North Yorkshire / York

MAPPA Annual Report 2002

1. Introduction

North Yorkshire and the City of York are independent,

separate, local authority areas, but agencies within
them have decided to adopt a joint approach to public
protection, and one single arrangement covers both
areas.
Local arrangements for public protection in North
Yorkshire and York began in 1994 with new risk
management procedures for the Probation Service.
These required that every offender be assessed for
risk at first contact with the Service, and that those
identified as threatening dangers of personal harm to
members of the public be made subject to inter-agency
Risk Strategy Meetings. These arrangements were
extended in 1998, through a new inter-agency
agreement, “Managing Dangerous Offenders in the
Community”.
In 2001, an inter-agency Task Group was set up to
enlarge and adopt the existing arrangements, to meet
the requirements of the Criminal Justice and Court
Services Act. This produced a new Protocol,
establishing a new structure and system for public
protection in North Yorkshire and the City of York.
These arrangements provide for two levels of case
conferences, for High Risk, and Very High Risk, cases,
and for the assessment and management of sex
offenders and other dangerous offenders.
Work to inform, consult, and support victims is through
arrangements which are common to the two local
authority areas.
This document provides details of the arrangements
made in North Yorkshire and York.
Any queries relating to it may be addressed to the
North Yorkshire Police (Tel - 01609 783131) or the
National Probation Service, North Yorkshire Area
(Tel - 01609 778644).
2. Summary of Roles & Responsibilities
The Police and Probation Services
share statutory responsibility for
public protection procedures and
have worked together to establish
the new arrangements in York and
North Yorkshire, which build on
earlier police/probation co-operation.
The Police maintain a Register of
individuals convicted of sexual
offences. Each individual on this
Sex Offender Register is assessed
for risk, and is visited at home by
the police: the frequency and nature
of the visits depend on the risk
assessment. The majority of these
offenders, and of those convicted of
serious crimes of violence, will be
known to the Probation Service, as
explained in the following section.
The North Yorkshire Probation
Board is funding a newly created
post, at Middle Manager level,
dedicated to risk management and
public protection work. This
Probation Public Protection Manager
took up post in July, 2002.
Responsibilities include supporting
probation officers who are
supervising dangerous offenders,
and servicing the Area’s multi-
agency public protection
arrangements.
Police and Probation take the lead,
but other key agencies are Housing,
Social and Community Services,
Health and Education. These
agencies make up the core group
for higher tier case conferences,
which are Multi Agency Public
Protection Panel Meetings
(MAPPPs). Because of the national
re-organisation of the Health
Services from April 2002,
representation by Health
professionals at public protection
panel meetings is yet to be
determined.
The Housing Departments of the
City of York and the District Councils
of Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate,
Richmondshire, Ryedale,
Scarborough and Selby have an
important role to play. Stable
accommodation is crucial to the
successful management of
dangerous offenders, and staff in
Housing Departments sometimes
need to call on the support of other
agencies where current tenants are
presenting risks.
North Yorkshire Social Services, and
the City of York Community
Services, work towards sustaining
the quality of life of individuals and
communities across the Area,
especially children and vulnerable
adults. They have responsibilities
towards children in need and their
families, older and disabled people,
and those with mental health needs.
They are committed to working
collaboratively with other agencies
to protect the vulnerable from those
who might harm them, particularly
individuals with convictions for
sexual or violent crimes against
children (who are known as
“Schedule 1 Offenders”).
The Health Service has a key
contribution to make. A substantial
proportion of offenders under
supervision (estimated at 40% in
one area) is thought to have mental
health problems. Mental Health
specialists might provide diagnosis
and assessment and treatment,
including referral to in-patient units.
Forensic Community Psychiatric
Nurses have been engaged in risk
management meetings in almost all
parts of the Area for some time, and
currently the involvement of more
senior health representatives at
higher level meetings is under
discussion. Resourcing for Mental
Health Services is an issue. Health
Service professionals attended the
Area-wide set-up meeting to discuss
the inter-agency Protocol, and more
recently there was a meeting with
forensic psychiatrists. The recent
National Health Service re-
organisation has caused delay, but
commitment to the Protocol is now
being considered by the Directors of
the four Health Primary Care Trusts
which cover North Yorkshire and
York.
Some serious offenders prey on
children and the dangers they
represent often require the
involvement of schools. North
Yorkshire and the City of York
Education departments are
committed to a collaborative
approach to protecting the children
in their care, through the multi-
agency public protection system - by
referring concerning cases which
come to their attention, and by
responding to information provided
through the Protocol arrangements.
Other parties involved include North
Yorkshire County Council Legal
Services, who provide advice on
legal issues to the Multi Agency
Public Protection Panel, the NSPCC
in York, which is devoted to
safeguarding children from harm,
and the Youth Offending Teams
(YOTs). There are separate YOTs in
North Yorkshire and York, which
supervise offenders aged 10 to 17.
Some of these young offenders
have committed very serious
offences and represent very high
risk to others.
3. Outline of Arrangements
Almost all referrals to the public
protection arrangements are from
the Probation Service.
Most offenders representing dangers
to others in the community are
known to the Service, and the
majority are ex-prisoners. Anyone
given a prison sentence of 12
months or more will be subject to
licence on release and will come
under the supervision of a probation
officer. The period of the licence is
related to the length of sentence,
and the licence requires the subject
to attend the probation office (initially
weekly), and may contain other
conditions (such as participation in
treatment programmes).
In York and North Yorkshire, all
offenders (whatever their sentence)
are assessed at first contact with the
Probation Service for risk of harm to
others. There is an initial screening,
using a standard assessment tool,
which is applied to all offenders and
to defendants subject to pre-
sentence reports. Offenders under
supervision are given further in-
depth risk analysis, if the initial
screening reveals any indication of
risk of harm.
4. Strategic Management Arrangements
A Steering Group is being
established to oversee the system,
and the functioning of the
arrangements for public protection.
It will be made up of senior
managers from the Police,
Probation, Social/Community
Services, Education, Health and
Housing.
Following risk assessment,
offenders under Probation
supervision are placed in one of four
risk categories: Low Risk of harm,
Medium Risk, High Risk, and Very
High Risk. Those categorised as
High Risk are made subject to inter-
agency Risk Management Meetings,
and those identified as being Very
High Risk are considered by the
Multi Agency Public Protection
Panel. High Risk and Very High
Risk cases are given a higher
degree of closely-focussed
supervision, following discussion at
the inter-agency risk meeting.
The purpose of both Risk
Management and Public Protection
Panel meetings is to protect people
in the community from harm,
through a joint approach in which
agencies share responsibility and a
co-ordinated response to manage
the risks and dangers represented
by an individual to others. At the
meetings, information is shared and
analysed, risks are identified and
assessed, and an Action Plan for
managing them is agreed. The Plan
will identify which staff in each
agency are to undertake the actions,
and when. Progress will be
The Steering Group will assess the
effectiveness of the inter-agency
work, and monitor the outcomes of
meetings, through periodic reviews.
It will receive reports on the nature
of cases considered, attendance at
meetings, and the involvement of
agencies in the public protection
processes. Evidence of success will
considered and the Plan updated at
subsequent review meetings.
While most dangerous offenders are
already known to the Probation
Service, a professional working in
any other agency who has concerns
that an individual with whom he or
she has had contact is a danger to
the public can refer to the Probation
Public Protection Manager (PPPM).
The PPPM, in conjunction with the
police, will assess the case, and
decide whether it should be the
subject of a MAPPP, or a Risk
Management Meeting (RMM, the
lower tier of case conference). The
PPPM will convene the appropriate
level of meeting and invite
representation from all relevant
agencies.
Initial meetings (MAPPP or RMM)
are held as and when they are
necessary, and in urgent cases are
convened very quickly. Review
meetings are usually at four monthly
intervals, but can be more often if
the case so requires.
be a low number of registered Very
High Risk cases who go on to
commit further serious offences, and
a low number of serious offences
committed by individuals in whom
risk was not recognised.
5. Disclosure
Individuals have the right to have
their privacy and confidentiality
respected by public service
agencies. Sometimes, however, the
protection of others requires that
these rights are breached and that
information about an individual is
disclosed to others to protect those
at risk of harm from that individual.
Because such disclosure infringes
civil liberties, decisions about it are
taken only after careful
6. Victims Work
New legislation, implemented in
2001, gave to the Probation Service
nationally new responsibilities for
victims. Since April 2001, the
Service has been required to contact
the victims of all sexual and violent
crimes, where the offender was
sentenced to imprisonment of a year
or more. The contact is to offer
interviews at which information
about the criminal justice system,
and the approximate date of release
of offenders, can be given, and the
views of victims can be obtained.
Victims’ views can be taken into
account when the circumstances of
the release of prisoners is being
considered, and may result in
special conditions being added to
licences (but cannot prevent or
delay the release of prisoners).
In 2001, the Probation Service in
North Yorkshire and the City of York
established new arrangements to
conduct victim work. It now has a
nominated and specially trained staff
member in each of its main offices.
Between them, these Victim Liaison
consideration at the highest level
through MAPPP meetings. The
responsibility for carrying out any
disclosure rests with the Police.
In a recent case in North Yorkshire,
when it was recognised that
information about an offender
needed to be disclosed to safeguard
children and also professionals he
had threatened, there was thorough
planning, informed by legal advice.
Officers undertake all victim contact
work, and cover the whole area.
The Service has agreed protocols
relating to victims with other
agencies, and has a partnership with
Victim Support. Volunteers from
Victim Support make the first
approach to victims, and where the
victim accepts the offer of contact,
visit with the Probation Victim
Liaison Officer.
Victim Support can be contacted on
these telephone numbers:-
York & Selby
- (01904) 636905
Harrogate & District
- (01423) 500033
Ryedale, Scarborough & Whitby
- (01723) 500539
Hambleton & Richmond
- (01609) 777771
Craven Victim Support
- (01756) 794775
A two-tier approach was adopted,
with briefings being given to the
professionals directly involved, and
less detailed information being given
to those (like headteachers) who
could protect children in general.
The risk management action in this
case was successful and no further
offences have been committed by
the individual concerned.
Victim Support is the national charity
for people affected by crime. It is
an independent organisation,
offering a free and confidential
service, whether or not a crime has
been reported. Trained staff and
volunteers at local branches offer
information and support to victims,
witnesses, their families, and
friends. Victim Support provides the
Witness Service, based in every
criminal court in England and Wales
to offer assistance before, during,
and after, a trial.
The Victim Support Line - 0845 30
30 900 - gives information and
support and details of other relevant
organisations.
7. Statistics Number of Offences

i The number of Registered Sex Offenders (RSOs) in the community

on 31/3/02 (s68(2) CJ&CS Act 2000) 212

The number of RSOs per 100,000 population 28

ii The number of SOs cautioned/convicted for breaches of registration

requirement 01/04/01 - 31/03/02 11

iii The number of Sex Offender Orders 01/04/01 - 31/03/02

(a) total number applied for 0

(b) granted 0

(c) not granted 0

(d) applications still in progress 0

iv The number of violent offenders and other sex offenders

01/04/01 - 31/03/02 (s68(3)(4)&(5) CJ&CS Act 2000) 195

• The number of other offenders

01/04/01 - 31/03/02 (s67(2)(b) CJ&CS Act 2000) 7

v. Additional Costs of Local Arrangements

Probation Board Police Other Agencies Total

£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000

Staff Costs 3.4 1.3 3.4 8.1

Other Costs 0.3 0.3 - 0.6

Total Expenditure 3.7 1.6 3.4 8.7

Income - - - -

Net
Expenditure* 3.5 1.6 3.4 8.5

*Set up costs
including above 2.6 1.6 3.4 7.6
Contacts

North Yorkshire Police H.Q. Address Phone

Newby Wiske, 01609 783131

Northallerton,
North Yorkshire,
DL7 9HA

National Probation Service Address Phone

North Yorkshire Area 01609 778644

Thurstan House,
6 Standard Way,
Northallerton,
North Yorkshire,
DL6 2XQ