Scottish Advisory Panel on Offender Rehabilitation (SAPOR): annual report 2024-2025

4. Overview of 2024 - 2026

Accreditation of Moving Forward 2 Change (MF2C) Programme

In 2025, SAPOR has started the process of assessment for accreditation of Moving Forward 2 Change (MF2C) Programme. The programme is intended to target Individuals aged 18+ years, who have a conviction for sexual offending (or concerns related to sexual offending) who are in custody or in the community.

MF2C utilises ‘trauma informed’ and compassionate delivery and elements of the ‘good lives’ model, cognitive behaviour therapy, dynamic maturation model of attachment, ‘sex positive’ model, dialectical behaviour therapy and compassionate ‘mind training’.

It provides information on MF2C concepts and supports participants to manage in a pro-social manner and develop social skills, build balanced intimate relationships and build protective factors. Participants create a plan to bring it all together. There is also a post programme, moving forward session which draws upon desistance theory.

The intended outcomes in the short term (during the programme) are: increased participant understanding of protective factors and strengths and an increased understanding of acute risk factors and how to manage these.

The intended outcomes in the longer term (two years post programme) are reduced risk of sexual offending, participants work towards and achieve their future life goals that contribute to a better life, improved engagement with supervision/regime (as relevant) to support successful progression through the criminal justice system. Increased likelihood of desistance through building social bonds and relationships.

Accreditation of Self-Change Programme (SCP) Programme

In 2025, SAPOR has invited the developers of the Self-Change Programme (SCP) Programme for an introduction to the panel. The programme is run in the Scottish Prison Service and is intended to work with Individuals aged 18+ years, who have committed at least one violent offence (sexual, intimate partner or general), and who have been assessed as high or very high risk using risk assessment tools appropriate to the offence type committed.

The programme is deemed by those delivering to be suitable for any offender type; adult and child, contact and non-contact. Participants are required to be willing to explore situations where they have offended in custody or the community, or have engaged in behaviours that have put them at an inflated risk of violent offending. They must be motivated to engage in treatment and have sufficient time to complete the programme. Prior to engaging on the programme, an additional risk assessment is conducted to provide further detail about an individual’s risk rating and treatment needs.

SCP is a high intensity, Cognitive-Behavioural Intervention that aims to reduce seriously harmful violent behaviours in ‘very high’- and ‘high-risk’ adult offenders. It combines elements of risk management and reduction, with the goal of developing new ways of leading a pro-social crime-free lifestyle. The programme is individually tailored, and each participant receives a treatment plan developed to fit their specific needs.

SCP is delivered by a dedicated team consisting of three facilitators and one Treatment Manager. The delivery rate for the SCP is recommended at 3 group sessions per week (maximum of 3, minimum of 2). In addition, each participant is offered a supported session (delivered individually) at least once a fortnight. The day-to-day responsibility for maintaining treatment integrity rests with the Treatment Manager and the accreditation manuals detail exactly what the treatment manager should be monitoring.

Accreditation of ‘Discovery: Finding New Me’ Programme

In 2025, SAPOR has invited the developers of the ‘Discovery: Finding New Me’ Programme for an introduction to the panel. The programme is provided by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) for individuals serving prison sentences who have displayed problematic behaviour relating to difficulties in the emotional, cognitive and inter-personal domains which result in violent offending.

The Discovery programme is targeted towards male adult offenders, aged 18 and above, who have been assessed as a medium/moderate risk of causing harm by violent offending, which will usually mean that they have a history of a series of aggressive incidents that they are willing to discuss in a group setting. Before being nominated to participate in the programme, there also needs to be evidence of difficulties in at least one of the domains relating to emotions, thinking and attitudes or interpersonal skills which result in the behavioural expression of reactive or instrumental aggression.

Individual programme needs are identified using a Generic Assessment process which involves exploration of several areas that could impact offending and exploration of the individual’s offending behaviour. This includes at least one interview with the offender, a discussion at a multi-disciplinary Programmes Case-Management Board and a statement of risk using an appropriate risk assessment tool. Following this process, an offender with a need for the Discovery Programme is then placed on the national waiting list.

The programme typically lasts around 12 weeks for each participant and is comprised of eight stages, known as modules, including one pre- and one post-group module.

Reaccreditation of Caledonian Programme

The Caledonian Programme has been reaccredited by SAPOR in 2022 and it will submit for reaccreditation in 2027.

The Caledonian System is delivered to accredited standards and accreditation gives confidence that the programme is designed based on the best available evidence, monitored to make sure it is delivered as intended and evaluated to show the outcomes. In re-accrediting Caledonian, SAPOR recognised the limitations in data collection for the purposes of evaluation, as a result of disruption to services due to Covid.

The Caledonian System is aimed at domestic abuse perpetrators who present as being at a moderate or above risk of re-offending. The programme is for those subject to court orders of at least two years duration, the purpose of the Men’s Programme being to encourage perpetrators to recognise the impact of their abusive behaviour and to undertake programme work to reduce their risk of reoffending. The Caledonian System also offers a support service to the Women and Children affected.

The Caledonian System is currently delivered in 21 of the 32 local authority areas, covering over 70% of the population. The Scottish Government is committed to rolling the programme out further and by the end of this year, two more areas, Shetland and Angus, will begin training to deliver the Caledonian System, taking this up to 23 areas. The Scottish Government is actively working with and encouraging those remaining local authority areas to consider adopting the Caledonian System over a phased period.