Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA): overview report 2019 to 2020

8.0 Police Scotland

Police Scotland work in partnership with other Responsible Authorities and Duty to Co-operate Agencies to provide effective and efficient management of RSOs and Other Risk of Serious Harm individuals. This is achieved through consistent practice, enhancing and developing new and existing partnerships to manage the inherent risks and challenges posed by these individuals, and exploring where newly available technology can, where appropriate, support management of this group to manage and mitigate risk.

During this reporting year Police Scotland procured mobile forensic examination hardware and software to provide a consistent and effective means of examining internet capable devices of RSOs, providing a higher quality of information to inform risk management decision making.

Given advances in technology and an increase in cyber enabled offending, Police Scotland has employed improved Remote Monitoring Software, providing expert behavioural analysis and risk assessment as well as real-time monitoring. This allows immediate intervention where an individual is deemed to be at risk of sexual harm from a managed RSO.

Working in collaboration with partner agencies and third sector organisations, Police Scotland has reviewed and developed national training delivered to all Offender Management officers, to assist in the management and policing of RSOs and Other Risk of Serious Harm individuals.

To maintain a high level of consistency in Stable and Acute 2007 (SA07) risk assessment scoring, Police Scotland has developed an annual online refresher training package to supplement the initial and triennial SA07 multi-agency training programmes.

Although the proportion of RSOs convicted of further offending remains low, to ensure the continued identification and mitigation of threat, risk and harm, Police Scotland has initiated a robust quality assurance process to improve identification and sharing of learning opportunities following reoffending.

Police Scotland National Systems Support

Police Scotland National Systems Support (NSS) also provides support to every Local Authority, Scottish Government Mental Health Division and SPS in their access to, and use of ViSOR. Within NSS, this support is provided by a Police Sergeant and a National System Supervisor. In addition to these dedicated Scottish Government funded roles, NSS provides further ViSOR support by way of the Head of NSS, National System Manager and Administrator assistance. Police Scotland ICT also provides additional technical support in deploying, maintaining and updating ViSOR terminals across Scotland.

The support provided by NSS is primarily focused on promoting and facilitating ViSOR usage across the Responsible Authorities and includes, but is not limited to:

• the provision and delivery of accredited bespoke ViSOR training for all Scottish users;
• regularly meeting with Local Authority ViSOR users to discuss current issues in relation to ViSOR and provide advice and support at a local level in an effort to increase ViSOR usage;
• manage and coordinate all Scottish ViSOR change requests from initiation to implementation providing appropriate support and advice as required throughout, including facilitation of Home Office User Acceptance Testing; and
• facilitate and support the setting of nationally agreed Standards for Scottish individuals managed under MAPPA to be read and adhered to in conjunction with the ViSOR National Standards.