MAPPA Annual Report 2002

North Wales
Multi Agency Public Protection
Arrangements Annual Report

Annual report for the period

1st April 2001 to 31st March 2002
1 Introduction

Local arrangements in North Wales for the co-

ordination of work with sex and dangerous offenders
pre-date the implementation of the Sex Offender Act
1997. A Protocol of Inter-Service arrangements for
Managing Dangerous Offenders in the Community was
agreed between North Wales Probation Service and
North Wales Police in July 1997. This was
subsequently developed into an Inter-Agency Protocol
dealing with Sex Offenders and other dangerous
offenders in April 2001. This committed Police,
Probation and all Local Authorities across North Wales
to co-operate in respect of risk assessment and
management and to exchange information with regard
to individuals who are considered to be a risk to public
safety. These arrangements are currently under review
in line with the duties placed on Police and Probation
under the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act
2000.
2 Summary of Roles and Responsibilities
Police role:
North Wales is divided into three
Divisions or Police areas and each
area has a dedicated Police Officer
working in conjunction with their
counterparts from other agencies.
These are dedicated Officers trained
to a National level who as well as
collating information on individuals in
their areas, also visit them to
confirm identities and addresses and
to discuss any issues with the
individual which may have a bearing
on public safety or the safety of the
individual. These Officers are often
in contact with their opposite number
in Probation who on some occasions
join with an Officer to visit an
individual. This brings together the
expertise of both services and is an
example of how the closer working
partnership is being adopted across
North Wales.
North Wales Police have a dedicated
officer working in Police
Headquarters at Colwyn Bay
specifically tasked with providing
assistance to divisional practitioners.
Guidance and the highlighting of
good practice identified together with
the development of a new database
to assist in monitoring arrangements
is provided. This officer has
established links and is in regular
contact with other forces to this end.
For further details contact:
The Public Protection Co-Ordinator,
Community Safety Department,
Police Headquarters, Colwyn Bay,
LL29 8AW
Probation role:
The Probation Service carries out
risk assessments on all offenders
subject to statutory supervision,
using a nationally accredited
assessment tool – the Offender
Assessment Systems (OASys). In
cases of sexual or violent offending,
the Thornton Risk Matrix 2000 is
also used. Where an offender is
identified as posing a high or very
high risk of harm, the case is
referred to a Multi Agency Public
Protection Panel (MAPPP).
Supervising Probation Officers will
then work closely with the Police in
managing the risk posed by the
offender.
For further details contact:
The Chief Officer, North Wales
Probation Area, Alexandra House,
Abergele Road, Colwyn Bay,
LL29 9YF.
Social Services role:
Social Services are requested to
attend Multi Agency Public
Protection meetings when a case
involves a family or child who are
known to the agency for any reason.
For example, this could be where a
sex offender has children as part of
their immediate family or where an
offender is known to the Social
Services Mental Health Team.
The Social Services teams are
contactable through their respective
local authority area as follows:
The Director of Social Services:
Môn:
Ynys Môn County Council, Shire
Hall, Ffordd Glanhwfa, Llangefni,
LL77 7TS
Gwynedd:
Gwynedd County Council, Shire Hall
Street, Caernarfon, LL55 1SH
Conwy:
Conwy County Council, Builder
Street, Llandudno, LL30 1DA
Denbighshire:
Denbighshire County Council,
Council Offices, Wynnstay Road,
Ruthin, Denbighshire, LL15 1YN
Wrexham:
Wrexham County Borough Council,
Personnel Services, Lambpit Street,
PO Box 1287, Wrexham, LL11 1WH
Flintshire:
Flintshire County Council, County
Hall, Mold, Flintshire, CH7 6NB
Health role:
The Health role is predominantly
one of providing information and
opinions as to levels of risk posed by
offenders with mental health
problems. Input may be given by the
Doctor who is handling a particular
case or a Forensic Psychiatric Nurse
if general advice is needed.
The Health teams are contactable
through the three trusts in North
Wales.
North West Wales NHS Trust
Ysbyty Bryn y Neuadd,
Llanfairfechan, Gwynedd, LL33 0HH
Conwy/Denbighshire NHS Trust
Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan,
Denbighshire, LL18 5UJ
North East Wales NHS Trust
Ysbyty Maelor, Croesnewydd Road,
Wrexham, LL13 7TD
Commissioning of Health provision
is currently located with the North
Wales Health Authority. The address
of the Authority is:
North Wales Health Authority
Preswylfa, Hendy Road, Mold,
Flintshire, CH7 1PZ
The Health Authority fulfils a co-
ordinating role across North Wales
in relation to Policy Development in
this field and, also convenes a North
Wales Mentally Disordered
Offenders Group. Work has been
commissioned by this Group to
examine the relationship between
Health provision and work with sex
offenders. A report is awaited which
it is anticipated will address the
issue of need in relation to
Psychiatric and Psychological
3 Outline of Arrangements Made
Multi Agency arrangements for the
assessment and management of
sexual, violent and other dangerous
offenders are in place across North
Wales. Regular meetings are
convened each month by the
Probation Service to share
information about offenders subject
to statutory supervision and make
joint plans if necessary. Other
agencies bring cases for discussion
at these meetings. Meetings are
usually chaired by the local Senior
Probation Officer. Core membership
includes the Area Police Sex and
Violent Offender Monitoring Officer
and their Manager, the local Social
Services Child Protection Co-
ordinator and Youth Offending Team
Manager. A member of the North
Wales Forensic Psychiatric team
has begun to attend meetings to
advise directly on offenders with
4 Strategic Management Arrangements
Current strategic management
arrangements are based on the
Inter-agency Protocol dealing with
sex offenders and other dangerous
offenders dated April 2001. This
identified a standing group to
oversee the implementation of the
Protocol. Two multi-agency
services and the responsibility of
Health as a provider.
Local Authority Housing role:
It is recognised that appropriate
stable accommodation can be an
Mental Health issues. Local
Authority Housing Officers attend in
some areas and other agency
representatives attend by invitation
to discuss individual cases.
Whenever an offender under
discussion has substantial links with
another area of the country, an
invitation to attend is sent to relevant
agencies in that area. In addition, to
scheduled meetings, a MAPPP may
be convened at any time to discuss
a case new to the area or where the
level of risk is judged to have
become very high. Such meetings
will usually be chaired by the
Assistant Chief Probation Officer.
The decisions of all meetings are
recorded and reviewed at
subsequent meetings. All sex
offenders subject to statutory
supervision by the Probation Service
are assessed for participation in the
meetings, in January and March
2002 have taken place to review the
Protocol and the operation of the
MAPPPs, in line with the
requirements of the Criminal Justice
and Court Services Act 2000.
Arrangements are under review with
a view to developing a revised Multi
important factor in reducing the risks
of further offending. Local Authority
Housing Officers are regularly
involved in Multi Agency discussions
about the accommodation of
offenders and attend MAPPPs in
parts of North Wales.
Community Sex Offender Groupwork
Programme. This is a nationally
accredited programme which
challenges behaviour and addresses
cognitive distortions which has been
demonstrated to have an impact in
reducing re-offending. The
Probation Service in North Wales is
introducing other accredited
programmes which address violent
behaviour.
A Multi Agency Working Group has
been meeting since the beginning of
2002 to review local arrangements.
A new Protocol is in the final stages
of development. This will clarify
which offenders will be the subject of
a high level review and introduce a
more consistent approach to the
process and recording of MAPPP
meetings.
Agency Public Protection Strategy
and the creation of a Multi Agency
Strategy Group which will meet
regularly to oversee the operation of
MAPPPs and the second tier of
Multi Agency meetings as well as
co-ordinating training, media
relations and information sharing.
5 Disclosure
The focus of the MAPPP
arrangements is on the sharing of
information between agencies on a
strictly confidential basis. However,
there are circumstances where the
sharing of some information with a
wider audience may be justifiable to
protect the public. The Police have
the lead responsibility in respect of
this matter. Disclosure of any
information about a sex or
dangerous offender will only take
place on the authorisation of a
Senior Police Officer.
Perhaps the best example of how
North Wales has used this power
to protect the public in the case of
R .v. North Wales Police.
This case was heard at the Court of
Appeal on the 18th March 1998.
The Court basically approved the
following decision made by the
Queen’s Bench Division.
AB and CD were a married couple,
recently released from Prison after
serving sentences for serious sexual
offences against children. In the
winter of 1997, they hired a caravan
on a holiday site in North Wales.
The police were very concerned that
when the site opened to holiday
6 Victim’s Work
Section 69 of the Criminal Justice
and Court Services Act 2000 places
a duty on local Probation Boards in
connection with victims of certain
offences.
The Probation Service is under a
duty to make contact with the victims
of sexual and serious violent
offences in cases where the offender
is sentenced to a term of
imprisonment of 12 months or more.
North Wales Area Probation have
set up a dedicated unit to undertake
this task. Staff make contact with
makers at Easter, children playing
on the site might be vulnerable to
attack by the couple.
After discussions with the couple, a
psychiatrist and other agencies,
such as social services, it was
decided to inform the site owner of
the couple’s convictions. The owner
made them leave.
The couple brought an action for
judicial review of the Police’s
conduct.
HELD:
In LIMITED circumstances the
Police could release factual
information about individuals if it was
very strongly in the public interest to
do so. This should be based on the
following:
i) There is a general presumption
that information should NOT be
disclosed, based on a recognition
of:
- the potentially serious effect
on the ability of the convicted
people to live a normal life;
- the risk of violence to such
people; and
- the risk that disclosure might
drive them underground
victims to offer them the choice of
receiving information about an
offender’s progression through the
custodial part of the sentence and to
inform them of release plans. The
unit also advises Probation
colleagues on conditions to be
included in licences.
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
ii) There is a strong public interest in
ensuring that the Police are able
to disclose information about
offenders where that is
necessary for the prevention or
detection of crime, or for the
protection of young or other
vulnerable people.
iii) EACH CASE SHOULD BE
CONSIDERED CAREFULLY ON
ITS PARTICULAR FACTS (there
must be no blanket policy),
assessing the risk posed by the
individual offenders; the
vulnerability of those who may be
at risk; and the impact of
disclosure on the offender. In
making such an assessment, the
Police should normally consult
other relevant agencies (such as
social services and the Probation
Service).
Although this particular case made
National headlines at the time, the
need to use such measures have
not arisen again to date in North
Wales. There has been low key
incident where it was agreed in a
Multi Agency meeting for a Head
teacher of a particular school to be
informed about a young person with
the relevant convictions seen
loitering outside the school gates.
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. You can also call the Victim
Support line – 0845 30 30 900 – for
information and support and details
of local services and other relevant
organisations.
7 Statistical Information Number of Offenders

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

on 31/03/02 (s68 (2) CJ &CS Act 2000) 257

The number of RSOs per 100,000 population 39

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

requirement 01/04/01 – 31/03/02 10

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

(a) total applied for 5

(b) granted 4

(c) not granted 0

(d) applications still in progress 1

iv. The number of violent offenders and other sex offenders

01/04/01 – 31/03/02 (s68 (3)(4)&(5) CJ&CS Act 2000) 147

The number of other offenders 01/04/01 – 31/03/02

(s67 (2) (b) CJ&CS Act 2000) 0