risk management meeting as a sex offender
required to register.

Background
 Been convicted of indecent assault offences on his stepdaughter.
 Been allegations of similar offences in the past that were not prosecuted.
 Received poor reports on progress on the prison based Sex Offender Treatment Programme.
 Concerns he would attempt to contact his victim.
 Concerns that the victim’s mother would not be able to properly protect her daughter.

Risk Assessment
 High risk of serious harm to girls within a family environment or a position of trust.

Risk Management Plan

 To be released to an Accommodation Project with 24 hour staff cover and Close Circuit Television.
 To be required to undertake the Sex Offender Treatment Programme in the community.
 To report weekly to his Probation Officer.
 To have a licence condition not to contact the victims or their families.
 Victim Enquiry Officer to meet with the victim and her mother regarding licence conditions.
 Social Services Department to have contact with victim and her mother re. measures to protect.
 A joint visit to the offender at the Accommodation Project, by a Police Officer with responsibility for
monitoring Sex Offenders and the supervising Probation Officer.
 On-going meetings between the Sex Offender Liaison Officer, the supervising Probation Officer and the
manager of the Accommodation Project.

Outcome
 Released to the identified Accommodation Project
 Registered as a Sex Offender and remains compliant to requirements.
 To date has not attempted contact with his victim
 Has completed the Sex Offender Treatment Programme
 Is maintaining contact as required.
 Work with victim and mother completed by Social Services Department.

Current Position
He completed his licence period. He continues to be compliant with regard to his registration requirements
and remains in contact with the Police. He continues to be risk assessed and managed under the MAPPA.

Sex Offender Registration

The enforcement of sex offender
registration and subsequent risk
management are deemed priority
areas in this arena of policing within
Gloucestershire.
As soon as practicable after initial
registration, all registered sex
offenders are the subject of ongoing
home visits and whenever possible
these are conducted on a joint basis
with the Probation Service.
We aim to establish a working
relationship with the offenders in an
attempt to eradicate instances of
non-compliance. This has to date
resulted in impressive levels of co-
operation with the individuals
concerned, and is reinforced with
appropriate use of the criminal
justice system when necessary.
In the event of any relevant
behavioural concerns, action is
immediately initiated in conjunction
with partner agencies. This positive
approach serves to reassure the
public of our commitment to their
safety and wellbeing, whilst
accomodating these offenders within
our community.
The 10 most commonly asked questions about Registered Sex Offenders

Q DO SEX OFFENDERS HAVE TO TELL YOU WHERE THEY LIVE?

A Sex Offenders who are required to register have to inform the Police of their home address within 3 days of
conviction / caution or release from prison.

Q WHAT IF THEY MOVE OR CHANGE THEIR NAME?

A The offender has 14 days to notify the Police of any change of address, or name

Q DO YOU VISIT THE ADDRESS?

A Yes, dedicated officers establish face to face contact with the offender at the earliest opportunity and visit
them at their home throughout their period of registration. Joint visits are also undertaken with the offenders
supervising Probation officer.

Q HOW LONG DOES REGISTRATION LAST?

A For offenders over 18 a minimum of 5 years to a maximum of life-long registration.
If under 18 a minimum of 21/2 years.

Q WHAT IF THEY GO ABROAD?

A If an offender leaves the country for a period exceeding 8 days, they must notify the police of their
departure point and date, destination and date of return.

Q ARE ALL REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS CONVICTED OF OFFENCES AGAINST CHILDREN?

A No, the requirement to register exists also for offenders convicted of sexual offences against adults

Q ARE ALL OFFENDERS WITH CONVICTIONS AGAINST CHILDREN STRANGERS?

A No, the majority – 84% of people who offend against children will be known to them, usually from within their
own family network.

Q DO YOU EVER DIVULGE WHERE A SEX OFFENDER LIVES?

A Yes, disclosure of information can be made if this has been assessed as being necessary to protect an
individual or group of individuals. This would be done as part of an overall plan for managing the risk posed
by the offender, agreed under the MAPPA.

Q WHO HAVE YOU TOLD THAT SOMEONE IS A SEX OFFENDER?

A We have told new partners, a charity, employers and educational establishments. This is done on a case by
case basis in consultation with other agencies with advice on how to deal with this information.

Q WHAT HAPPENS IF A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER FAILS TO COMPLY WITH ANY

OF THE REQUIREMENTS?
A Any failure to comply with the requirements of Sex Offender Registration is an offence for which they can be
arrested. The maximum penalty is 5 years imprisonment.

“This year the MAPPP arrangements have bought about significant progress in enhancing the work we have been
doing for a number of years with our partner agencies to deal with the small number of people who pose a very
high risk of serious harm to the public.

It has been apparent from the outset that the role of protecting members of our communities from those capable
of inflicting serious harm, is not exclusively the responsibility of the Police and Probation service. This has been
demonstrated through the valuable contributions and expertise of the wide range of agencies involved in the
MAPPP process have afforded the public an even greater degree of protection. In recognition of the vital nature
of this work, the Gloucestershire Police Authority has recently provided the additional resources necessary to
enable us to appoint additional specialist staff dedicated to this role. The Gloucestershire Constabulary looks
forward to building upon this solid foundation of co-operation and playing a full part in further increasing public
safety over the coming 12 months and beyond." (Assistant Chief Constable)
Disclosure
There may, exceptionally, be some
cases where the management of an
offender’s risk in the community
cannot be carried out without
disclosure of some information to a
third party.
Disclosure issues are considered at
all Risk Management meetings. In
some rare cases, carefully managed
disclosure of information to specific
individuals, groups or sections of the
community is the only way to ensure
that the identified risks are
managed. In all cases decisions
with regard to disclosure have to be
balanced with the risk, that disclosed
information could provoke unrest in
6. The Strategic Management of MAPPP
The Strategic Management Board
(SMB) oversees the Multi-Agency
Public Protection Arrangements. A
Protocol signed up to by all key
agencies supports this work.
Members of the SMB are –
Assistant Chief Constable
Operations (chair);
Chief Probation Officer (vice chair);
Head of Children & Families Service
(SSD); Governor of HMP
Gloucester; Director of Nurse
Practice Development,
Gloucestershire NHS Partnership
Trust; an Executive Manager of a
local housing authority; Assistant
Chief Officer (Probation); a Detective
Chief Superintendent and
MAPPP Co-ordinator.
The members of the SMB bring a
perspective from their particular
area of work and have senior
management responsibility for
communities, incorrect identification
of offenders, or offences against
offenders. This could lead to the
offender ‘going underground’ and
the responsible authorities losing
contact thus increasing the risk
In practice, most disclosures are
made to specific individuals. It is
critical that this is done in such a
way that the person receiving the
information knows what to do and
that the appropriate advice and
support is given. The power to
disclose has been exercised in
Gloucestershire as part of
management plans to protect
potential further victims.
services relevant to the assessment
and management of risk within their
own organisation.
The SMB are required to monitor
and review the effectiveness of the
arrangements made to assess and
manage the risks posed by the
relevant offenders. The Board
meets quarterly. During the last 12
months attention has been given to
ensuring the required structures and
processes are in place within each
of the agencies to identify the
relevant offenders; that each of the
agencies is represented at MAPPP
meetings; that information is
exchanged and stored according to
requirements that the required
statistical information is collated and
that the agencies systems ensure
that where an offender is assessed
as posing a very high risk of serious
harm, staff are aware.
Information has been disclosed to
an employer, where an offender
obtained employment without
disclosing his convictions, which
gave him access to vulnerable
people; to a charity which uses
volunteers, where an offender had
offered his assistance; to a new
partner of an offender who was
unaware of his history; to a person
in shared accommodation where
there were concerns for the safety
of children.
In some instances the offender will
be advised that information will be
disclosed in order to give them the
opportunity to self-disclose.
Members of the SMB are currently
involved in reviewing arrangements
for safe-guarding children, following
the publication of a national Joint
Inspectorate Report and the
Lamming Report into the death of
Victoria Climbié, to ensure
appropriate links between the
Multi-Agency Public Protection
Arrangements and the Area Child
Protection Committee
" My observation is that they
have been well organised and
well chaired. As both a
supervising officer of cases and
as a supervisor of staff, I found
that the broad range of agencies
and people present, very much
contributed added value to the
process of risk assessment and
risk management"
(Senior Practitioner –
National Probation Service)
7. Victim Work
Probation Areas have a statutory
duty to consult and notify victims of
sexual and violent offenders
regarding the release arrangements
of offenders when sentenced to a
period of imprisonment of 12 months
or more. Victims should be
contacted within 8 weeks of the
sentence being passed and offered:-
 face to face contact with the
Probation Service
 an opportunity to be kept
informed about developments
throughout the offenders
sentence.
 an opportunity to contribute to
the release plan, to have their
views taken into account by the
Parole Board, or other decision
maker, and to receive
information about licence
conditions which are directly
relevant to them or members of
their family.
It is vital that the outcome of contact
with the victim, and or victim’s family
is appropriately fed into the MAPPA
to ensure that the risk assessment
and risk management plans properly
reflect victim concerns. This work is
undertaken by Probation Service
Victim Enquiry Officers who attend
risk management meetings and
MAPPP meetings. Victims are
advised with regard to the measures
to be taken, to protect either through
conditions placed in licence on
release, or practical arrangements
that can be put in place by the
Police. The MAPPA are also
concerned with ensuring that action
is taken to protect any potential
victim(s) where this has been
identified when undertaking the risk
assessment.
Links are also established with
Victim Support Schemes in the
County. Victim Support is an
independent charity which helps
people cope with the effects of
crime. It provides local free and
confidential support and information
to help individuals deal with their
experiences. Also, by promoting and
advancing the rights of victims and
witnesses.
Contact details for all Victim Support
local offices are shown below:-
Gloucester: 01452 506450
Area Office: 01452 527773
Cheltenham: 01242 577476
Cheltenham Mags. Court:
01242 700052
Stroud: 01453 751488
Tewkesbury: 01684 850448
Cotswold: 01285 658350
Forest of Dean: 01594 810190
Crown Court Witness Service:
01452 411724
Mags. Court Witness Service:
01452 525281

8. Additional Enquiries
This report provides details of the Chief Constable Chief Officer
arrangements made in Gloucestershire Constabulary, Gloucestershire Probation Area,
Gloucestershire. Holland House, Bewick House,
If you would like to make additional Lansdown Road, 1 Denmark Road,
enquiries please contact either:- Cheltenham, Gloucester. GL1 3HW
Glos. GL51 6QH
Tel: 01452 426250
Tel: 0845 0901234

"The opportunity to have the opinions and comments of experienced professionals in their specialised field
of work adds an invaluable dimension to risk awareness and management. This can only serve to evoke
confidence in case managers"
(Probation Officer, Public Protection Team)

"These meetings confirm the existence of a dynamic and operationally active response unit to adults and young
persons who pose a real threat to public safety. It is characterised not by debate, but by analysis and action"
(Youth Offending Service Manager)
9. Statistical information
Number of
offenders

i) The number of registered sex offenders on 31 March 2003 196

ii) The number of sex offenders having a registration requirement who were either cautioned 0
or convicted for breaches of the requirement, between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2003.

iii) The number of Sex Offenders Orders applied for and gained between
1 April 2002 and 31 March 2003.

a) The total number of Sex Offenders Orders applied for 1

b) The total number granted 1

c) The total number not granted. -

iv) The number of Restraining Orders issued by the courts between 1 April 2002 and 31 0
March 2003 for offenders currently managed within MAPPA

v) The number of violent and other sexual offenders considered under MAPPA during the 261
year 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2003 (as defined by section 68 [3], [4], and [5]

vi) The number of "other offenders" dealt with under MAPPA during the year 1 April 2002 and 3
31 March 2003 as being assessed by the Responsible Authority as posing a risk of
serious harm to the public (but who did not fall within either of the other two categories, as
defined by s.67 [2]

vii) For each of the three categories of offenders covered by the MAPPA ("registered sex
offenders", "violent and other sex offenders" and "other offenders"), identify the number of
offenders that are or have been dealt with by:

a) MAPPP – registered sex offenders 6

b) MAPPP – violent and other sex offenders 5

c) MAPPP – other offenders 0

viii) Of the cases managed by the MAPPP during the reporting year what was
the number of offenders.

a) who were returned to custody for breach of licence. 2

b) who were returned to custody for breach of a Restraining Order or Sex Offender Order. 0

c) charged with a serious sexual or violent offence 0