Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Scotland: National Overview Report 2024-2025

3. National MAPPA Developments

Nationally, MAPPA has seen a number of developments during the reporting period and work continues in order to deliver future improvements to the multi-agency working arrangements. A summary of the work over the reporting period is set out below.

MAPPS Development

As part of supporting joint working across the UK for the purposes of public protection, the Home Office is continuing to develop a replacement system for ViSOR in conjunction with UK partners (including Scotland’s MAPPA Responsible Authorities). It will be called the Multi-Agency Public Protection System (MAPPS).

Once introduced, MAPPS will enhance existing public protection partnerships as well as delivering wider public protection benefits and MAPPA benefits including accurate and timely sign-posting between all Responsible Authorities of those managed under MAPPA and greater facilitation of cross-border information sharing.

For the period of this MAPPA annual overview report, the UK Government (UKG) MAPPS Programme led a number of multi-agency MAPPS specific groups/committees. Scottish MAPPA Responsible Authorities have contributed and supported the development of the process not least by their representation across these Groups, listed below:

• Programme Board
• National Data Controllers Group
• Innovation, Technology and Security Group
• Product Owners Working Group
• Operational Users Group

Within the reporting period, there was successful connectivity testing by various UK partners (including Scottish users) from their organisation to the MAPPS test environment.

The Scottish Government (SG) led Scottish MAPPS Group which was formed in February 2023 met within this reporting period. The Group’s original aim was to provide a forum to discuss Scottish specific aspects of the UKG led MAPPS Groups. It also aimed to help collate and connect the work of the Groups for Scottish representatives to discuss and disseminate. In addition, and where necessary, the Group sought to agree a Scottish position on issues to be fed back into MAPPS governance (particularly to the Programme Board which provides sign-off on MAPPS Programme key decisions). Evolving MAPPS programme governance meant this group was replaced with a Home Office led Scottish Assurance Group, but further thought will be given to Scottish specific governance in early 2026 once returns to the Programme of their Charter are complete.

Scottish partners continue to work closely with UKG, as we move from a strategic to an operational delivery and implementation phase and a further update will be provided in the next reporting period. That will include work in relation to early user preview testing and phased data migration from ViSOR to MAPPS.

MAPPA and Terrorism

Individuals convicted of terrorism and terrorism-related offences can be managed under the MAPPA framework where they meet the relevant criteria relating to the level of risk of serious harm they present to the public.

Work continued in this reporting period with colleagues within Scottish Government responsible for security and counter-terrorism as well as on-going engagement with key justice partners including local authorities, Scottish Prison Service, Police Scotland and NHS colleagues regarding this specialist cohort.

Scottish partners continue to work together in considering the existing and future role of MAPPA in the risk assessment and risk management arrangements for individuals convicted of terrorism and terrorism-related offences.

For the period of this report, a comprehensive paper was submitted to the MAPPA National Strategic Group (NSG) outlining the work to date and focussing on registered terrorist offenders being released from prison, improving connections between terrorism policy and MAPPA, including risk assessment tools, interventions, and specialist training requirements as well as exploring the need for updates to tools and/or guidance. The outcome of the NSG considerations will be captured in the next reporting period and policy work continues in this area.

Moving Forward 2 Change (MF2C)

The Moving Forward: Making Changes (MF:MC) programme was jointly developed by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and the Community Justice Division of the Scottish Government to reduce the risk of sexual offending recidivism. As part of a broader public protection strategy, national programmes support the Scottish Government’s commitment to reducing reoffending and rehabilitating offenders while safeguarding the public. MF:MC was introduced in 2014 following accreditation by the Scottish Advisory Panel on Offender Rehabilitation (SAPOR). Although accreditation has since lapsed, partners agreed to continue delivery to accredited standards. In May 2019, the National Advisory Board recommended revising the programme. The updated version, Moving Forward 2 Change (MF2C), incorporates emerging evidence, SAPOR guidance, evaluation findings, and stakeholder input.

MF2C was piloted across five sites from July 2022 to December 2023. Evaluation findings informed programme refinements prior to national rollout. Of 30 potential delivery sites, 6 require further assessment and support. To date, 19 sites have been trained (including The State Hospital, three custodial sites, and 15 local authorities), with additional training being provided regularly in response to critical need for existing sites.

MF2C was submitted to SAPOR for accreditation in May 2024 and is currently under review. Feedback from SAPOR and iterative evaluation findings are informing ongoing programme enhancements. A further update will be provided in the next reporting period, including results of the first evaluation report on training feedback and the development of an IT system to support process and outcome evaluation integrated into the LS/CMI system.

Significant Case Reviews

When an individual managed under MAPPA commits a further offence of serious harm, or is themself subject to an incident causing serious harm, a Significant Case Review (SCR) is undertaken to ensure that appropriate policies and processes have been adhered to in the management of the individual. The SCR process enables the relevant MAPPA SOG to examine the quality of practice and adherence to legislation and guidance. The SCR focuses on learning and reflection around day-to-day practices and processes, and identifies strengths as well as areas for development to contribute to a culture of continuous learning to improve future practice.

During the relevant reporting period there were no SCRs published. However, work continued on implementing the recommendations arising from the ‘Person H’ SCR published during the last reporting period. Following publication of that SCR the Glasgow SOG established an Implementation Group consisting of key representatives from MAPPA Responsible Authorities and representatives from Scottish Government to take forward the learning and recommendations.

The group remain committed to the implementation of the learning and recommendations from the SCR. To date, out of the 14 learning points, 1 is currently outstanding, and 13 have already been implemented. In relation to the 11 recommendations, 5 are currently outstanding and 6 have been taken forward.

Since the last reporting period it was agreed that the remaining learning point and 5 recommendations are beyond the scope of the group. It was recommended that the outstanding recommendations and learning point are reviewed to track progress via the MAPPA National Strategic Group.

In March 2024 a Short Life Working Group (SLWG) was established to examine how the SCR process can be improved to ensure consistency of approach across MAPPA regions in terms of both the review process and the implementation of recommendations. Membership of the SLWG includes representatives from the MAPPA Co-ordinators Group, Police Scotland, Risk Management Authority, SPS and JSW. During the reporting period the Group met several times to discuss, and produced a report of their findings for the Scottish Government including a number of recommendations for consideration by the MAPPA NSG. A decision has been taken to proceed with updates to National Guidance where agreement has been established while continuing work where agreement is outstanding. A further update will be provided in the next reporting period.

National Performance Indicators

The MAPPA National Guidance lists the 10 National Performance Indicators (NPIs) that each SOG is required to evaluate its performance against.

1. 95% of Level 3 MAPPP cases reviewed no less than once every six weeks.

2. 95% of MAPPA Level 2 cases reviewed no less than once every twelve weeks.

3. Where invited, 90% attendance by each Duty to Co-operate (DTC) agency at an appropriate level of seniority for Level 2 and 3 meetings in community and custody. This includes attendance via telephone/video conferencing or a written report.

4. Where invited, 90% attendance by Police Scotland at the agreed level of seniority for Level 2 and 3 meetings in community and custody including Scottish Prison Service (SPS) Risk Management Team (RMT) meetings.

5. Where invited, 90% attendance by Community Based Social Work at the agreed seniority level for Level 2 and 3 meetings in community and custody including SPS RMT meetings.

6. 100% written contributions to be provided by Responsible Authorities in cases of non-attendance (where invited) at Level 2 and Level 3 meetings in the community or custody. Upon receipt these contributions will be recorded in the minute and Risk Management Plan.

7. 100% written contributions to be provided by Duty-to-Co-operate agencies in cases of non-attendance (where invited) at Level 2 and Level 3 meetings in the community or custody. Upon receipt these contributions will be recorded in the minute and Risk Management Plan.

8. 100% of MAPPP initial Level 3 meetings for those in custody to take place in the community no less than four weeks prior to the person being released.

9. 90% of Level 2 and Level 3 meeting minutes and updating of Risk Management Plans to be issued and ratified within 10 working days following the review meeting.

10. Disclosure to be considered and the decision to be recorded in the minutes at 100% of Level 2 and 3 MAPPA meetings.

Performance against the NPIs is recorded locally and following a decision by the NSG, details of performance against these NPIs is now included in the MAPPA Annual Overview Report, with 2023-24 being the first year that such information was included.

For 2024-25 all MAPPA regions submitted their returns and seven out of the ten regions reported achieving each of the NPIs, with one area reporting success in 9 out of the 10 NPIs. It is worth noting that in reporting performance against NPIs, local areas were unable to report on attendance at RMT meetings as recording of attendance data at these meetings is a function of SPS. Additionally, for the reporting period, some of the NPIs may not be relevant or applicable in every region (such as the NPI in relation to Level 3 Meetings). The Scottish Government are still considering whether the NPIs or the reporting on them may need refined, and they should therefore be considered as self-reported management information at this time.