Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Scotland: national overview report 2021/2022

1. Background

The Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), are a set of statutory partnership working arrangements introduced in 2007 under Section 10 of the Management of Offenders etc. (Scotland) Act 2005 (the 2005 Act).

The purpose of MAPPA is public protection and the reduction of serious harm. In Scotland MAPPA brings together the Police, Scottish Prison Service (SPS), Health Boards and the Local Authorities, in partnership as the Responsible Authorities, to assess and manage the risk posed for certain categories of offender:

• Sex offenders who are subject to notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003;

• Mentally disordered restricted patients; and

• Other individuals who by reason of their conviction are assessed by the Responsible Authorities as posing a risk of serious harm to the public.

A number of other agencies are under a 'Duty to Cooperate' (DTC) with the Responsible Authorities including, housing providers, the voluntary sector, Social Security Scotland and the Children's Reporter.

Responsible Authorities fulfil their statutory duties by jointly preparing and publishing MAPPA annual reports. Each of these reports can be viewed on Local Authority websites as included at Appendix A and cover the reporting period - 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.

This report covers the fifteenth year of MAPPA in operation in Scotland and provides an overview of the main national developments in relation to MAPPA as a result of work conducted by the Scottish Government, and its partners. The statistics provided at Appendix B are an aggregate of data extracted from the Violent and Sex Offender Register (ViSOR).