Cheshire, Halton & Warrington

Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements

Annual Report 2002-3
Foreword

By Paul Goggins, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for

Community and Custodial provision in the Home Office

As the recently appointed Minister with responsibility for the

MAPPA, I am pleased to introduce this, the second, annual
MAPPA report. It is clear that in the last year (2002/3) the
multi-agency public protection arrangements (the MAPPA)
continued to play an important role in what remains one of
this government’s highest priorities – the protection of the
public from dangerous offenders.

As someone with many years experience of working in the

field of child protection, I am particularly impressed by the
important contribution the MAPPA are making to
strengthen collaboration between agencies at a local level
where the focus is on the dangerous offender. These
improvements must, however, impact on the protection of
children. As the tragic death of Victoria Climbie showed, an
effective multi-agency partnership is crucial and the
MAPPA are an important element.

To ensure greater consistency in the MAPPA across the 42

Areas of England and Wales, and to prepare for the
implementation of measures contained in the Criminal
Justice Bill, we published the MAPPA Guidance in April.
Building on good practice, that Guidance clarified the
structure of the operational arrangements as well as the
importance of formal review and monitoring – of which this
annual report is a vital part. The Criminal Justice Bill will
strengthen the MAPPA in two ways. First, it will make the
involvement of other agencies part of the statutory
framework. Second, it will introduce the involvement of lay
people – those unconnected with day-to-day operation of
the MAPPA – in reviewing and monitoring the MAPPA.
Annual reports and this new lay involvement show the
Government’s commitment to explaining how the often
sensitive and complex work of public protection is
undertaken.
The Government is also strengthening the protection of the
public with other measures in the Criminal Justice Bill.
They include new sentences for dangerous offenders to
prevent their release if they continue to be dangerous.
Additionally, the Sexual Offences Bill will tighten up sex
offender registration, introduce a new offence of
‘grooming’, and enable sex offender orders to be imposed
on violent offenders who pose a risk of causing serious
sexual harm – thereby extending sex offender registration
to them.

I commend this report to you and congratulate all the

agencies and individuals who have contributed to the
achievement of the MAPPA locally in your local Area.

Paul Goggins
The National Picture

This section of the report draws attention to wider context

of the operation and development of the Multi-Agency
Public Protection Arrangements (the MAPPA).

The most important work undertaken within the MAPPA is

done locally, led by the police and probation – who act
jointly as the ‘Responsible Authority’ in your Area – and in
each of the 42 Areas of England and Wales. The
experience and good practice upon which this work is
based began in the 1990s – most significantly as a result of
the closer working relationship required by the Sex
Offender Act (1997). The Criminal Justice and Courts
Services Act (2000) formalised that relationship and built
on the existing experience by requiring the police and
probation services to establish arrangements (the MAPPA)
for assessing and managing the risks posed by sexual and
violent offenders. The Act also required the Responsible
Authority to publish an annual report on the operation of
those arrangements. This report, covering April 2002 to
March 2003, is the second annual report.

The importance of partnership

Key to the development of the MAPPA in the past year has

been the closer involvement of other agencies, such as
housing, health and social services, working alongside
police and probation. The truly multi-agency nature of the
MAPPA and the collaboration which underpins it is to be
strengthened further by the Criminal Justice Bill. The Bill
will place a ‘duty to co-operate’ on a wide range of
organisations including local health authorities and trusts;
housing authorities and registered social landlords; social
services departments; Jobcentres; Youth Offending
Teams; and local education authorities. In addition, the
Prison Service will join the police and probation services
and become part of the MAPPA ‘Responsible Authority’.
Supporting and co-ordinating the development of the
MAPPA throughout the 42 Areas of England and Wales, is
the National Probation Directorate’s Public Protection Unit
(PPU). This Unit acts as a central point for advice and,
increasingly, involvement in the management of difficult
cases. These include, for example, UK citizens who have
committed serious offences abroad and return to this
country without anywhere to live. The Unit is also able to
provide financial support when the risk management plans
make exceptional demands upon local resources.

Involving the public

MAPPA developments in the next 18 months will also

include the appointment by the Home Secretary of two ‘lay
advisers’ to each Area. The eight Areas of England and
Wales which have been piloting these arrangements since
January (Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Durham, South
Wales, Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey and West Midlands)
report that they add real value. Lay advisers will contribute
to the review and monitoring of the MAPPA which is
undertaken by each Area’s Strategic Management Board –
the work of which you can read more in this report.

The purpose of appointing ‘lay advisers’ is to ensure that

communities understand more of what is done to protect
them and that those involved professionally with the
MAPPA are aware of the views of the community. The lay
advisers will not ‘represent’ the community in the way, for
example, that local councillors do, nor will they be involved
in operational decision-making. And, given the sensitivity of
much of what the MAPPA does, especially with the few
offenders who pose a very high risk of serious harm to the
public, it is not practicable for the general public to be
involved. Lay advisers will, however, ensure an appropriate
and a practical level of community involvement.
MAPPA Offenders

This year the annual report provides a more detailed

breakdown of the number of sexual and violent offenders
who are covered by the MAPPA in your Area. As last year,
the figures include the number of registered sex offenders.
Because sex offender registration is for a minimum of 5
years (and generally for much longer) the figures are
cumulative. This is why they have increased – by 16 per
cent in England and Wales. Only a very small proportion
(about six per cent throughout England and Wales) are
considered to pose such a high risk or management
difficulty that they are referred to the highest level of the
MAPPA – the Multi-Agency Public Protection Panels (the
MAPPP).

Figures alone do not, of course, tell the whole story. The

anonymised case studies illustrate the practical work of the
MAPPA, and demonstrate the preventive action which can
be taken. Prior to the MAPPA, action of this kind was
mainly taken by one agency alone, with the effect that on
occasion offenders’ behaviour which might have triggered
preventative action went unnoticed. The multi-agency
approach of the MAPPA helps ensure that if an offender
does breach the condition of the licence under which they
were released from prison or a court order prohibiting
certain activities, then action to enforce the condition or
order and protect the public can be taken more swiftly.

If you are interested in reading the reports of other Areas,

they will be published on the National Probation Service’s
website www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk (under the
public protection section) with all of them being available
once the last Area has published its annual report in
September.
1. Origins of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements

This is the second annual report detailing the local

arrangements for dealing with sex and violent offenders.
Local arrangements for dealing with Sex Offenders began
in September 1998 with the introduction of the Sex
Offenders Act 1997. In May 1999, a complimentary but
separate Public Protection Protocol (PPP) was agreed
between the partner agencies to provide risk assessment
and management procedures for those dangerous
offenders not catered for by the Sex Offender
arrangements.
These arrangements formalised the existing partnerships
for sharing information for the assessment and
management of sex and other dangerous offenders
between the following agencies:
• Cheshire Constabulary
• National Probation Service
• Cheshire, Halton and Warrington Social Services
• North and South Cheshire Health and NHS Hospital
Trusts
• Youth Offending Teams
• Education
• Housing
• Prison Service
• Cheshire Fire Service
The Public Protection Protocol gives substantial information
on the roles of the multi agency partners and details of the
way in which Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements
(MAPPA) operate. This is a public document, it can be
seen in public libraries in Cheshire, is accessible on the
Police and Probation Service websites or available in hard
copy from the contact points identified in Annex ‘A’.
Local Points of Contact

Details are contained in Annex 'A'.

2. Summary of Roles and Responsibilities
Joint Assessment
The police and probation services in
Cheshire have a responsibility to
make arrangements for the joint
assessment of risks posed by people
sentenced to 12 months
imprisonment or more for violent or
sexual offences.
All sex offenders in this category are
liable to registration under the Sex
Offenders Act. Adult male offenders
are assessed using the Risk Matrix
2000 framework (a structured
assessment that predicts the
likelihood of a sex offender
committing a further sexual offence)
and discussed in Sex Offender
meetings on a monthly basis.
Female and adolescent Registered
Sex Offenders are also considered
and assessed at these monthly
meetings.
All prisoners serving 12 months or
more for violent offences are
assessed by the supervising
Probation Officer using Risk Matrix
2000 (violence), a similar
assessment to the one described
above for sexual offenders. Any
assessment of high risk is shared
with the police and very high risk
considered for Multi-Agency Public
Protection Panel meetings using the
agreed protocol.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Operation of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements
a) Sex Offenders
Once an offender is required to
register under the Act, notification is
forwarded to a central police point
located within the Force Intelligence
Bureau. An initial intelligence
package for use at the risk
Joint Management
Registered Sex Offenders are dealt
with by way of at least monthly Sex
Offender Risk Assessment Meetings,
chaired by the Police Divisional
Crime Manager. The standing
attendance at these meetings
includes the Local Probation
Manager and representatives from
Social Services and the Youth
Offending Teams. Other partner
agencies are invited to attend as
required.
In relation to other dangerous
people, Multi-Agency Public
Protection Panel meetings are
convened by the Probation Public
Protection Manager as and when
they are required, throughout the
County, and always involve the
Police Crime Managers and at least
one other partner agency manager
who are or may become involved
with the dangerous person.
Roles and Responsibilities
Social Services have been involved
with the development of both
protocols and play a key role in the
area of child protection, mental
health and vulnerable adults.
Health in its various guises played a
significant part in the development of
assessment and management
meeting is prepared.
Each offender is subject to a risk
assessment based upon the Matrix
2000 model and is categorised
according to the level of risk posed.
This assessment determines the
both protocols and attends meetings
where their specific input is required.
The Youth Offending Teams since
their inception have played a full part
in relation to young offenders.
The Chief Housing Officers took
responsibility for providing
attendance at strategy and
operational meetings, and take the
lead role in co-ordinating the other
housing providers.
Local Authority Education
Departments have a specific role to
play in relation to young offenders
still in education and the protection
of children from adult predators.
The Prison Service has a critical role
to play in providing information on
dangerous offenders being released
from custody. Early information
received from them assists in the
planning for the management of
such offenders in the community.
Cheshire Fire Service have more
recently joined the Multi-Agency
group and will play an invaluable role
in advising practitioners on the
management of those offenders who
commit arson and related offences.
frequency of review on a specific
individual and informs the decision
making for the ongoing management
plan.
Meetings are held at least monthly
with the core agency and other
agencies are represented as
required to share information,
determine the management plan and
decide who will carry out each
action. The purpose of these
meetings is the safe management of
offenders within the community. The
frequency of review is determined by
the level of risk.
Other Dangerous Offenders
When any partner agency considers
that a person, with whom they are
professionally in contact, poses an
unacceptably high risk, they may
request that a MAPPP meeting be
convened. This is co-ordinated
centrally by the Probation Public
Protection Manager who arranges
the risk assessment meetings by
inviting all appropriate partner
agencies.
If the person is an offender, the
Probation Service will carry out a
formal risk assessment. For others
the determination of risk level is
made by the referring agency. A
Senior Manager from the referring
agency will chair the meetings.
These meetings are set up as
requested and will continue at
agreed intervals for as long as the
risk posed is deemed unacceptable.
The action plans from such meetings
will complement the supervision
plans where the person is under the
supervision of the Probation Service
or the Youth Offending Team.
The criteria, which have to be met
before a MAPPP meeting will be
held, are: -
• The likelihood of harm to another
person occurring is considered to
be high.
• The level of harm to that person
would be potentially life
threatening.
• There is a substantial chance of
the harm being carried out.
• The potential victim is known
specifically or by type.
• The person cannot be managed
alone by the referring agency.
• The person cannot be managed
by the existing partner
arrangements.
• There is no other partnership
procedure or protocol that would
normally manage the person.
MAPPP meetings are chaired by a
senior manager from the agency
requesting them. Each agency
commits appropriate resources to
the management plan. All actions
are time bound and are reviewed at
subsequent meetings. All MAPPP
meetings are minuted to an
approved format and circulated only
to those persons in attendance and
anyone specifically identified to
receive them at the meeting.
The chair of the meeting is
responsible for ensuring that all
actions required are clearly
understood, assigned to specific
individuals and carried out.
b) Case Studies
This was a young woman serving a
term of imprisonment for offences of
arson. A MAPPP meeting was
called to plan for her release from
prison and management of her
release in the community. Her first
release was unsuccessful as she
caused significant damage to the
facility where she was placed and
she was recalled to prison to serve
the remainder of her sentence.
Further MAPPP meetings were
called and a referral was made for
mental health assessment.
Subsequently she was committed to
a regional secure unit where she
remained for some time. Her
medication was changed and she
made significant progress and has
now been released into the
community with a care plan that has
assisted her to make the transition to
independent living in the community.
This involved a young man who was
serving a period of imprisonment for
drug related offences. These
offences were of a violent nature to
secure drugs or the money to buy
drugs. He was also known to
become uncontrollable when under
the influence of cocaine and whilst
this was not his drug of choice
normally, he would resort to its use
in the absence of other drugs or
when depressed. He has said that
on release from prison he could see
no alternative but to return to drugs.
He was known to be addicted to
heroin and other illegal substances.
In the past, treatment plans failed
because his lifestyle was so chaotic
that he was never sufficiently stable
to work with the Community Drugs
Team. The MAPPP meeting prior to
his release discussed ways of
stabilising him in the community so
that treatment could be offered.
Both the prescribing doctor and the
Community Drugs Team attended
the MAPPP meeting and agreed on
a course of action that would assist
the process. Since that time, and
with the help of the Housing
Authorities providing suitable
accommodation, he has become
stabilised on prescribed drugs and
thus does not need to have recourse
to street drugs.
A Registered Sex Offender had been
sentenced to a period of
imprisonment. During the sentence
he was assessed as a person who
would pose serious threats to the
community and the professionals
who were trying to assist him. This
was confirmed when he made
threats against several individuals.
At a MAPPP meeting it was
identified that the recommendation
should be a referral to psychiatric
services. This was subsequently
carried out and he is currently
receiving treatment in a secure
establishment.
c) Supervision of and Programs for
Offenders
All offenders released from prison
subject to MAPPA are supervised by
the Probation Service. Where the
risk is deemed sufficiently high, they
will be referred to an accredited
programme of work proven to reduce
the risk of reoffending. For
Registered Sex Offenders, there is a
sex offender treatment programme
run in two parts, which takes
approximately a year to complete.
For violent offenders, programmes
such as “Think First” are designed to
assist them to confront their
offending behaviour and change
their thought processes in a way that
will reduce future offending. For
those whose offending includes
substance abuse, there are
programmes specifically designed to
divert them from using illegal drugs
or misusing alcohol.
Offenders are required to attend
these programmes as a condition of
a community order or prison licence.
Failure to attend without an
acceptable reason will mean that
those on community orders will be
returned to court and those on
licence will be sent back to prison.
Offenders attending programmes are
intensively supervised during the
period of the programme.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Strategic Management Board Arrangements
The Strategic Management Board is
an inter-agency forum responsible
for determining how the various
services and professional groups
should co-operate to exchange
relevant information and to assess
and manage the risk posed by the
offenders for whom they hold
Central to the ability of the police to
prevent and detect crime is
intelligence concerning potential
offenders who are resident in their
area. The requirement for sex
offenders to register within three
days of their release from prison,
rather that the previous standard of
14 days, has resulted in information
being more timely. This situation
has been assisted by the early
notification from the Prison Service
of offenders due for release. Where
there is clearly a high risk involved,
an immediate visit to the offender’s
home by a joint Police and Probation
team can be planned. In these
circumstances, the individual is left in
no doubt of the interest being shown
by the responsible authorities.
d) Disclosure
The core partner agencies are
committed to sharing information in
order to protect the public.
Within the protocol, partner agencies
reaffirm commitment and trust and
recognise that where there is an
identified level of harm to a specific
person or the wider public, their
protection takes precedence over
individual confidentiality.
All information shared is kept
confidential to the meeting. Where
the action plan requires disclosure to
responsibility. Partner agencies are
represented on this group by senior
managers who are able to commit
resources, commission training and
promote good practice. Their
responsibilities include the
development of local policies and
procedures to evaluate and review
a third party this can be authorised
by the agreement of the meeting.
This is always done within the
principle of balancing the rights of
the individual against the need to
protect the public from the risk
posed.
From the above, it follows that the
free flow of information between
individual agencies is essential if
appropriate and proper planning is to
be applied to the assessment and
supervision of potential offenders in
the community.
For example, a Registered Sex
Offender being released from prison
may have extended family. The risk
of harm against the children of that
extended family will be assessed
and protection put in place where
necessary. To this end a joint visit
by Police and Social Services will be
carried out to the parents of such
children to ensure that they are
aware of the risks and that they are
able to protect their children. At
these meetings, restrictions on the
contact the offender could have
would be determined. Such cases
would be subject to monthly scrutiny
by the local Risk Management
Group where the information held by
each of the partner agencies is
shared.
the effectiveness of the Multi-Agency
Public Protection Arrangements and
to review and monitor the key
performance indicators. They will be
responsible for the recruitment,
training and support of Lay
Members, the identification of the
training required in the Area and the
development of the Public
Information and Education strategy.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Victim Work
Section 69 of the Criminal Justice
and Court Services Act 2000 places
a duty upon the National Probation
Service, Cheshire to contact victims
and ask if they wish to be consulted
about the release arrangements for
violent and sexual offenders
sentenced to 12 months custody or
more.
In this area there is a specialist
victim liaison unit with staff who work
exclusively with victims of sex or
violent offences, where the offender
is sentenced to 12 months
imprisonment or more. They initiate
contact with the relevant victims who
can choose whether or not they wish
to be seen. Where a victim chooses
to be consulted about the case, the
victim liaison officer will normally
meet with the victim(s) at a time and
place convenient to them. The
majority of victims are visited within
their own home.
Where contact is sought, the victim
liaison staff enable the victim to
receive information on the progress
of the offender through their
sentence. It also allows them to
express their wishes on what
conditions should be imposed on the
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
The Strategic Management Board is
currently considering the Further
Guidance provided by the Home
release of the offender on temporary
or final licence.
In MAPPP cases where there is an
identified victim, the Victim Liaison
Officer will be required to make
contact with the victim so that their
current circumstances and concerns
can be taken into account when
planning the management of the
offender in the community.
In cases of a suspicious death, the
police will identify to the bereaved an
officer who can be contacted at any
time to assist with such matters as
family support, media attention and
the progress of the investigation to
date. Such contact may continue
after an offender has been
convicted. In cases of rape, the
anonymity of the victim is of
paramount importance. This is
ensured by a police liaison officer
through whom contact with the victim
is made by any other professional.
This helps to prevent the re-
victimisation of, or further trauma to,
the victim in such cases.
The potential for a victim personal
statement to be made in criminal
cases, bringing to the attention of a
Office which will be implemented
incrementally from 1st May 2003.
court the views of a victim, has been
a welcome addition to the rights of
those who have been the subject of
crime.
Victim Support
“Victim Support is the national
charity for people affected by crime.
It is an independent organisation,
offering a free 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
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.
The contact numbers for local victim
support services can be found in
Annex ‘A’.
6. Statistical Information No. of Offenders

i. The number of registered sex offenders on 31 March 2003 390

ii. The number of sex offenders having a registration requirement who were either 8
cautioned or convicted for breaches of the requirement, between 1 April 2002
and 31 March 2003

iii. The number of Sex Offenders Orders applied for and gained between 1 April
2002 and 31 March 2003

(a) The total number of Sex Offenders Orders applied for 0

(b) The total number granted 0

(c) The total number not granted 0

iv. The number of Restraining Orders issued by the courts between 1 April 2002 0
and 31 March 2003 for offenders currently managed within MAPPA

v. The number of violent and other sexual offenders considered under MAPPA 648
during the year 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2003 (as defined by section 68 [3],
[4] and [5])

vi. The number of "other offenders" dealt with under MAPPA during the year 1 3
April 2002 and 31 March 2003 as being assessed by the Responsible Authority
as posing a risk of serious harm to the public (but who did not fall within either
of the other two categories, as defined by s.67 [2b])

vii. For each of the three categories of offenders covered by the MAPPA
("registered sex offenders", "violent and other sex offenders" and "other
offenders"), identify the number of offenders that are or have been dealt with
by:

a) MAPPP - registered sex offenders 0

b) MAPPP - violent and other sex offenders 18

c) MAPPP - other offenders 3

6. Statistical Information No. of Offenders

i. The number of registered sex offenders on 31 March 2003 390

viii. Of the cases managed by the MAPPP during the reporting year what was the
number of offenders:

a) who were returned to custody for breach of licence 2

b) who were returned to custody for breach of a Restraining Order or Sex 0

Offender Order

c) charged with a serious sexual or violent offence 2

Contacts
National Probation Service (Cheshire Area) Address Phone

website – www.cheshireprobation.org Public Protection, 01244 394500

Beech House,
Sealand Road,
Chester,
CH1 4RJ

Cheshire Police Address Phone

website – www.cheshire.police.uk Crime Policy, 01244 612000

Police HQ,
Nuns Road,
Chester,
CH1 2PP

Victim Support Address Phone

Branch Manager – Eastern Branch Divisional Police HQ, 01270 212155

(covering Crewe, Macclesfield and Wilmslow) Crewe,
CW1 2DQ

Branch Manager – Western Branch Winsford New Police Station, Collinsham01606 557717
(covering Vale Royal, Chester and Ellesmere Port) Way,
Winsford,
CW7 2WA

Branch Manager – Northern Branch Divisional Police HQ, 01925 419339

(covering Warrington and Halton) Arpley Street,
Warrington,
WA1 1LQ
Cheshire Area