Inspectors to review management of sex offenders in Scotland

The Care Inspectorate and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland are carrying out a review into how well the public is protected by arrangements for assessing and managing sex offenders, it has been announced.

The two bodies will be looking at the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements, or MAPPA, which allow police, local authorities, the prison service and health boards to jointly assess and manage the way the risks posed by sex offenders are managed after release from a custodial sentence or a community-based disposal.

This will be the first national review of MAPPA.

The Care Inspectorate and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland are chairing the joint thematic review to ensure procedures are fully operational and that lessons learned from reviews, including Significant Case Reviews, are being shared and implemented.

In Scotland there are currently about 3,500 sex offenders being managed in communities, with around a further 1,000 in custody.

The Care Inspectorate is responsible for scrutinising the performance of criminal justice social work in Scotland and HMICS looks into the state, effectiveness and efficiency of Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority. The preparation and planning for the review process has started now and fieldwork will start in April 2015.

The year-long analysis will focus on those sex offenders who are subject to the Sex Offender Notification Requirements.

Annette Bruton (pictured), chief executive of the Care Inspectorate, said: “Where a sex offender is on licence or being supervised, there is, rightly, intense public interest in what is happening. The public rightly expects to be protected from risk and wants to know that all the agencies are working properly together.

“”A large number of offenders are managed through these multi-agency arrangements but, fortunately, the number of serious incidents is relatively low.

“If things do go wrong, the Care Inspectorate plays an important role in making sure local authorities and their partners learn the right lessons.

“Now is a good time to examine how well the arrangements are working, to ensure that the correct processes are being followed, and that lessons are learned if things go wrong.

“We are now working with partners to develop a detailed methodology for this review and fieldwork is expected to begin in April.”

Derek Penman QPM, HM Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, said: “The MAPPA have been in place for seven years, and it is timely that they are to be reviewed. We will scrutinise them to ensure our local communities are safer as a result of them being in place and that the risk posed by sex offenders is being managed appropriately.

“The outcome of this review with the Care Inspectorate will be the identification of good practice and potential areas for improvement. We will examine adherence by all authorities to the relevant guidance and discharge of their statutory duties.

“When the review is completed, we will publish a report along with any appropriate recommendations.”