MAPPA

Annual Report 2006/07

Sussex Multi Agency Public
Protection Arrangements
Ministerial Forward
These are the sixth MAPPA annual reports, and the first with a foreword by the Ministry of Justice. I
want, first of all, to underline the Government’s continued commitment to these arrangements.
Protecting the public from dangerous offenders is a core aim for the new Department. Just as the
effectiveness of MAPPA locally depends on the quality of working relationships, we will work with the
Home Office, the Police, and others, to develop the best possible framework within which the MAPPA
can operate.

On 13 June, the Government published a Review of the Protection of Children from Sex Offenders.
This sets out a programme of actions which include developing the use of drug treatment for sex
offenders and piloting the use of compulsory polygraph testing as a risk management tool, enhance-
ments to the regime operating at Approved Premises, and also a range of actions impacting directly
upon the way the MAPPA work. I want to highlight two of them here.

Firstly, research tells us that the arrangements are already used successfully to disclose information
about dangerous offenders but we think this can be improved upon. MAPPA agencies will be required
to consider disclosure in every case. We will pilot a scheme where parents will be able to register a
child-protection interest in a named individual with whom they have a personal relationship and who
has regular unsupervised access to their child. If that person has convictions for child sex offences and
the child is at risk, there will be a presumption that the offences will be disclosed to the parent.

Secondly, as MAPPA has developed over the past 6 years, best practice models have been identified
which show that specific roles and approaches are required to ensure it is managed effectively.We are
committed to strengthening MAPPA arrangements and ensuring that robust performance management
is in place. To achieve this, we intend to introduce new national standards, which will ensure a consis-
tent approach across Areas and we will be making available £1.2million to support Areas in implement-
ing the standards.

We aim to do everything that can reasonably be done to protect people from known, dangerous
offenders. We know that there is always room for improvement. I commend this annual report to you
as an indication of the commitment, skills and achievements of the professionals, and lay advisers, in
managing and monitoring this essential, often difficult area of business.

Maria Eagle MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

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 CONTENTS

Ministerial Foreword 1

Introduction 3

Key Achievements 4

How MAPPA Operates In Sussex 5

So Who Is Managed Under MAPPA? 5

How Are Offenders Managed? 5

Case Example 6

What MAPPA Can Do 8

Case Example 10

MAPPA Annual Report Statistical INFORMATION - 2006/07 12

What Do The Statistics Tell Us? 13

The Strategic Management Board 14

Contact Details 15

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Introduction

We are pleased to introduce the 2006-2007 Annual Report on the Multi-Agency Public Protection
Arrangements (MAPPA) in Sussex.This is the sixth Annual Report produced since MAPPA began
operation across England and Wales in 2001.The report details how MAPPA in Sussex continues to
develop.The risk of serious harm being inflicted on others by a small number of dangerous individu-
als can never be totally eliminated.We do believe however, that the ongoing development of MAPPA
will result in increasingly effective work to reduce this risk to a minimum. In achieving this, it is vital
that those within the Criminal Justice system who pose the most significant risk are accurately and
promptly identified, and that resources are appropriately targeted at these individuals.The evidence
within the report suggests that this targeting continues to be refined and improved.

Sussex MAPPA has continued to build links to other local bodies concerned with Public Protection.
The relationship with the Local Criminal Justice Board has been reinforced and the launch of Sussex
wide Procedures for Safeguarding Children has resulted in more explicit linkage between MAPPA
and Child Protection structures including more detailed procedural advice for front line staff.

The “Responsible Authority” for MAPPA, Sussex Police, Sussex Probation and HM Prison Service,
continues to work closely with a range of other key agencies.These include Children and Young
People’s Services, Housing Authorities, the Health Service,Victim Support, Job Centre Plus and Youth
Offending Teams. Effective management of risk depends on close partnership working between these
agencies.We support the way in which areas across the South-East Region have developed their
mechanisms to share best practice and will encourage further co-operation.

We are keen to encourage the future development of MAPPA.To this end we will support regional
quality audits.We will seek to align multi-agency management of risk in domestic violence cases with
MAPPA and we will review our infrastructure to ensure that knowledge and responsibility for
MAPPA and public protection is broadened and increased.

The Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements in Sussex continue to improve.This is an

effective method of assessing and managing the small number of dangerous offenders in our
community.The protection of the public and the needs of victims remain our highest priorities.

Adrian Smith Martin Richards Brian Clark

Area Manager Chief Constable Chief Officer
Sussex and Kent HMP Sussex Police National Probation Service

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Key Achievements

During 2006 – 2007, the following achievements have strengthened the strategic and operational
functions of MAPPA in Sussex.

An updated and comprehensive set of local MAPPA procedures has been launched and
deployed within all agencies.

Clear procedural guidance linking MAPPA and child protection work has been included in the
Sussex Safeguarding Children Procedures.

Work has begun to join the management of risk within MAPPA to multi-agency work to
counter domestic violence.

The Lay Advisor Role has increased in influence and importance. A national Lay Advisor
Conference was held which has further encouraged this development.

Sussex MAPPA have procedures in place to review any cases where those managed within
MAPPA commit a serious further offence.These are in advance of a national procedure
expected later this year.

Training and Communication groups have been established and are working to broaden
knowledge and understanding of MAPPA.

Sussex MAPPA have taken the lead in promoting the sharing of best practice and regional
co-operation including the organisation of a South-East Regional MAPPA Seminar.

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How MAPPA Operates In Sussex
There are many aspects to protecting the public and managing the risks from sexual, violent and
other dangerous offenders.The fundamental purpose of MAPPA is public safety, the protection of
victims and the reduction of serious harm. In Sussex, the day to day work of all the agencies involved
in public protection provides the backbone to effective risk assessment and management. MAPPA
provides a strong framework in which the skills of relevant agencies can be combined to assess and
manage the risks posed by offenders living within the community.

So Who Is Managed Under MAPPA?

MAPPA works on a clear categorisation process:-

CATEGORY 1 CATEGORY 2 CATEGORY 3

Registered Sex Offenders1 Violent Offenders2 Other Offenders who have a

or previous conviction for an
other Sex Offenders1 who are offence
on licence to the Probation and
Service who pose a risk of serious
harm to the public

How Are Offenders Managed?

The MAPPA process also has a series of levels under which all MAPPA offenders, depending on their
risk levels, are managed.This structure of risk management is intended to enable resources to be
deployed to manage the identified risks in the most efficient and effective manner.The three risk
management levels are as follows:-

LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3

SINGLE AGENCY RISK ASSESSMENT MULTI-AGENCY PUBLIC PROTEC-
MANAGEMENT MEETINGS TION MEETINGS

An offender who poses a An offender who poses a One of the ‘critical few’
low to medium risk medium to high risk

Level 1 - risk management is Level 2 – risk management is Level 3 – risk management is

used when the risks posed by used where the active involve- for those offenders who pose
the offender can be managed ment of more than one agency the highest risk of causing seri-
by one agency without signifi- is required but where either ous harm to the public and
cantly involving other agencies the level of risk or the com- whose management is complex
plexity is not so great as to
require a referral to Level 3
Footnote
1
Sexual Offenders are deemed as those people registered with the police under the Sex Offenders Act 1997 or someone
who has been given a sentence related to a sexual offence for 12 months or more since April 2001.
2
Violent Offenders are those who have committed a violent offence and have been given a sentence of 12 months or more.

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Case Example – Category 1:
Registered Sex Offender
Steve was released at the end of a four year Prison sentence for indecently assaulting pre-pubes-
cent girls. Steve is on licence for 2 years after release. He has been managed at Level 3 in MAPPA.
He has a history of “grooming” young girls who he has met through involvement with community
groups. Steve cannot return to his home area partly because of the exclusion zone on his licence
and partly because his family have moved away. His mother moved to Sussex and he wanted to live
with her on release. Steve completed part of a Sex Offender Treatment Programme in Prison but
the programme staff believed further treatment was required in the community. Steve was not
allowed to go to his mother’s on release because there were concerns that he would pressure her
into lying on his behalf should he begin to groom children again. He went initially to a Hostel where
his behaviour could be observed more closely. He was also required to attend a Sex Offender
Treatment Programme in the community. Steve complied with these requirements but informed his
Probation Officer that he was attending a local church.This did not breach his licence conditions but
raised concerns that he may use church activity groups to resume his grooming activities. As a result
the MAPPA meeting made the decision to make a limited disclosure to the pastor and church
elders. Steve was very angry about this but was offered the opportunity to accompany a Police
Officer and his Probation Officer to the meeting and disclose his pattern of offending himself. Steve
took this opportunity and the church have agreed to prevent any access to groups where children
may be present. Steve continues to comply with his licence and remains in treatment.

Case Example - Category 2:

Violent Offender
Brian was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment for serious assaults. His victims included his then
partner and strangers. He was released without gaining early release on Parole but with an extend-
ed period of licence supervision of 2 years imposed by the Court at the point of sentence.
A range of risk factors were identified in relation to Brian’s behaviour, particularly drug and alco-
hol misuse and psychological problems related to his own physical abuse as a child. Brian’s licence
included conditions to comply with treatment for substance misuse. Regular appointments with a
Forensic Psychologist were set up in addition to twice weekly visits to Probation and joint home visits
by Probation and Police.
Brian has been out of prison for a year. He has attended all appointments and complied fully
with his management plan so far. He has provided clean drug tests. Unlike previous periods of
supervision, Brian has also used contact with his Probation Officer to seek advice on dealing with
problems as they arise. He is now at the point where he may be able to obtain and sustain regular
employment.The close monitoring arrangements will continue.

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Case Example - Category 3 :
Other Offenders
Peter was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for offences involving drug dealing and firearms.
Towards the end of his sentence Peter’s mental health deteriorated and he was eventually
transferred to a secure psychiatric unit and was detained beyond the end of his sentence under the
Mental Health Act.When he reached the point at which his doctors considered he was well enough
for discharge to be considered, the Forensic Mental Health Service referred Peter to MAPPA and he
has been managed at Level 3. A graduated programme of day release was agreed. Peter was to be
discharged to his parents’ home and his parents were involved in the planning to ensure that Peter
continued to take his medication when discharged. Peter was also made aware that monitoring
arrangements by local Police would be in place in relation to any resumption of his criminal
activities and the local psychiatric services were made aware of the behaviours that may indicate
deterioration in Peter’s condition and a raised risk of re-offending. Peter remains compliant with his
medication and is currently stable.

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What MAPPA Can Do
Most offenders come into MAPPA having received a Prison sentence and will be on licence and
therefore under the supervision of the Probation Service for a set period determined by the Parole
Board. Standard conditions of a post-release licence are that an offender must comply with reporting
instructions and be of good behaviour.The good behaviour condition is breached in the event not
only of further offending but also if reliable information about serious deterioration of behaviour is
reported. Additional conditions on licences may include:-

Non-contact conditions with the victim.

Exclusion zones from the immediate area where the victim lives/works.

Condition to reside as directed.

Condition to receive treatment for substance misuse/psychiatric treatment/sex offender
treatment programme.

Condition not to have contact with children.

Condition not to contact certain individuals.
The conditions on each licence will be discussed within MAPPA and agreed by all agencies.

Breach of licence can, and in the case of offenders managed at MAPPA Levels 2 and 3 will almost
certainly, result in recall to Prison.This can be achieved within a matter of hours.

Other mechanisms are available in addition to licence conditions.These can run in tandem with a
licence period but are also applicable in cases where offenders are not under Probation supervision.
Sex Offender Registration periods are very lengthy (sometimes lifelong) and often exceed licence
periods. Offenders can also be released after recall at the end of their sentence with no period of
licence supervision.The 4 civil orders introduced by the 2003 Sex Offender Act may be applicable in
such cases.These orders are:-

1. Sexual Offences Prevention Orders

Sexual Offences Prevention Orders (SOPOs) are intended to protect the public from the risks
posed by convicted sex offenders by placing restrictions on their behaviour.The order seeks to
restrict an offender’s ability and opportunity to engage in grooming or preparatory behaviour for the
purposes of sexually abusing children. For example, the SOPO may:-
 Prohibit an offender from associating and/or working with children under the age of 16 years.
 Restrict an offender from entering children’s’ playgrounds, visiting local swimming pools or
frequenting any other area that is used by children.
 Place a curfew to restrict an offenders movements at certain times of the day or on certain
days of the week.
 Prohibit the ownership of computers or any other multi-media storage device.
 Prohibit an offender from engaging in certain activities such as visiting chat rooms on the
internet.
The minimum duration for a full order is 5 years; however, there is no upper time limit.

2. Risk Of Sexual Harm Orders

This order is similar in content to the Sexual Offences Prevention Order in that it aims to restrict
and deter the activities of those individuals involved in grooming children for sexual activity.The
main difference is that this order can be used on individuals who have no previous convictions or
cautions for sexual offences.The minimum duration of a Risk of Sexual Harm Order is 2 years.

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3. Notification Orders
This order can be applied to any individual who has been convicted or cautioned for a sexual
offence that was committed whilst the offender was abroad. In effect, on their return to the UK, the
order makes any such offender subject to the full requirements of the Sex Offender Register.This in
turn, would make the offender subject to MAPPA.

4. Foreign Travel Orders

In certain circumstances, this order can be used to prohibit those offenders convicted of sexual
offences against children under 16 years of age from travelling overseas.This order would be used
when there is evidence to indicate that the offender intends to cause serious sexual harm to
children in a foreign country.

Other civil orders may be applicable in cases where the threat may relate to domestic violence or
stalking.

Disclosure to particular individuals or groups who may be at risk from an offender or who may be
able to assist in the management of that risk is a further tool available to MAPPA. An example is
given in one of the case studies above.

Finally it is important to bear in mind what MAPPA cannot do.

Offenders cannot be detained in custody beyond their sentence end date however high the risk is
assessed to be.Whilst Police monitoring and surveillance is certainly part of the MAPPA toolkit in
cases where an immediate risk of serious harm is assessed, this applies in a very small number of
cases. It is not realistic for Police or Probation to monitor MAPPA offenders 24 hours a day. It must
also be appreciated that MAPPA deals only with those offenders already convicted of sexual or
serious violent offences.

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Case Example Category 1 –
Registered Sex Offender

Martin is a Registered Sex Offender who was released after a lengthy Prison sentence for the abduction of a
child. He has been managed by MAPPA at Level 3. Prior to his release information was shared concerning his
conduct in Prison including his negative response to treatment referrals and his associates. Martin was
considered to pose a high risk of harm to children. Prior to his release on licence the Probation Service had
discussed his release plan with other agencies and consulted the victim and his family.These consultations
resulted in a number of conditions being placed on Martin’s licence including: an exclusion zone from the
area directly adjacent to the victim’s home; not to contact anyone under 18; a condition to reside as directed
by his Probation Officer. On these conditions he was released on licence for 18 months. In the first instance
Martin was directed to live at a Hostel outside Sussex. Hostel staff and other local agencies were fully
involved in the Risk Management Plan and the Police arranged to monitor his movements and ensure that
rapid action was taken if Martin breached his conditions. For the first few weeks Martin settled well at the
Hostel. Hostel staff became concerned when he began to drink heavily, a sign that his risk of re-offending
may be increasing.This information was passed on to the Police. A few days later Police observed Martin in a
nearby park talking to young boys. His licence was revoked and he was arrested and returned to custody the
same day.

Martin was re-released at the end of his licence period and returned to live with family members in Sussex.
He is subject to a Sexual Offence Prevention Order which prohibits contact with children for life. He also
remains on the Sex Offenders Register for life. As well as visiting Martin and his family, efforts have been
made to secure suitable long-term accommodation for Martin as well as alcohol counselling and employment
which have been stabilising factors in the past.When Martin chose to move out of the family home
without informing Police he was arrested for breaching his registration requirement. He was resentenced to a
brief custodial sentence and will once again be supervised on licence on release.
Martin is likely to continue to pose a risk to children but the close co-operation of a range of agencies
under MAPPA has monitored this risk closely.We will continue to do so whilst also seeking to provide some
structure and stability that may assist Martin in reducing the risk he poses.

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Case Example : Category 2-
Violent Offender

Geoff was released on licence for 12 months, having been sentenced to 4 years imprisonment for offences of
wounding against his partner. He has been managed at MAPPA Level 2. A condition was included on
Geoff ’s licence that required him to attend a 6 month programme run by the Probation Service for men
who are convicted of domestic violence.The victim had left Sussex but she took up the offer of contact with
a Women’s Support Worker. Geoff complied with his condition of attendance on the programme. However
through the Support Worker, his Probation Officer learned that he had re-established contact with his
ex-partner and was pressuring her to resume the relationship. As a result of this information Sussex MAPPA
was able to liaise with MAPPA in the area where Geoff ’s ex-partner lived and put safeguards in place in the
event of Geoff moving to that area. Programme staff were also able to make use of the information in
their work with Geoff even though his ex-partner’s confidence was maintained. As a result Geoff has been
able to consider more realistically whether his former partner would consider resuming the relationship.
More recently his ex-partner has reported to the Women’s Support Worker that Geoff has contacted her to
apologise and acknowledge that the relationship is over. Geoff has now completed the programme but
remains on licence.

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MAPPA Annual Report Statistical
INFORMATION - 2006/07

CATEGORY 1 MAPPA OFFENDERS - RSOS

i) The number of Registered Sex Offenders (RSOs) AREA TOTAL

living in Sussex on 31st March 2007 789

The number of RSOs living in Sussex on 31st March 2007

BRIGHTON & HOVE NORTH DOWNS WEST DOWNS EAST SUSSEX

145 138 233 273

ia) Number of RSOs per 100,000 head of population 52

ii) The number of sex offenders having a registration requirement 38

who were either cautioned or convicted for breaches of the
requirement between 1st April 2006 - 31st March 2007

iii) The number of (between 1st April 2006 - 31st March 2007):-
Sexual Offences Prevention Orders (SOPOs) applied for 22
Interim SOPOs granted 3
Full SOPOs imposed by the courts 19

iv) The number of (between 1st April 2006 - 31st March 2007):-
Notification Orders applied for 0
Interim Notification Orders granted 0
Full Notification Orders imposed by the court 0

v) The number of Foreign Travel Orders (between 1st April 2006 -

31st March 2007):-
Applied for 0
Imposed by the courts 0

CATEGORY 2 MAPPA OFFENDERS – VIOLENT & OTHER SEX OFFENDERS

vi) The number of violent and other offenders living in AREA TOTAL
Sussex between 1st April 2006 and 31st March 2007 410

CATEGORY 3 MAPPA OFFENDERS – OTHER OFFENDERS

vii) The number of other offenders living in Sussex AREA TOTAL

between 1st April 2006 and 31st March 2007 7

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OFFENDERS MANAGED THROUGH LEVEL 2 & LEVEL 3

viii) The number of MAPPA offenders in each of the 3 categories that have been managed at Level 2 and
Level 3 (between 1st April 2006 - 31st March 2007):-

CAT 1 CAT 2 CAT 3

LEVEL 2 61 51 4
LEVEL 3 9 9 3

ix) Of the cases managed at Level 2 & 3 (between 1st April 2006 - 31st March 2007) how many were:-

LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3
a) returned to custody for breach of licence? 24 9
b) returned to custody for breach of a SOPO? 3 0
c) charged with a serious sexual or violent offence? 1 0

What Do The Statistics Tell Us?

Registered Sex Offenders
For the first year since MAPPA statistics were collated, there has been a very small drop in the
number of Registered Sex Offenders in Sussex.The long-term trend is likely to be one of a gradual
increase in numbers because registration periods are often lengthy so that more offenders are
usually added to the register each year than drop off.
There has been a rise in cautions and convictions for breach of registration requirements.This
reflects the additional resource that Sussex Police have applied to the monitoring of registration and
the growing impact of the tighter registration criteria that came into effect in April 2005.

Civil Orders
The SOPO is the order with the widest application; the other civil orders apply only in very
particular circumstances.The increased use of SOPOs this year reflects a greater awareness within
MAPPA and in particular Sussex Police of the usefulness of such orders in managing offenders. It may
also reflect more willingness by Courts to use SOPOs.

Violent Offenders
There is a small increase in the number of violent offenders managed within MAPPA this year.This
figure will continue to rise if Courts continue to increase the length and severity of sentencing for
such offences.

Targeting
Considerable effort has gone into developing consistent procedures across Sussex MAPPA so that
the offenders who pose the greatest risk are identified and targeted with the most effective and
intrusive interventions.The reduction in the numbers of offenders managed at Levels 2 and 3 reflects
this work.

Preventing Re-offending
Any serious further offence committed by an offender managed within MAPPA is one too many.
As noted above Sussex MAPPA have introduced processes to review and learn lessons from such
incidents. During the year 2006-2007, there was one serious further offence committed by an
offender managed at Level 2 or 3. Whilst no system can ever eliminate risk entirely, the figure
suggests that there is effective management of such cases in Sussex.

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 The Strategic Management Board
A Strategic Management Board and Lay Advisers oversees the operation of MAPPA in Sussex.The
Board includes representatives of the key agencies who work together across Sussex to protect
the public.

The Board is jointly chaired by a Detective Superintendent from Sussex Police and an Assistant
Chief Probation Officer from the National Probation Service, Sussex Area.The Board has established
sub-groups for:-

MAPPA Development
This sub-group ensures that national guidance is incorporated into local practice and oversees the
maintenance and development of local protocols and practice guidance

Monitoring and Evaluation

This sub-group monitors the quality of MAPPA work within Sussex

Communication and Partnership

This sub-group aims to develop partnerships with relevant agencies and stakeholders and to extend
knowledge and understanding of MAPPA within these agencies and the wider community

Training
This sub-group is developing training for staff involved in MAPPA at all levels

Some of the Board’s strategic priorities for the coming year have been set out above.These
include linkage to risk management of domestic violence, continuing to develop Sussex MAPPA’s
infrastructure and training and developing our quality control and monitoring capacity.

“As one of the Lay Advisors for Sussex I am privileged to

attend and actively participate in the Strategic Management
Board and to see how it is changing and developing. My role
in the SMB is to act as a critical friend – in short I try to ask
questions of the professionals on behalf of the public.

I have been in post for two years now and I am beginning to

feel more confident about the role and able to ask more
informed questions. I have attended two Conferences; the
National Lay Advisors Conference and a Regional MAPPA
Conference. I was also invited to attend a Home Office led
discussion with other Lay Advisors on the proposals for
greater public disclosure being considered by the goverment.

I have been very impressed at the work that goes in to keep

the public protected in Sussex and feel that the development
of the Sub-Groups will further that work.”

Lynette Benton, Lay Advisor and SMB member comments.

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Contacts
SUSSEX POLICE ADDRESS TELEPHONE

Russell Whitfield Sussex House 0845 6070 999

Detective Superintendent Crowhurst Road
Russell.Whitfield@sussex.pnn.police.uk Brighton
East Sussex
BN1 8AF

SUSSEX PROBATION AREA ADDRESS PHONE

Nick Smart Sussex Probation Service 01273 227979

Assistant Chief Officer 185 Dyke Road
Nick.Smart@sussex.probation.gsi.gov.uk Hove
East Sussex
BN3 1TL

MAPPA Co-ordinator Sussex Probation Service 01273 227979

Recruitment to replace the previous 185 Dyke Road
post holder is currently underway Hove
East Sussex
BN3 1TL

SUSSEX & KENT AREA OFFICE ADDRESS PHONE

Martha Blom-Cooper Sussex & Kent 01634 673040

Head of Reducing Re-Offending Area Office
martha.blom-cooper@hmps.gsi.gov.uk 80 Sir Evelyn Street
Rochester
Kent
ME1 3NF

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Sussex Multi Agency Public
Protection Arrangements
Annual Report 2006/07