Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA): national guidance

11. MAPPA Co-ordination

11.1 Co-ordination is a crucial element of the MAPPA and ensures that the relevant functions of the framework operate effectively.

MAPPA Co-ordinator Responsibility

11.2 The Co-ordinator's role is a dedicated function undertaken on behalf of the Responsible Authorities. The Co-ordinator is accountable to those operating the arrangements through the local MAPPA Strategic Oversight Group (SOG).

11.3 The post is designed to ensure that multi-agency risk management processes are quickly and efficiently applied to the right people.

11.4 The nationally agreed role and responsibilities of a MAPPA Co-ordinator can be found at Annex 5.

11.5 The Co-ordinator facilitates the Responsible Authorities in their statutory responsibility to do the following:

• Receive and consider notifications and referrals to MAPPA in line with this national guidance;
• Share information relevant to the management of the risk of serious harm with other agencies within MAPPA on the basis that the information will be held securely and used by appropriate personnel within those agencies for public protection purposes only;
• Help determine if their agency is a core partner in terms of the delivery of risk assessment and Risk Management Plans (RMPs);
• Receive the RMPs and Minutes from all relevant Level 2 and Level 3 meetings, showing clearly the status of each individual, the agencies which are delivering components of the plan, timescales, review arrangements and the point at which the individual is due to exit the multi-agency risk management process;
• Co-ordinate the setting of, and attendance at MAPPA review meetings by relevant agencies at an appropriate level of seniority;
• Actively encouraging the effective and appropriate sharing of information prior to, during and following MAPPA review meetings; and
• Provide a single point of contact for advice on all aspects of MAPPA.

MAPPA Meetings

11.6 The broad aims of a MAPPA Level 2 or 3 meeting are to:

• bring additional information or assist agencies to assess the relevance of existing information;
• review and establish agreement regarding the development and implementation of an RMP including;
  • ensuring the analysis of the risk of serious harm has identified the risks.
  • ensuring that the identified risk management strategies and activities are implemented in line with professional role and competence;
  • ensuring that decisions/next steps are taken to address any obstacles to the delivery of the RMP and uninterrupted service provision;
• consideration of victim(s) and wider community safety planning;
• ensure that, where appropriate, information is shared at MAPPA Level 2 and Level 3 meetings and decisions recorded as to the suitability or otherwise environmentally risk assessed properties being allocated to Registered Sex Offenders (RSOs);
• consider whether the MAPPA level should increase or decrease; and
• set a formal review date for the RMP.

11.7 Where the individual is subject to an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR), the RMP must be reviewed at least once a year^[15] and the updated RMP and Annual Implementation Report (AIR) submitted to the Risk Management Authority (RMA) by the lead Responsible Authority.

11.8 For these individuals, the meeting should have regard to the requirements as detailed in the Standards and Guidelines for Risk Management (RMA).

11.9 All of the pre-read documentation relevant to the MAPPA Level 2 or 3 meeting (a critical document being the RMP) should be collated and distributed in advance of the meeting to allow the attendees suitable preparation time. This should allow the discussion at the meeting to focus on risk assessment and formulation of the risk management plan and contingency measures.

11.10 It is important that MAPPA meetings are well organised and that accurate records of them are made and retained. To support this a standard MAPPA Minute Template and RMP can be found within the MAPPA document set of this guidance.

11.11 The completed Minute template and RMP should be added to ViSOR to provide a consistency of approach to this critical part of MAPPA practice.

MAPPA Minutes

11.12 The sufficient provision of Minute takers is a matter for the responsible authorities and the MAPPA SOG, in consultation with the MAPPA Co-ordinator. It is important that an accurate record of the discussion and the decisions taken at the meeting are made and retained. It is important to record the debate and to evidence the reasoning for or against a particular course of action. The Minute should be sufficiently detailed to allow any subsequent inquiry to gauge whether, "everything that could reasonably have been done to prevent individuals from reoffending was actually done".

11.13 Whilst minute completion notes (found within the MAPPA document set of this guidance) accompany the Minute, it is also advisable to clarify:

• that the Minute is a record of a meeting held under the auspices of MAPPA and therefore that those attending understand the basis upon which the meeting is held - including the confidential nature of the proceedings and the Minutes;
• who attends the meeting and in what capacity;
• the identity of the individual and whether the meeting is the initial, or further review of the individual;
• that discussions relevant to the assessment and the management of risk, including disclosure are captured in the relevant section of the Minute and RMP; and
• that the rationale for the strategy to manage each identified risk is recorded. Where a particular course of action is considered but not taken, for example third party disclosure, the reasons for not taking that action should also be recorded.

11.14 The identified risks and the strategy for managing the risks should be laid out in the risk management section of the Minute and RMP.

11.15 The draft Minute and RMP should be produced within five working days and following clearance from the MAPPA Chair and sent securely to relevant representatives. Any comments should be returned without delay to allow production of the final Minute and RMP within a further five working days. This will ensure production of the documents within ten working days.

11.16 The MAPPA Minute and RMP is always 'Official' and may be 'Official-Sensitive' under the terms of the Government Security Classifications (see Annex 2). If agencies do not have access to ViSOR, they should determine how they will store the Minutes and RMP securely and in line with the classification requirements. They should outline how other agency personnel can access them in the event of an emergency.

11.17 The MAPPA meeting Minute and RMP, should be stored on ViSOR. An agency cannot share these documents widely with its personnel unless this has been agreed by the Chair of the MAPPA meeting and/or the MAPPA Co-ordinator.

11.18 To support the production of an accurate Minute and RMP in the highest level meetings, the proceedings might be audio recorded. Reference should be made to local procedures in respect of the secure storage of the audio recording which should be regarded as confidential. The audio recordings must be destroyed once the final Minute and RMP has been agreed and produced.

Disclosure of MAPPA Minutes

11.19 The MAPPA meeting Minute and RMP must not be shared or copied without the prior approval of the Chair of the meeting. Where there is a request for a copy of the Minute and RMP from a third party this should be referred to the MAPPA meeting Chair and the MAPPA Co-ordinator.

11.20 Where a request has been received for a submission to a Mental Health Tribunals the following information may be shared: A MAPPA meeting was held on [date]. MAPPA Level is [ ]. The MAPPA group support the recommendation by the RMO for [unescorted SUS/conditional discharge/revocation of the restriction order].

11.21 For those Mental Health Tribunals considering conditional discharge (CD), revocation of the compulsion order (CO), or revocation of the restriction order (RO), the Scottish Government Restricted Patient Team will email the relevant MAPPA Co-ordinator to request that a Minute Executive Summary be prepared by the Chair of the MAPPA meeting for lodging at the Mental Health Tribunal (which in turn should be copied to the patient and other parties). A Minute Executive Summary form can be found within the MAPPA document set.

11.22 Requests for disclosure of the MAPPA Minute and RMP by an individual or their legal representative should be treated as a Subject Access Request (SAR) authorised under the Data Protection Act 2018. The Co-ordinator and the Chair of the meeting should consult with the other agencies that attended the meeting and consider whether the information can be released on the grounds provided by the Data Protection Act. The lead Responsible Authority should always seek advice from their information security officer/data protection officer before responding to such requests.

11.23 There should rarely be a need to disclose the Minute or RMP in its entirety to anyone not party to the meeting. All formal requests for the disclosure of the Minute should be responded to. All requests and decisions relating to disclosure of the Minute or RMP should be recorded on case management records including ViSOR.

11.24 Where the Minute or RMP is to be provided, the MAPPA meeting Chair should complete a Minute Executive Summary along with a covering letter. A template for both the Minute Executive Summary and the covering letter can be found within the MAPPA document set.

11.25 The Minute and RMP are records made and kept for a specific purpose. They should not be used for any other purpose unless there is a clear and compelling reason to do so and which does not compromise the integrity of professional practice and the law. The Minute and RMP may contain personal information about third parties as well as the individual, including information about members of staff of the agencies involved. There is a requirement for that information to be restricted and not disclosed to third parties.

Involvement of individuals subject to MAPPA

11.26 While the individual will not be involved in the MAPPA meeting there should be a clearly stated mechanism for communicating with the individual both before and after the meeting. This should fall to the lead Responsible Authority, i.e. the supervising officer or police officer with responsibility for the case. Engaging the individual in the reality of risk management reflects the critical contribution an individual can make to changing their offending behaviour and for taking responsibility for their actions. The individual must be aware that they are being managed through the MAPPA and what the implications of that are.

Frequency of review meetings

11.27 A MAPPA meeting/Level 1 call for information should be scheduled to assess progress against the RMP. The timing of this should reflect the specific circumstances of the case and should be agreed at the initial meeting. Details on RSOs and initial meetings can be found at Chapter 5. Details on Other Risk of Serious Harm (Category 3) individuals and initial meetings can be found at Chapter 9.

11.28 The frequency of these meetings is a matter for the lead agency in liaison with the MAPPA Co-ordinator and partner agencies. Consideration of the frequency should be informed by the risks and any significant change in circumstances to the individual (where relevant). This should be highlighted in the RMP. However, setting regular meetings provides the opportunity for a systematic review of the risk and management levels identified in the RMP. All decisions require to be recorded and evidenced based.

11.29 The Responsible Authorities and DTC agencies have an on-going responsibility to inform the lead Responsible Authority and the MAPPA Co-ordinator of any information they receive that indicates a change in the risk of serious harm posed by an individual, in either a positive or negative manner. A meeting must be arranged to review the circumstances.

11.30 Consideration of the frequency should be informed by risk and any significant change in circumstances of the individual (where relevant). A statement of the minimum practice standards for the management of Level 1 individuals can be found at page 31. The minimum standards in respect of Level 2 and 3 review meetings are as follows:

• MAPPA Level 2 – to be reviewed no less than once every 12 weeks
• MAPPA Level 3 – to be reviewed no less than once every 6 weeks

Chairing of MAPPA Meetings

11.31 The Chair of a MAPPA meeting should possess the necessary skill, knowledge and experience required for the role. All Chairs should receive the requisite training and undertake an induction period alongside an experienced Chair.

11.32 The expectation is that any MAPPA Level 1 meetings should be chaired at a minimum level of Police Sergeant or Justice Social Work Team Leader.

11.33 The expectation is that Level 2 meetings will be chaired at a minimum level of Police Inspector or Justice Social Work (JSW) Service Manager or equivalent. Level 3 meetings should be chaired at a minimum level of Chief Social Work Officer, or Detective Superintendent. For meetings in relation to Restricted Patients these are likely to be chaired by suitably qualified health representatives experienced in the operation of MAPPA.

11.34 The MAPPA Chair is the facilitator and will direct the meeting, ensuring that the identification of the risks, and the production and appropriate review of the MAPPA Risk Management Plan is conducted in an effective and efficient manner. The role of the Chair is to ensure:

• The agenda is followed and all items are fully discussed;
• The meeting is properly recorded and the Minute circulated within the specified timescales;
• The meeting considers a full analysis of the risk of serious harm and then reviews the RMP;
• The meeting runs to the time allocated and the time allowed is sufficient to address the issues;
• The regulations and rules are adhered to;
• Where an agency fails to attend a meeting this should be followed up with the respective agency locally. A record of non-attendance should be maintained; and
• Where non-attendance affects the ability of the meeting to fulfil its function, any resultant limitations to the risk assessment and RMP are identified and acknowledged.

11.35 To achieve the above the Chair should:

• Enable appropriate contributions from all participants;
• Summarise key points;
• Test for consensus;
• Note and record areas of disagreement;
• Decide options for moving forward; and
• Agree an RMP.

Licence conditions amendments

11.36 Where there are changes proposed to the RMP which require an alteration to the individuals existing licence conditions, a Licence Amendment (LA) template should be completed and submitted by the JSW Supervising Officer to the Scottish Government Community Licence Team, Community Justice Division – contact details:

Email: communitylicence@gov.scot

11.37 The completed LA template should not be submitted directly to the Parole Board by the Supervising Officer. Similarly, if a preventative order is in place (for example in relation to sexual offending), representation should be made to the police for them to consider seeking to have the Order's conditions amended.

11.38 It should be noted that requests for termination of supervision for those individuals on a life licence, should also be submitted to the SG Community Licence Team by completing the same LA template. The Supervising Officer should submit the request along with the Assessment Report which should be dated within the last 12 months. If the termination is agreed by the Parole Board a new licence is issued retaining the following two conditions:

• That the licensee is of good behaviour and keeps the peace.
• That they inform their local authority if they are arrested or questioned by the police.

Supervised Release Order (SRO) - amendments

11.39 Where the individual subject to MAPPA is on an SRO and it has been determined by MAPPA partners that there are changes required to be made to their RMP which will also require an amendment to the SRO conditions then the JSW Supervising Officer should write to the court setting out the current conditions and indicating the change which is being sought, the reasons for the application, and the suitability of the proposed variation. If the individual subject to the SRO agrees with the application, this should be clearly stated, and they should be asked to sign a statement to that effect.