Castle Point review

MAPPA level 2 meetings should be truly multi-agency with representation from the Local Authority and any other 'Duty to Cooperate Agencies', such as Health and Housing who are relevant to the offender's case and where the offender is to be accommodated after leaving Approved Accommodation.

Offender records must be kept up to date and an easily visible chronology on the file should be completed on long term prisoners which includes original risk factors identified after sentencing, any assessments highlighting risks, triggers, and warning signs identified in prison, and any key events, to ensure that those supervising life licence offenders are assisted in the ongoing assessment of risk and the effective transfer of cases between practitioners.

To ensure that regular home visits are undertaken a minimum of six monthly and within two weeks following a move in accommodation and 6 monthly lifer licence reports must include documentation of the home visit.

To ensure that the learning from the Review is disseminated to staff and a process to embed learning concerning the management of life licence offenders in practice and management supervision is achieved.

The Probation Service as a lead agency should ensure that all relevant 'Duty to Cooperate' agencies relevant to the offender's case are invited to MAPPA level 2 and included on the MAPPA referral. This should include relevant agencies from the area to which the offender will move on leaving Approved Accommodation.

Whilst recognising the acute shortage of social housing in the Borough, greater consideration should be given to the risk factors associated with an (ex) offender, and their licence conditions should be taken into account when allocating and managing housing to ensure the safety of existing tenants and any vulnerable adults. Home Office feedback suggested this recommendation could have national resonance, therefore steps will be taken to disseminate this recommendation and learning nationally.

Housing Department staff should ensure that, in line the Council's expectations, details regarding a tenant's MAPPA status, licence conditions, and supervising probation officer's details are entered on to the data system to be shared appropriately across relevant Council departments in order to tailor services to the offender and ensure effective liaison with Probation.

It is recommended that the Local Authority review its MAPPA representation and consider making MAPPA attendance part of the community safety manager role with the community safety officer as deputy in their absence.

All relevant staff whose role involves the receipt of housing enquiries, and allocation and management of tenancies, should receive training to understand the implications of MAPPA, life licence supervision, and the importance of liaison with Probation.

There should be a review of the system for alerting the Probation Service of an offender's arrest, including access and use of ViSOR, to ensure that the offender manager is alerted as soon as possible.

Training programmes for Health practitioners should include awareness and knowledge of domestic abuse and coercive control with the aim of achieving professional confidence to support their care of those experiencing or perpetrating domestic violence or abuse.

Health practitioners should be given information to support their current practice that includes learning from this Review and how to access support and services for their patients that are experiencing or perpetrating domestic violence or abuse.

The existence of the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme known as 'Clare's Law' which gives members of the public a ‘right to ask’ the Police for information where they have concerns that their partner may pose a risk to them, or where a member of their family or a friend have such concerns, should be given wider publicity.