Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Scotland: national overview report 2023-24

3. National MAPPA Developments

Nationally, MAPPA has seen a number of developments during the reporting period and work continues in order to deliver future improvements to the multi-agency working arrangements. A summary of the work over the reporting period is set out below.

MAPPS Development

As part of joint working across the UK for the purposes of public protection, the Home Office is continuing developing an enhanced system to replace the existing ViSOR system in conjunction with UK partners (including Scotland’s MAPPA Responsible Authorities). It will be called the Multi-Agency Public Protection System (MAPPS).

Once introduced, MAPPS will enhance existing public protection partnerships as well as delivering wider public protection benefits and MAPPA benefits including accurate and timely sign-posting between all Responsible Authorities of those managed under MAPPA and greater facilitation of cross-border information sharing.

For the period covered by this MAPPA annual overview report, the UK Government (UKG) MAPPS Programme led 7 multi-agency MAPPS specific groups/committees – listed below. Scottish MAPPA Responsible Authorities have contributed and supported the development of the process not least by their representation across these Groups, listed below:

• Executive Committee
• Steering Committee
• National Data Controllers Group
• Innovation, Technology and Security Group
• Product Owners Working Group
• Operational Users Group
• Scottish Users Group

The Scottish Government led Scottish MAPPS Group, which was formed in Feb 2023 has continued to meet throughout this reporting period (on 5 separate occasions). The Group provided a forum to discuss Scottish specific aspects of the UKG led MAPPS Groups. It also helped collate and connect the work of the Groups for Scottish representatives to discuss and disseminate. In addition, and where necessary, the Group gained agreement as to a Scottish position on issues to be fed back into MAPPS governance (particularly to the Executive Committee which provides sign-off on MAPPS Programme key decisions). The Group have been instrumental in drafting a model of operation of MAPPS in Scotland and a draft Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) setting out the relevant data governance issues for Scotland.

Scottish partners continue to work closely with UKG, and a further update will be provided in the next reporting period. That will include work in relation to testing for connectivity across various organisations and the beginning of phased data migration from ViSOR to MAPPS.

MAPPA and Terrorism

Individuals convicted of terrorism and terrorism-related offences can be managed under the MAPPA framework where they meet the relevant criteria relating to the level of risk of serious harm they present to the public.

Work continues with colleagues within Scottish Government responsible for security and counter-terrorism as well as on-going engagement with key justice partners including local authorities, SPS, Police Scotland and NHS colleagues regarding this specialist cohort.

Scottish partners continue to work together in considering the existing and future role of MAPPA in the risk assessment and risk management arrangements for individuals convicted of terrorism and terrorism-related offences.

For the period covered by this report, work has focussed on registered terrorist offenders being released from prison, improving connections between terrorism policy and MAPPA, including risk assessment tools, interventions, and specialist training requirements as well as exploring the need for updates to tools and/or guidance.

Moving Forward 2 Change (MF2C)

The Moving Forward: Making Changes (MF:MC) programme was designed jointly by SPS and the Community Justice Division of the Scottish Government, with the aim of reducing the risk of sexual offending recidivism. National programmes are one of the suite of tools available as part of a rounded approach to public protection interventions which align with the Scottish Government’s focus on reducing reoffending and rehabilitating offenders, while at the same time protecting the public.

The MF:MC programme was introduced in Scotland in 2014 following accreditation by the Scottish Advisory Panel on Offender Rehabilitation (SAPOR) and though accreditation has now lapsed there was agreement amongst partners that the programme should continue to be delivered to accredited standards. A National Advisory Board, set up in May 2019, unanimously concluded that a revision (not a replacement) of the programme was required. The re-designed programme, called Moving Forward 2 Change (MF2C), reflects a developing evidence base, advice from SAPOR, evaluation recommendations^[4], and stakeholder consultations.

The pilot of MF2C launched on 1 July 2022 and concluded by the end of 2023 in two custodial sites – HMP Edinburgh, and HMP Barlinnie; and three community sites – East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire and North Lanarkshire. Feedback was considered and change controls processed. The national roll out of MF2C is now underway and it is anticipated that it will be rolled out to 26 sites (The State Hospital, three sites in custody and all local authorities in Scotland that can meet the inputs within the MF2C logic model). By the end of 2024, it is anticipated that MF2C will have been rolled out to 15 sites. Further updates will be provided in the next reporting period.

Significant Case Reviews

When an individual managed under MAPPA commits a further offence of serious harm, or is themself subject to an incident causing serious harm, a Significant Case Review (SCR) is undertaken to ensure that appropriate policies and processes have been adhered to in the management of the individual. The SCR process enables the relevant MAPPA SOG to examine the quality of practice and adherence to legislation and guidance. The SCR focuses on learning and reflection around day-to-day practices and processes, and identifies strengths as well as areas for development to contribute to a culture of continuous learning to improve future practice.

During the relevant reporting period there was one SCR published in April 2023 by the Glasgow SOG in relation to ‘Person H’. Following the publication of the review, the SOG established an Implementation Group consisting of key representatives from MAPPA Responsible Authorities and representatives from Scottish Government to take forward the learning and recommendations. The group remain committed to the implementation of the learning and recommendations from the SCR. To date, out of the 14 learning points, 1 is currently in progress, and 13 have already been implemented. In relation to the 11 recommendations, 5 are currently in progress and 6 have been implemented.

Continuous learning and improvement arising from the ‘Person H’ SCR is not just confined to the Glasgow MAPPA region. A number of other MAPPA regions (including, but not limited to, North Strathclyde, Fife, Lanarkshire, Edinburgh and Tayside) have scrutinised the findings to investigate if any learning or recommendations from the review could be incorporated locally. North Strathclyde established a Short Life Working Group (SLWG) to examine the recommendations, and Tayside have already actioned improvements locally as a result of the review – for example, a commitment has been given that local Sex Offender Policing Unit (SOPU) teams will introduce an increased visit regime for MAPPA managed individuals who are at the end of licence and Justice Social Work (JSW) involvement. Other areas such as Forth Valley have conducted a “Health Check” on all published SCRs. A template has been devised for this, which enables all the recommendations and learning points to be recorded and for a response to be provided by all SOG partners.

Additionally, last year the Scottish Government compiled a thematic analysis paper of the SCRs conducted between 2017 to 2023. In response to this paper and following consideration by the MAPPA NSG, a SLWG, working on a national basis was established in March 2024 to examine how the SCR process can be improved to ensure consistency of approach across MAPPA regions in terms of both the review process and the implementation of recommendations. Membership of the SLWG includes representatives from the MAPPA Co-ordinators Group, Police Scotland, Risk Management Authority, SPS and JSW. Following consideration of a number of issues pertaining to SCRs, the SLWG will produce a short report of their findings for the Scottish Government including recommendations for consideration by the MAPPA Development Group and NSG.

National Performance Indicators

The MAPPA National Guidance lists the 10 National Performance Indicators (NPIs) that each SOG is required to evaluate its performance against.

1. 95% of Level 3 MAPPP cases reviewed no less than once every six weeks.

2. 95% of MAPPA Level 2 cases reviewed no less than once every twelve weeks.

3. Where invited, 90% attendance by each Duty to Co-operate (DTC) agency at an appropriate level of seniority for Level 2 and 3 meetings in community and custody. This includes attendance via telephone/video conferencing or a written report.

4. Where invited, 90% attendance by Police Scotland at the agreed level of seniority for Level 2 and 3 meetings in community and custody including Scottish Prison Service (SPS) Risk Management Team (RMT) meetings.

5. Where invited, 90% attendance by Community Based Social Work at the agreed seniority level for Level 2 and 3 meetings in community and custody including SPS RMT meetings.

6. 100% written contributions to be provided by Responsible Authorities in cases of nonattendance (where invited) at Level 2 and Level 3 meetings in the community or custody. Upon receipt these contributions will be recorded in the minute and Risk Management Plan.

7. 100% written contributions to be provided by Duty-to-Co-operate agencies in cases of non-attendance (where invited) at Level 2 and Level 3 meetings in the community or custody. Upon receipt these contributions will be recorded in the minute and Risk Management Plan.

8. 100% of MAPPP initial Level 3 meetings for those in custody to take place in the community no less than four weeks prior to the person being released.

9. 90% of Level 2 and Level 3 meeting minutes and updating of Risk Management Plans to be issued and ratified within 10 working days following the review meeting.

10. Disclosure to be considered and the decision to be recorded in the minutes at 100% of Level 2 and 3 MAPPA meetings.

Performance against the NPIs is recorded locally and last year a decision was taken by the NSG that details of performance against these NPIs would be a useful addition to the MAPPA Annual Report.

For 2023-24 all MAPPA regions submitted their returns and six out of the 10 regions reported achieving each of the NPIs. Of the remaining MAPPA regions, at least 7 out of the 10 NPIs were achieved in all cases, with 1 area reporting success in 9 out of the 10 NPIs. It is worth noting that in reporting performance against NPIs, local areas were unable to report on attendance at RMT meetings as recording of attendance data at these meetings is a function of SPS. Additionally, for the reporting period, some of the NPIs may not be relevant or applicable in every region. As this is the first year this self-reported management data has been collected centrally, Scottish Government are considering whether the NPIs or the reporting on them may need refined, and they should therefore be considered as management information at this time.