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

5. The Scottish Prison Service (SPS)

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is committed to protecting the public from harm as a Responsible Authority in the operation and governance of MAPPA.

The risk assessment and management of individuals in custody who are subject to release on licence is carried out in partnership with Local Authority Justice Social Workers, through an enhanced version of the Integrated Case Management (ICM) process.

Such individuals are risk assessed, using a structured professional judgement approach informed by a variety of risk assessment tools. For certain individuals, a Psychological Risk Assessment may be carried out by SPS Forensic Psychologists and used to inform ICM case conferences and at key points in a person's time in custody, to share information and inform action plans.

SPS establishments work in partnership with MAPPA Coordinators, prison and community based Justice Social Work Teams and Police Scotland Offender Management Units.

SPS is represented on the MAPPA National Strategic Group, MAPPA Development Group and short-life working groups, established to progress the future delivery of MAPPA. Prison Governors also contribute to and attend local Strategic Oversight Groups.

SPS activity in 2021-2022 largely focussed on developing and implementing its COVID-19 Routemap for recovery, guided by the Scottish Government's own plan. Additional activity included:

• Ensuring all internal practitioners and stakeholders are aware of revised National MAPPA Guidance 2022;
• Working closely with the Scottish Government, Police Scotland and other MAPPA Partners to ensure that information from ViSOR can be shared safely with partners;
• Continuing to respond to all recommendations relating to The SPS Risk Management Review;

• Continuing to respond to all actions relating to Significant Case Review (SCR) Recommendations;

• Working closely with the Scottish Government, Risk Management Authority and Social Work Scotland in continuing to review processes relating to First Grant of Temporary Release applications, in order to strengthen focus on: Risk Assessment, Analysis, suitability of Risk Management Plans and assurance.

Programme Delivery

In the April 2021 – March 2022 delivery period, COVID-19 has continued to have an impact on the delivery of offending behaviour programmes. Inhibitors to delivery have included: a period of time where physical distancing remained in place in this period; COVID related absences; and Programmes Officers being re-deployed to backfill other operational roles. Despite these inhibitors throughout the year, 65% of targets were achieved nationally. This is broken down further in the table below:

In the 2022-23 delivery period, SPS will continue to discuss inhibitors to programme delivery and possible solutions to this via the Executive Management group and Risk Management Strategy Group. There is a robust training timetable in place to ensure that staff are suitably trained to deliver programmes as well as a planned national Gantt chart which is developed based on staff resource and national programmes waiting lists.

SPS have also been working with national partners in the re-design of the MFMC programme (MF2C), and have commenced pilot delivery of the redesigned programme in HMP Edinburgh and HMP Barlinnie.

SPS have also now commenced pilot delivery of a high intensity Self-Change Programme which is designed for those with high risk and needs in the areas of sexual, general and intimate partner violence. This also includes a consolidation phase, which can be utilised following completion of the intervention to reinforce learning and support the individual. Consolidation sessions can be delivered at each stage of progression (National Top End, Open Estate) and discussions are ongoing in relation to this being implemented in the community.

Completion figures for all pilots will be reflected in the end of year programme completions report.

SPS also offers a range of other opportunities and supports to people in custody to help them build their strengths and address their needs in preparation for release. Such supports are assessed on an individual basis and can include substance misuse treatment, assistance with mental health, vocational and academic education to increase job readiness, and support with family matters such as parenting and relationships. There is a specific intervention for young adult men in development and a separate specific intervention for female offending, Ultimate Self, which achieved accreditation in early 2022 and is currently being delivered.