Managing sex offenders in the community: lack of integrated approach mars positive developments

The lack of an integrated approach to managing sex offenders in the community is overshadowing positive developments in the way probation staff and police work with sex offenders, according to a report published today.

The joint inspection report by HM Inspectorate of Probation and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary identifies promising developments, such as the Probation Assessment and Management of Risk of Harm Action Plan and the Association of Chief Police Officers' public protection manual, but found that considerable improvements were needed in the way both services currently assess and manage sex offenders in order to safeguard public protection.

In particular:

• inspectors found a lack of integrated and accountable case management of sex offenders in the community, the delivery of which was poorly co-ordinated and inconsistent;

• Multi Agency Public Protection meeting minutes were not always integrated with the relevant probation and police case records;

• staff were failing to record adequately all their contact with sex offenders and the work they and other agencies had done;

• there was a lack of clarity about the purpose, frequency and legal basis of home visits by the police and if and how effectively the sex offender register contributes to the management of sex offenders in the community;

• in many cases probation staff were not completing and reviewing the Offender Assessment System properly; and

• gaps in training were evident for police and probation staff in the assessment and management of offenders Risk of Harm to others.

Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Probation Andrew Bridges said:

"It is important to both the police and probation services that sex offenders should be managed effectively in the community. The public would be highly critical if this did not happen. A more joined up strategic approach at a national and local level between police and probation for work with sex offenders and public protection would be helpful. The future work on the assessment and management of offenders' Risk of Harm to others, by relevant agencies working together, is a step in the right direction.

"It is our hope that the results of this inspection and our next joint inspection on Public Protection, involving HM Inspectorate of Prisons as well as HM Inspectorate of Probation and Constabulary, will help take this work forward. We also aim to help the National Offender Management Service develop its relationship with the Police in England and Wales in the effective management of high profile offenders." 

Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, said:

"This inspection makes clear that the oversight of high and very high risk of harm cases by police officers and probation staff needs to be improved. It is vital that police officers who are managing sex offenders in the community are appropriately trained and receive regular supervision. This is challenging and important work and demands a high degree of professionalism.

"We have therefore asked Chief Constables to ensure that only properly trained specialist officers are managing sex offenders in the community, and that these officers receive dedicated proactive supervision."

Notes to editors:

"Managing Sex offenders in the Community" was commissioned in 2004 by the Criminal Justice Chief Inspectors Group to assess the progress quality and effectiveness of the implementation of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements and the interventions used by the Police and National Probation Service in relation to the joint management of sex offenders in the community.

The inspection was carried out in five areas: Norfolk, Gwent, Merseyside, Devon and Cornwall, and West Yorkshire. In total 100 sex offender cases were inspected.

The inspection was jointly produced by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.

Copies of the report are available on the HMI Probation website at

www.inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk

© Crown copyright material reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland