Public Protection (MAPPA)

Offenders eligible for MAPPA are identified and information is gathered/shared about them across relevant agencies. The nature and level of the risk of harm they pose is assessed and a risk management plan is implemented to protect the public.

In most cases, the offender will be managed under the ordinary arrangements applied by the agency or agencies with supervisory responsibility. However, a number of offenders require active multi agency management and their risk management plans will be formulated and monitored via MAPPA meetings attended by various agencies.

There are three categories of offender eligible for MAPPA:

Category 1 – registered sex offenders

Category 2 – violent offenders sentenced to imprisonment/detention for 12 months or more, or detained under hospital orders. This category also includes a small number of sexual offenders who do not qualify for registration and offenders disqualified from working with children

Category 3 – offenders who do not qualify under categories 1 or 2 but who currently pose a risk of serious harm and there is a link between the offending and the risk posed.

There are three levels of management which are based upon the level of multi-agency co-operation required to implement the risk management plan effectively. Higher risk cases tend to be managed at the higher levels and offenders will be moved up and down levels as appropriate:

Level 1: ordinary agency management arrangements are sufficient

Level 2: regular multi-agency meetings are required

Level 3: as level 2 but the case demands that multi-agency co-operation and oversight at a senior level is required, together with the authority to commit exceptional resources, perhaps at short notice, to strengthen the risk management plan.

ViSOR is a database holding details of sexual and violent offenders and other dangerous persons. In 2008, for the first time, the three MAPPA Responsible Authority agencies – Police, Prison, Probation – were able to work on the same IT system enabling the sharing of risk assessments and risk management information on individual violent and sex offenders in a timely way to reduce re-offending.

The Criminal Justice Act 2003 charges the Police, Probation Service and Prison Service with responsibility for establishing the MAPPA and refers to them as the ‘The Responsible Authority’. The duties and responsibility of the Responsible Authority are discharged through the Strategic Management Board (SMB).

Senior representatives of each of the agencies involved in MAPPA form the SMB which meets at least quarterly to monitor the arrangements and direct any necessary improvements.

The SMB will measure effectiveness against National MAPPA standards introduced in October 2007 in order to ensure a common standard of effective public protection arrangements and that each of the agencies is playing a full part in MAPPA.

Core features common to all SMBs are:

• Monitoring and evaluating the operation of MAPPA (at least quarterly) particularly Level 3 meetings
• Establishing local connections supporting effective operational work with other Public Protection bodies – Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs), Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs), Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJBs) and Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs).
• Preparation/publication of the MAPPA Annual Report and promotion of its work.
• Planning the longer term development of MAPPA in the light of regular annual reviews of the arrangements, legislative changes, national guidance and wider criminal justice changes.
• Identifying and planning how to meet common training and development needs of those working in MAPPA.

The MAPPA team takes a lead in monitoring probation staff new to the Trust, in terms of risk and in co-working more difficult cases. They also assist the Police when requested, undertaking risk assessments for Sex Offender Prevention Orders. The team also takes a wider role in terms of risk training and training for Duty to Co-operate Agencies in assisting their staff to gain an understanding of the role of MAPPA, etc.

The close working relationships, especially between members of the Responsible Authority, is witnessed by the fact that Level 2 MAPPA meetings are chaired, in the Co-ordinators absence, by the Local Operational Police Superintendent or Chief Inspector, together with the attendance of the relevant Risk Management Officers, Probation staff and where applicable representatives of HM Prison Service.

The Chairing of Level 3 MAPP meetings is the responsibility of a Director of Probation or Police Head of CID.

Similarly, there is co-operation between Duty to Co-Operate Agencies, with healthcare agencies working closely together – especially where there are difficulties in funding the assessment of specialist reports – and with the Housing Departments, Childcare Services and many other agencies from the voluntary sector in offering mentoring and support.

Above all there is a common interest in the protection of known victims and the public by specialist workers and other agencies involved in the management of each and every case.

MAPPA meetings are attended by Women’s Safety Workers and Victim Liaison Workers and the victim or potential victim is at the centre of all deliberations. Our defensibility test is quite simple:

“has everything been done that could be done to reduce risk and to protect the public”.