MAPPA Annual Report 2009/10 - Page 1

Following the root and branch review ofour local Arrangements in 2008 and on theback of revised National Guidancepublished towards the end of 2007, the lasttwelve months have seen a period of bedding in new procedures andconsolidation. We are confident that ournew systems and structures are fit forpurpose and believe we now operate amore effective and efficient MAPPA thanever before. This view is shared by theCentral MAPPA Unit in the NationalOffender Management Service, which ispart of the Ministry of Justice, in London.We have received consistent feedback thatour MAPPA is seen as a “beacon of goodpractice”, and that many of our locallydeveloped initiatives and systems have

been adopted by the centre andrecommended to other areas of thecountry.

We would want to thank agencies whocontribute to resourcing our localarrangements, particularly the HealthService, in the form of the two localPrimary Care Trusts and theLeicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.Further thanks must go to the three localCouncils – Leicester City, Leicestershireand Rutland – all of whom provide us with funding contributions. Thesecontributions enable us to resource ourMAPPA appropriately and results inmulti-agency “buy in” and commitment toprocesses that contribute to keeping our

communities safe. We firmly believe thatthis is one of the real strengths of our localArrangements.

Our systems and procedures are only asgood as the people operating them, and so,as always, we make no apology for takingthis opportunity to pay public tribute to thePolice Officers, Probation and Prison staff,Health workers, Social Workers, Housingstaff, Youth Offending Service Workersand others who have worked so hard andso professionally over the past twelvemonths to protect the people living in thecommunities they all serve.

We would also wish to publiclyacknowledge, and thank, the enormous

contribution made by Caroline Roberts,our Lay Adviser, whose tenure will drawto a close at the end of next year. Wealready have a vacancy for a Lay Adviserand will be actively seeking to recruit forthis post, and for Caroline’s successorduring the next twelve months. We wouldrefer anyone who is interested in applyingto access more details which can be found on our local MAPPA websitemappaleics.org.uk

Given the current financial climate and to save on costs we have decided topublish our Annual Report in electronicform only this year. The report can befound on the Leicestershire Constabularyand Leicestershire & Rutland ProbationTrust’s websites as well as on our localMAPPA site.

Finally, although we are proud of ourMAPPA and of our track record in publicprotection we would like to reassurereaders that we will never becomecomplacent. We all share in theresponsibility of helping to look after andprotect each other. We are reliant on thepublic to help us to protect everyone livingin our community as inter-agency workingalone can never completely eliminate risk.

By working together and taking responsibilitywe can manage the risk posed by potentiallydangerous individuals within ourcommunities with the highest possibledegree of effectiveness and success.

We commend our report to you.

TREVOR WORSFOLDActing Chief ExecutiveLeicestershire & Rutland Probation Trust

SIMON COLEChief ConstableLeicestershire Constabulary

BEVERLEY SHEARSDirector of Offender ManagementEast Midlands Region National Offender Management Service

MAPPA ANNUALREPORT 2009/10LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND

Introduction byChief OfficersThis is the ninth Annual Report on the work of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangementsknown as MAPPA in Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland.

CONTENTSIntroduction

The MAPPA Framework

Key Achievements

How the MAPPA operate locallywith case study and additionalinformation inserts

Contribution of Lay Adviser

Statistical Information

Contacts

MAPPA Annual Report 2009/10 - Page 2

• MAPPA are a set of arrangements to manage the risk posed by certain sexual andviolent offenders. They bring together the Police, Probation and Prison Services inLeicestershire and Rutland into what is known as the MAPPA Responsible Authority.

• A number of other agencies are under a duty to co-operate with the ResponsibleAuthority. These include: Children’s Services, Adult Social Services, Health Trusts andAuthorities, Youth Offending Teams, local housing authorities and certain registeredsocial landlords, Jobcentre Plus, and electronic monitoring providers.

• The purposes of MAPPA are:- to ensure more comprehensive risk assessments are completed, taking advantage of

co-ordinated information sharing across the agencies; and- to direct the available resources to best protect the public from serious harm.

What isMAPPA?

T H E M A P PA F R A M E W O R K

How does MAPPA work? • Offenders eligible for MAPPA are identified andinformation is gathered/shared about them acrossrelevant agencies. The nature and level of the risk ofharm they pose is assessed and a risk managementplan is implemented to protect the public.

• In most cases, the offender will be managed underthe ordinary arrangements applied by the agency oragencies with supervisory responsibility. A numberof offenders, though, require active multi-agencymanagement and their risk management plans willbe formulated and monitored via MAPP meetingsattended by various agencies.

Who areMAPPA eligibleoffenders?There are 3 categories of offender eligible forMAPPA:

CATEGORY 1 - REGISTERED SEXUAL OFFENDERS:Sexual offenders who are required to notify the policeof their name, address and other personal details andnotify the Police of any subsequent changes;

CATEGORY 2 - VIOLENT OFFENDERS: Offenders sentenced to imprisonment/ detention for12 months or more, or detained under hospital orders.This category also includes a small number of sexualoffenders who do not qualify for registration andoffenders disqualified from working with children; and

CATEGORY 3 -OTHER DANGEROUS OFFENDERS:Offenders who do not qualify under categories 1 or 2but who currently pose a risk of serious harm, there isa link between the offending and the risk posed, andthey require active multi-agency management.

MAPPA Annual Report 2009/10 - Page 3

Senior representatives of each of the agencies involved in MAPPA form aStrategic Management Board (SMB) which meets at least quarterly tomonitor the arrangements and direct any necessary improvements. InLeicestershire & Rutland, as well as the Police, Probation and Prisons,the following agencies are also represented on our SMB:

Leicester City Council (Children’s and Housing Depts.); Leicestershire County Council(Children’s and Adult Services Depts.); Rutland County Council; Leicester City YouthOffending Service; Leicestershire Youth Offending Service; NW Leicestershire DistrictCouncil (representing all local council housing depts.); Leicestershire Partnership NHSTrust; Leicestershire & Rutland Primary Care Trust (also representing Leicester CityPCT); Leicestershire & Rutland Victim Support.

The role of Lay Advisers?The Responsible Authority is required to appoint two lay advisers to sit on the SMB.The lay advisers act as independent yet informed observers; able to pose questions whichthe professionals closely involved in the work might not think of asking. They also bringto the SMB their understanding and perspective of the local community – where theymust reside or have strong links.

The Leicestershire and Rutland MAPPA currently has a vacancy for a Lay Adviser.Please contact mappaleics.org.uk for more information.

ViSORViSOR is an IT system for the management of people who pose a serious risk of harmto the public. Since implementation of ViSOR the three MAPPA Responsible Authorityagencies - Police, Prison and Probation - are able to work on the same IT system whichenables the sharing of risk assessments and risk management information on individualviolent and sex offenders in a timely way to reduce re-offending.

There are 3 levels at which offenders are managed which are based upon the level ofmulti-agency co-operation required to implement the risk management plan effectively.Offenders will be moved up and down levels as appropriate:

LEVEL 1 - ORDINARY MANAGEMENT: These offenders are subject to the usualmanagement arrangements applied by whichever agency is supervising them. But thisdoes not rule out information sharing between agencies, via ViSOR and other routes.

LEVEL 2 - ACTIVE MULTI-AGENCY MANAGEMENT: The risk management plansfor these offenders require the active involvement of several agencies via regular multi-agency public protection (MAPP) meetings.

LEVEL 3 - ACTIVE MULTI-AGENCY MANAGEMENT: As with level 2 but these casesadditionally require the involvement of senior officers to authorise the use of specialresources, such as police surveillance or specialised accommodation, and/or to provideongoing senior management oversight.

How are they managed?

What is the role of the Strategic Management Board?

The Lay Adviser’s PerspectiveAs a Lay Adviser, Caroline Roberts attends a range ofmeetings related to the development of MAPPA andthe supervising of MAPPA registered offenders.

Caroline has been a Lay Adviser since 2004. The complete term of officeruns for a maximum of seven years.

Caroline explains: “Leicestershire and Rutland is viewed as a beacon ofgood practice but the SMB is not being complacent. I attended a recentSMB meeting at which members regard our established good performanceas a foundation to move forward towards further improvement.

“For example, at the meeting we received a report of excellent multi-agency working between the police and the councils of Hinckley &Bosworth and Melton in the management of a number of seriousoffenders. This appears to be typical of the way different agencies areworking together to protect the public.

“I want to feel confident that our systems are working well and thatserious offenders are being managed appropriately.

“Agency representatives attending the SMB are going to review itsconstitution, terms of reference and the systems for data andinformation sharing between the different organisations and LocalAuthorities. This is a key area of work for the SMB.”

MAPPA Annual Report 2009/10 - Page 4

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS IN LEICESTERSHIRE& RUTLAND MAPPA 2009-10National Endorsement:The past twelve months have essentially encompassed aperiod of consolidation for MAPPA in Leicestershire &Rutland as our revised procedures, introduced following theNational Guidance, issued in April 2009, have been rolled out and embedded. As a result we have revised and re-issued our local MAPPA Guidance, which has been madeavailable to relevant staff of all local MAPPA agencies.

Some of our local initiatives, such as our GatekeepingPanel for referrals to Level 2 and Level 3 MAPP meetingsand the introduction of Information Sharing Meetings forhigh risk or complex MAPPA Level 1 cases, withassociated practice guidance, have been endorsed by thecentral MAPPA Unit in the National OffenderManagement Service, and recommended to otherMAPPA areas as examples of best practice.

This was reflected in the fact that Bob Petrie, MAPPAStrategic Manager and Andy Gullick, the MAPPAOperational Manager were asked to run a workshop atthe National MAPPA Co-ordinator’s Conference, in June2009, on the systems and structures we had put in place.

MAPPA National Information Hub:We have made similar changes to our systems forcapturing and collating information on MAPPA offendersin order to provide the centre with returns in relation tokey performance indicators and, again, these systems havebeen recommended to other areas. As a result, AndyGullick was asked to join a small national group which was

involved in the development and testing of the MAPPANational Information Hub, which is expected to belaunched next year.

Colour Alert System:Andy has also produced a “MAPPA Healthcheck”, basedon the “Red, Amber, Green” (RAG) model to keep theSMB informed in respect of our local MAPPA’scompliance with National guidance. This work too hasbeen recommended to, and is increasingly being used byother areas.

Forensic Mental Health Representation:We have revised local MAPPA procedures in respect ofcases managed by the Health Service. One tangibleconsequence of this work is that the Forensic MentalHealth Service now provides a “Core” Panel Member toattend every MAPP Level 2, as well as Level 3 meeting.

Clarification of Roles:We have also re-visited our system of employing SinglePoints of Contact (SPOCs) for all key local agencies,identifying any gaps or weaknesses and clarifying the rolesand responsibilities of these crucial partners. Part of thisprocess was a specific briefing event for SPOCs in March2010, and regular meetings are now planned for next year.

Case Audit:Our Quality Assurance Sub-Group has been involved in acase audit of Level 2 and Level 3 managed cases during

the past year and it is planned to expand this process toinclude some Level 1 managed cases during the nexttwelve months.

In this context, we are grateful to our Lay Adviser,Caroline Roberts, who, as well as being a member of all ofour Sub-Groups, has attended several Level 2 and Level3 meetings during the past twelve months acting as anindependent auditor and who has provided us with somevery useful feedback.

SMB Development Day:In March 2010, our SMB held an important DevelopmentDay, which reviewed all of our structures and, inparticular the work and accountability of the Sub-Groups,and agreed a delivery plan for 2010/11.

And finally, on the horizon:During the next year, new challenges lay ahead. We will berolling out new Police-led procedures in relation to theChild Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, and in respect of“Potentially dangerous Persons” (PDPs) who fall outsideof the MAPPA framework, as well as another importantcontribution to public protection in the IntegratedOffender Manager Unit. We need to ensure that thesenew initiatives, all of which will have an interface with ourlocal MAPPA, work well together to enhance the sharedgoal to which we are all committed – protecting the publicfrom harm.

MAPPA Annual Report 2009/10 - Page 5

How the MAPPAoperate locallyWe are also fortunate to have established very positiveand productive working relationships with all the local key“Duty to Cooperate” agencies including the City andCounty Youth Offending Services, The LeicestershirePartnership NHS Trust, The City and County PrimaryCare Trusts and various arms of the Leicester City,Leicestershire and Rutland Councils, including Children’sand Adult Services. Additionally, we have recently takensteps to cement links with all of the District Councils inour area and with the local Job Centre Plus. All of theseagencies or departments now have designated “SinglePoints of Contact” (SPOCs) to deal with the exchange ofrelevant information on MAPPA offenders and to co-ordinate their agency contributions to agreed riskmanagement plans.

This mix of agencies is also reflected in the composition ofour Strategic Management Board, (SMB) which overseesthe operation of the MAPPA in this area. The SMB isserved by the activities of four sub-groups, which sit belowit, that have responsibility for operational practicedevelopment, quality assurance and audit, training andexternal communications respectively.

The SMB’s commitment to MAPPA and to the protectionof the public is enshrined in a “Memorandum ofUnderstanding” and an Information Sharing Protocol,which states that MAPPA offender’s normal rights ofconfidentiality are superseded where the sharing ofinformation between agencies is necessary in order toprotect the public.

In operational terms, the MAPPA in Leicestershire andRutland are co-ordinated by the MAPPA Co-ordinationUnit, (MCU) which is based in Mansfield House PoliceStation in Leicester city centre. This Unit comprises twoseconded Senior Probation Officers and three dedicatedadministrative staff.

Reporting to the SMB, the Unit’s responsibilities include:• Providing advice and consultation to staff of all agencies

on MAPPA policy, processes and MAPPA offenders • Receiving and processing referrals for offenders to be

considered at Multi-Agency Public Protection (MAPP)Level 2 and Level 3 meetings

• Convening and chairing and minuting all Level 2 andLevel 3 meetings in the area

• Capture and collation of data and statistical returns inrelation to MAPPA activities

• Contributing to the work of the SMB sub-groups• Advising the SMB in relation to national and local

operational and policy developments and initiatives.

The Leicestershire Constabulary have primaryresponsibility for all Registered Sexual Offenders(MAPPA Category 1 offenders) in this area. This task iscarried out by a centrally based unit, the Public ProtectionManagement Team (PPMT) and by three area MAPPAteams based respectively in Loughborough, Leicester andWigston as part of the North, Central and South Areas’Protecting Vulnerable People Units.

The PPMT has responsibility for initial risk assessmentson all offenders newly required to sign the SexualOffenders Register, and retains responsibility for thoseoffenders assessed as high or very high risk. The majorityof Registered Sexual Offenders, however, are assessed aslow and medium risk and are managed by the three areabased MAPPA teams.

The Leicestershire & Rutland Probation Trust, togetherwith the Leicester City and Leicestershire YouthOffending Services and the Leicestershire PartnershipNHS Trust have the collective responsibility to manage allMAPPA Category 2 offenders – those released fromcustody following a sentence of twelve months or morefor an offence of violence or an offence against children,or those discharged from a Hospital Order for a similaroffence.

MAPPA Category 3 offenders (“Other Dangerous”) willonly have this status ascribed to them with the approval ofour MAPPA Gatekeeping Panel, which is made up of theMAPPA Strategic Manager, a Senior Probation Officerand a Police Detective Inspector, both of whom have aspecific responsibility for public protection. Category 3offenders will be managed by any agency which has astatutory involvement with them, or, where none has sucha responsibility, by the Police.

The MAPPA Gatekeeping Panel also scrutinises andassesses all referrals for offenders to be considered byMAPP Level 2 and Level 3 meetings.

The criteria for taking cases to Level 2 or Level 3 meetingsinvolves not only the assessment of a current and activehigh risk of harm to others, but also the need for active,ongoing inter-agency management, beyond the statutoryduties of Police and Probation. Additionally, for Level 3cases, there will be a need for senior managementoversight and/or the necessity for high or unusualresources being made available as part of a riskmanagement plan or where a case raises particularly highcommunity or media attention.

In this area, in recent years we have sought to rigorouslyenforce these criteria in order to avoid unnecessaryMAPP meetings and to better concentrate our multi-agency involvement in cases that require this approach.The statistics for this year, which appear later in thisreport, reflect the first full year of our revampedprocedures aiming to meet this goal. We have, therefore,held fewer MAPP Level 2 and Level 3 meetings over thelast twelve months, but believe that this represents a morefocussed and efficient use of our resources. We believethe statistics on serious re-offending by MAPPA offendersin this area, which will for the first time this year bepublished by the centre later in the year, so which are notincluded in this report, demonstrate that out localMAPPA still have a very strong and impressive trackrecord in protecting the public.

It follows, then that the great majority of MAPPA cases inthis area are managed at MAPPA Level 1 – “OrdinaryAgency Management”. It should be stressed that this doesNOT mean that these cases are treated as low priority.There is for example, a clear expectation that informationon these offenders is proactively sought by the casemanager from other agencies that may have had previousinvolvement with them and there is a requirement that therisk management plan and risk assessments are regularlyreviewed. Furthermore, the facility also exists to conveneLevel 1 Information Sharing Meetings in high risk casesand/or where several different departments of themanaging agency have a part to play in risk management.An example might be of a Registered Sexual Offender onpost-custody licence following release from prison,required to reside in one of Probation’s ApprovedPremises (commonly known as “Bail Hostels”) who isundergoing assessment with Probation’s Psychology Unitand receiving treatment under one of Probation’s

Offending Behaviour Programmes. All of these facets areincluded in some local practice guidance, approved by theSMB for the management of high risk, Level 1 MAPPAoffenders in this area.

In Leicestershire & Rutland, we hold MAPP Level 2meetings on two days every month. Each meeting willconsider up to five cases with the front line, operationalstaff involved in the management of offenders underconsideration present. These meetings are chaired by theindependent MAPPA Operational Manager, and Police,Probation and the Forensic Mental Health Serviceprovide middle managers to act as “Core Panel Members”who share the decision making and act as a link back totheir respective agencies. In relevant cases, a managerfrom the Youth Offending Service and/or Children’sServices will also attend these meetings.

MAPP Level 3 meetings are held monthly, and are similarin format to Level 2 meetings, except that they arenormally chaired by the MAPPA Strategic Manager andinclude up to eight senior managers as Core PanelMembers representing a wider range of agencies such asthe Prison Service and Local Authority Housingproviders.

All MAPPA cases are subject to regular review accordingto nationally prescribed timescales. Level 2 and Level 3managed cases will be reviewed either by a formal MAPPmeeting, or delegated to a “Core Group Meeting” ofpractitioners involved in the operation of the riskmanagement plan. Core Group Meetings are chaired by amiddle manager of the managing agency and will reportback to the formal MAPP meeting, with arecommendation as to the continued level of managementrequired going forward.

The overriding principle in MAPPA management is thatoffenders should be managed at the lowest levelcommensurate with a robust and defensible riskmanagement plan. Therefore cases move up and down themanagement framework, as circumstances change andwhen risk management plans have been agreed, put inplace and appear to be working effectively.

In ALL MAPPA cases, disclosure to third parties isconsidered and regularly reviewed, with a presumptionthat disclosure of information should be made where thisis likely to enhance the protection of the public or anyspecific individual(s).

In Leicestershire & Rutland, the three “Responsible Authority” agencies areLeicestershire Constabulary, Leicestershire & Rutland Probation Trust and theNational Offender Management Service’s East Midlands Region Prison Service.

MAPPA Annual Report 2009/10 - Page 6

Case studiesCase studies

Robert is a young man with a damagedbackground, who has limited intellectualability – although he is not considered tohave learning difficulties, as such. He isisolated from his family and has little or nosocial support networks.

He was originally convicted of indecentassault on two teenaged boys. There issome suggestion that he had sought to paythe victims for sexual services, but whenthey refused, he sexually and physicallyassaulted them.

He was sentenced to a term ofimprisonment and released on licence.Unfortunately on the day of his release hegot drunk, and called one of the victims onhis mobile phone and threatened him. Hewas immediately recalled to prison.

Prior to his release for the second time, hiscase was referred for consideration by aMAPP Level 3 meeting. It was agreed thathe would be required to reside inApproved Premises and the VictimContact Team re-established contact withone of the victims – the other had declinedto have contact. Therefore arepresentative of Approved Premises staffand a member of the Victim Contact Team

attended the MAPP meeting, togetherwith his Offender Manager (ProbationOfficer) and his Police case manager, whowould be responsible for monitoring thecase in accordance with the Police SexualOffenders Register.

A comprehensive risk management planwas put in place, aimed at protecting thevictims and the general public. Thisincluded licence requirements to prohibitRobert from contacting the victims or toenter the area where they lived. He was alsorequired to undertake polygraph testing –more commonly known as the “liedetector.” Robert also agreed to be assessedby Probation’s Psychology Department forfurther sex offender treatment.

In the event he was considered as beingunsuitable for Probation’s groupworkprogramme, and so it was agreed that hewould receive therapeutic input on anindividual basis by a psychologist.

Initially Robert appeared to be doing well.He was not drinking excessively, he wasresiding in Approved Premises andobeying the rules and cooperating with hisProbation Officer, Police case managerand his psychologist. However after a few

months, Robert disclosed that he washaving fantasies in relation to theabduction, rape and murder of young boys.

These disclosures were made in thecontext of his treatment and presentedsomething of a dilemma.

On the one hand it was consideredpositive that Robert had felt able to sharehis fantasies, and was clearly doing so inthe context of seeking help and supportnot to re-offend. On the other, it was clearthat his risks had escalated. In the end, itwas decided that the matter of protectingthe public had to be the paramount

consideration, and Robert was recalled toprison.

Although this clearly ensured theprotection of the public in the short term,the fact is that Robert will shortly be re-released, and on this occasion with areduced period of supervision on licence.He had not committed a further offence,and so could not be charged. It was agreedby the Level 3 meeting that it would bepreferable for him to be released whilststill subject to licence and supervision,rather than a few months later, at hisSentence Expiry Date, when this degree ofmonitoring would not be available.

This case demonstrates some of the dilemmas that theauthorities have to grapple with in managing high risk offendersin the community. It also illustrates that there are sometimes no easy answers to such issues. All the MAPPA can and will do is to carry on working together, monitoring Robert and ensuringwe protect previous victims, and the public in general, to the bestof our abilities.

The offender’s name has been changed.

MAPPA Annual Report 2009/10 - Page 7

Probation’s Community Sex OffenderGroup Programme

Leicestershire & Rutland Probation Trust has a dedicated Victim ContactTeam (VCT). Its role is to make contact with victims of serious offences,to keep them informed as to the progress of offenders, who havecommitted crimes against them (where they request this) and to ensurethat their views are fed into the process. Their views are given dueconsideration at crucial points in the offender’s sentence e.g. when theyapply for parole, or in respect of requirements or conditions of theoffender’s post-custody licence. Much of the work of the team involvescases where the offenders are subject to the MAPPA following release,which ensures there is a close working relationship between the VCT andthe MAPPA Co-ordination Unit. Where the VCT are involved in a case,a member is always invited to a MAPPA meeting.

What follows is a typical example of the work of the VCT, provided by ClairePayne, A Probation Officer who works in the VCT.

“Mr A was sentenced to an indeterminate sentence for public protectionwith a tariff of three years for offences of gross indecency with a child,which means he must serve at least this period of time in prison beforebeing considered for parole. Miss P was a family friend and the victim ofhis offences. As Miss P was aged six at the time of conviction, the VCTdealt directly with her mother, Mrs P. We received a referral and full victimdetails from the Witness Care Unit, who had allowed her the opportunityto opt out of contact with us.

The mother requested we make contact and the following table of actionshighlights our involvement with the family.

• An officer from the Victim Contact Team (VCT) wrote to Mrs P offeringa home visit during school hours to enable the mother to talk more freelyabout the offences.

• Mrs P agreed to the visit and the Probation staff member ensured thatMrs P understood what the sentence involved. The offender will have toserve a minimum of three years and will only be released once he isconsidered to be “safe” living in the community. He will also be subjectto a period on licence for a minimum of ten years.

• The VCT officer recorded the mother’s views about the sentence andthe impact the offence has had on the family. The officer ascertainedthe licence conditions she would like to request. In this case Mrs Prequested the offender have no contact with her family and beprohibited from her home village. Mrs P wanted contact at all relevantstages of Mr A’s sentence. She was also given details of relevantcounselling agencies.

It must be understood that whilst the victim’s wishes are considered inrelation to such matters as licence conditions, they have no automatic rightin relation to the actual terms of the licence.

• The VCT officer wrote a report summarising the above. This was sentto the mother for her to check and was then forwarded to the offender’ssupervising officer and the prison, where he is serving his sentence.

• The next point of contact involved advising Mrs P of the offender’sappeal. The appeal failed and the victim’s mother was notified.

• The offender’s sentence progressed and Mrs P was contacted again atthe parole application stage. A member of the VCT represented herviews to the panel via a written report. Mrs P could have attended theoral hearing, if she had wanted to, and a Probation staff member wouldhave accompanied her.

• The offender was not released and Mrs P was updated.

• The VCT will update Mrs P again at the next parole application.Members of staff will continue to work with the family throughout theoffender’s sentence, release and licence period. The mother will be keptinformed of any significant developments. The team will also liaise withprison authorities and the supervising officer to ensure the victimfamily’s views are represented.

• As and when the offender is considered safe to release, his case will besubject to the MAPPA, and, in all probability, will be considered by aMAPPA meeting. The VCT worker involved will attend that meetingand ensure that the victim’s perspective is fed in and considered incompiling a risk management plan.”

The Work of Probation’s VictimContact Team

We currently manage 228 Category oneRegistered Sexual Offenders within the Cityand 4 Category three Dangerous Offendersalong with 1 Potentially Dangerous Person with1 other potential PDP subject to assessment...Of the sexual offenders, 1 is assessed as highrisk, 138 medium risk and 88 low risk.

Since September 2009 the team has jointlycarried out 535 visits on sexual offenders.These are primarily unannounced visits. Earlierthis year we introduced a shift pattern whichincludes evening working. The aim of this wasto achieve a greater success rate for completedunannounced home visits on the first attempt.This has been achieved with an average 50%reduction in failed first time visits since theintroduction of evening shifts.

Prior to each visit, each team memberconducts checks on the intelligence andinformation systems taking notes of anyincidents or concerns since the previous visit.The purpose of the home visit is to identify,assess and manage the potential risk. Some ofthe factors that will be considered includeaccess to known and potential victims, theextent of support networks such as family and

friends, substance abuse, and health issues.Plans to manage the risk are undertaken aftereach visit. Part of every plan includesconsideration to disclosure, raising the profileof the offender with local officers, sharinginformation with our partners and dailyintelligence checks.

We work closely with the Local Policing Unitsto identify potential MAPPA Category 3offenders and Potentially Dangerous Personsfollowing incidents. We use intelligencesystems to identify high risk prison releases aspotentially dangerous offenders. As bothProbation Approved Premises (ProbationHostels) are located within the city thisrequires additional work to include both cityand county offenders.

Members of the Unit regularly attend MAPPAmeetings at all levels, and much of our day today work involves liaison with staff of otheragencies who may also be working with, orhave information about the offenders on ourbooks. This kind of “joined-up” approach is anabsolutely vital component of our daily workand makes us much more effective in ourcontribution to helping protect the public.”

Leicestershire Constabulary’s LeicesterCity MAPPA Team DS Angie Rock writes...

I N F O R M A T I O N I N S E R T S

The Community Sex Offender groupworkprogramme aims to reduce offending by adultmale sex offenders, within the normal IQrange, who commit any type of sexual offence. The induction module provides 50 hours ofwork. After completing the induction module,those offenders, who have committed the lessserious offences and are assessed as low risk,go directly to start the 50 hour RelapsePrevention Programme.

Higher risk offenders, or those convicted ofthe more serious offences, undertake the fullprogramme (250 hours) consisting of 6modules. Offenders can join at the beginningof each module.

Prisoners, who have successfully completedthe sex offender treatment programme inprison, can go directly to the RelapsePrevention Programme run by the ProbationService. This stipulation is often arequirement of the post custody licence andif an offender fails to comply, they can bebreached and returned to prison.

The Sex Offender Group Programme is oftenan important part of a wider risk management

plan and, therefore, communication withother colleagues and agencies involved,particularly the Police, is vital.

A Probation Officer for more than 27 years,Tina Yorke is the Treatment Manager with theCommunity - Sex Offender Group Programme.

She explains: “There is no such thing as astereotypical sex offender. Our team seesmen from all walks of life. The programmeruns for a long period of time and we meetand work with some offenders twice a week,while other participants attend the groupsessions once a week.

“The programme team is made up ofexperienced and dedicated officers, who haveworked together for many years. We do thiswork because we know that working withthese men can reduce the risk of offending -and we are helping to make our communitiessafer. None of us see our role in this team asa nine-to-five job.

“Working through denial and shame withthese offenders is one of the challenges wedeal with on a weekly basis.”

Leicestershire & Rutland Probation Trust have a dedicated Sex Offender Treatment Unit. Themajority of the offenders that the Unit deals with are Registered Sexual Offenders, subject tothe MAPPA. Therefore, members of the Unit regularly attend MAPPA meetings and/or submitwritten reports on offenders in order to contribute to the risk assessment and risk managementprocesses. What follows is a brief outline of the work of the Unit.

“The primary aim for the Police MAPPA teams located within the Basic Command Units is tomanage the medium and low risk Registered Sexual Offenders. In the City MAPPA Team wecurrently have two civilian MAPPA Co-ordinators, two Detective Constables and four PublicProtection Support Officers (PPSOs) under my supervision.

MAPPA Annual Report 2009/10 - Page 8

MAPPA Statistical Information 2009/10Number of MAPPA eligible offenders at 31 March 2010

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 TOTALCategory 1: Registered Sexual Offenders 605 4 1 610

Category 2: Violent offenders 165 4 4 173

Category 3: Other Dangerous Offenders --- 5 4 9

Enforcement for offenders managed via MAPPA meetings

Returned to custody for breach of licence:• Level 2 .....................................................................................................4• Level 3 ....................................................................................................4• TOTAL......................................................................................................8

Sent to custody for breach of Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO):

• Level 2 .....................................................................................................0• Level 3 .....................................................................................................0• Total.........................................................................................................0

Further data on Registered Sexual Offenders

Registered Sexual Offenders in:

• BCU 1 – North .....................................................................................170• BCU 2 – City.........................................................................................309• BCU 3 - South.....................................................................................131

Total number of registered sexual offenders in Leicestershire and Rutlandper 100,000 head of population

• 69.97

Note: This figure has been calculated using the 2009 Mid-Year Population Estimatepublished by the Office for National Statistics on 24 June 2010, excluding thoseaged less than ten years of age. It is not directly comparable to figures publishedin previous years.

Registered Sexual Offenders cautioned or convicted for breach ofnotification requirements

• 22

Sexual Offences Prevention Orders (SOPOs):

• Applied for..............................................................................................4• Interim Order issued...............................................................................0• Full Order issued...................................................................................28

Notification Orders:

• Applied for..............................................................................................0• Interim Order issued...............................................................................0• Full Order issued.....................................................................................0

Foreign Travel Orders

• Applied for..............................................................................................0• Interim Order issued...............................................................................0• Full Order issued.....................................................................................0

Explanation/CommentaryThe totals of MAPPA eligible offenders, broken down by category, reflects the picture on31 March 2010, (i.e. a snapshot). The rest of the data covers the period 1 April 2009 and31 March 2010.

MAPPA eligible offenders - there are a number of offenders defined in law as eligible forMAPPA management, because they have committed specified sexual and violent offencesand/or currently pose a risk of serious harm, although the majority (97% as on 31st Marchthis year) are actually managed under ordinary agency (Level1) arrangements rather thanvia MAPP meetings.

It is noteworthy that, in Leicestershire and Rutland, the percentage of MAPPA eligibleoffenders managed at Level 2 and Level 3 is substantially lower than in previous years.This is a reflection of the fact that this report covers the first full year’s operation of ournewly installed gatekeeping procedures, which ensure that cases are only taken to suchmeetings if they require active, inter-agency management in order to most effectivelymanage the risks to the public.

This does NOT mean, of course, that we have less high risk cases this year than last.Equally, it does NOT mean that cases managed at Level 1 receive lower priority orattention.

In fact, in parallel to our gatekeeping procedures, we have introduced much tighterguidance for the management of cases at Level 1, particularly those that are assessed ashigh risk. Central to these procedures is the introduction of Level 1 Information SharingMeetings. These are typically shorter meetings, attended only by staff working directlywith the offender, or who have another type of close involvement (e.g. Victim ContactTeam), thus saving precious resources and staff time. if one takes into account the numberof Level 1 Information Sharing Meetings held during the year up to 31/03/10, we actuallyheld more MAPPA meetings this year than we did last.

Registered Sexual Offenders (RSOs) – those who are required to notify the police oftheir name, address and other personal details and notify any changes subsequently.Failure to comply with the notification requirements is a criminal offence which carriesa maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment.

Violent Offenders – this category includes violent offenders sentenced to imprisonment/detention for 12 months or more, or detained under hospital orders. It also includes asmall number of sexual offenders who do not qualify for registration and offendersdisqualified from working with children.

Other Offenders – offenders who do not qualify under the other 2 MAPPA eligiblecategories, but who currently pose a risk of serious harm which requires management viaMAPPA meetings.

Breach of licence – Offenders released into the community following a period ofimprisonment of 12 months or more will be subject to a licence with conditions (underprobation supervision). If these conditions are not complied with, breach action will betaken and the offender may be recalled to prison.

Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) – a court may make a SOPO at the time ofdealing with certain sexual offenders or when the police make a special application onaccount of the offender’s behaviour in the community. The full order lasts for a minimumof 5 years, and can last indefinitely. A SOPO will require the subject to register as a sexualoffender and can include conditions, for example to prevent the offender loitering nearschools or playgrounds. If the offender fails to comply with (i.e. breaches) therequirements of the order, he can be taken back to court and may be liable to up to 5years’ imprisonment.

Notification Order – requires sexual offenders who have been convicted overseas toregister with police, in order to protect the public in the UK from the risks that they pose.Police may apply to the court for the order in relation to offenders in or intending tocome to the UK.

Foreign Travel Orders – prevent offenders with convictions for sexual offences againstchildren from traveling abroad where it is necessary to do so to protect children from therisk of sexual harm.

MAPPA contacts:BOB PETRIE & ANDY GULLICK • Leicestershire & Rutland MAPPA Co-ordination Unit • 0116 248 6606

SUPT. JULIA MCKECHNIE • Leicestershire Police • 0116 248 5265

SEAN REYNOLDS • Director, Leicester City Local Delivery Unit • Leicestershire & Rutland Probation Trust •

0116 242 3274

ALISON CLARKE • Prison Governor, HMP Leicester, HM Prison Service • 0116 228 3009

All general photographs featured in this report have been selected to give a pictorial representation of the work of the Leicestershire & RutlandMAPPA. No persons shown in street scenes or pictured commercialor other buildings are connected with the work of the MAPPA. All criminal justice photographs feature criminal justice staff members and volunteer actors. No offender is pictured in this report.