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

6. Risk Management Authority

The Risk Management Authority (RMA) is a Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB)

established in 2005 by the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003, whose duties focus on making Scotland safer by reducing the risk of serious harm posed by violent and sexual offenders.

The RMA does this by setting the standard for effective, evidence-based, nationally consistent risk assessment and risk management. Collaboration is a key part of this work, and in 2023-24 the RMA has continued to support and engage with professionals and partner agencies to deliver its business objectives.

The RMA’s Corporate Plan 2024-29 and Business Plan 2024-25 can be accessed on the website.

Training, Education, and Support

The RMA continues to work with partner agencies to develop and implement its Training and Education Strategy (TES) to ensure that products offered meet the needs of those engaged in the assessment and mitigation of risk, and of risk-based decision-makers. In 2023-24, the RMA delivered four Fundamentals of Risk Practice courses to a total of 71 JSW colleagues, and one Police Risk Practice course to 38 SOPU Officers. Multiple bespoke inputs have also been delivered to professionals working with individuals subject to the Order for Lifelong Restriction sentence (OLR), and to those with functions in respect of complex First Grant of Temporary Release cases (discussed below).

Internet Offending Assessment Framework

A two year pilot of a new framework for assessing those convicted of offences relating to indecent images of children (IIOC) concluded during the summer and options for the future of the framework were discussed and agreed with the MAPPA National Strategic Group (NSG).

First Grant of Temporary Release

The First Grant of Temporary Release: External Secondary Assurance of Complex Cases pilot is now well underway. From the point of accepting its first ‘live’ submission in January 2023, to the end of March 2024, the project team handled 32 submissions across 21 cases. Across the same period, the team delivered inputs to JSW across SPS establishments, and delivered a Risk Practice Course specifically for prison-based social work delegates involved, or likely to be involved, in the pilot. The course ran from 17^th – 19^th October 2023 and 17 delegates attended. An interim report outlining the findings and risks of, and issues arising from the first year of the pilot’s operation as well as intended next steps, is currently being finalised.

Counter-Terrorism

The RMA, as part of the Scottish Government Prison Oversight and MAPPA Development Groups, continues its work towards ensuring that Scotland’s approach to counter-terrorism has evidence-based risk assessment and management practice at its core.

A further update will be provided in the next reporting period and will include an update on the inaugural meeting of the Pax Caledonia counter-terrorism research network, which the RMA hosted in July 2024 . Pax Caledonia is a collaboration between the Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (Handa CSTPV) at the University of St. Andrews and the RMA. The network aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, and support collaboration, across sectors and disciplines to advance the shared objective of making Scotland safer.