NOMS SOUTH WEST

Commissioning Accommodation Support Services for women offenders

TOOLKIT

Tool Five

The strategic policy match: Embedding reducing women’s reoffending, via

accommodation related interventions, into partners’ strategic priorities

This tool sets out guidance on relevant strategic policy areas to which the reducing women’s reoffending agenda could contribute to, or which in turn, is relevant to reducing reoffending.

The tool lists up-to-date references for data and needs analysis of women offenders needs.

Overall context

Communities and Local Government

CLG sets policy on local government, housing, urban regeneration, planning and fire and rescue in England. CLG has responsibility for all race equality and community cohesion related issues in England and for building regulations, fire safety and some housing issues in England and Wales. The rest of their work applies only to England.

CLG responsibilties include:

Building homes and reducing homelessness Improving local public services Regenerating areas to create more jobs Working to produce a sustainable environment Tackling anti-social behaviour and extremism.

NOMS

Reducing Re-offending Housing and Housing Support resource pack 2008

The Reducing Re-offending Housing and Housing Support resource pack provides a framework which is intended for all stakeholders involved in the offender housing work and is a key reference source. The pack seeks to help support the development of partnerships and agreements at a national, regional and local level which will improve housing outcomes for offenders, contribute to the reduction in re-offending and enhance public protection. The delivery of the accommodation agenda is supported by the development of Reducing Re-offending Alliances through the engagement of local authorities and local organisations in the private, voluntary and faith sectors.

The pack outlines:

NOMS commissioning direction in relation to offender housing Reducing Re-offending targets and agreements The importance of settled accommodation in reducing re-offending A range of models and practice to support developments Revised guidance on ‘Supporting People’ Informal guidance and legal opinion regarding information sharing.

The Reducing Re-offending Housing and Housing Support resource pack has been reviewed by CLG and is available from

http://www.noms.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-publications-events/publications/guidance/HHS_Resource_Pack_2008?view=Standard&pubID=520391

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Key policies

The new performance framework for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships

The new local performance framework covers two issues: improving the quality of life in local communities and better public service. National priorities, focused on cross cutting outcomes, have been identified as part of CSR. These PSA outcomes and other departmental strategic objectives will be tracked by a single set of 198 indicators, which underpin the new performance framework. Performance against each of the 198 indicators will be reported for every single tier and county council Local Strategic Partnership as appropriate.

The national indicator set will be the only measures on which central government will performance manage outcomes delivered by local government working alone or in partnership with others. From April 2008, all other sets of indicators e.g. Best Value Performance Indicators, will be abolished.

From June 2008, the new Local Area Agreements will be the principal means by which the PSAs are delivered. The new indicators will significantly reduce burdens on reporting and will replace around 1,200 current measures. Delivering better outcomes through LAAs will require strong performance management, for which the external challenge - Comprehensive Area Assessment – is being developed jointly by the Audit Commission and six other inspectorates. This will create a more outcome –focused, proportionate and risk based assessment. Sustained activity is also underway to improve capacity and capability across the system. The National Improvement and Efficiency Strategy sets out expectations for this, a key driver being regional improvement and efficiency partnerships and strengthened sector-led support.

Further details are outlined in a CLG publication The New Performance Framework for Local Authorities & Local Authority Partnerships: Single set of National indicators available from http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/nationalindicator

Local Area Agreements

The new Local Area Agreements (LAAs) form the heart of the local performance framework in England1. Each LAA will have up to 35 improvement targets, drawn from the National Indicator Set of 198. Each LAA will be negotiated between local partners (via a Local Strategic Partnership) and central government via the Government Offices for the regions. The new LAAs will be the primary lever through which local authorities and NOMS can engage local partners in reducing reoffending.

The performance framework emphasises that the starting point for local delivery is for local partners to create a shared vision and shared sense of priorities.

The following LAA National Indicators have been identified as relevant to reducing reoffending:

1. Indicators relating to reducing reoffending

1 Wales does not come under the new performance framework. A set of priority actions, expressed as Local Service Agreements (LSA) will be developed by Local Service Boards.

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NI18 Adult re-offending rates for those under probation supervisionNI30 Re-offending rate of prolific and priority offendersNI31 Re-offending rate of registered sex offendersNI143 Offenders under probation supervision living in settled and suitable accommodation at the end of their order/licenceNI144 Offenders under probation supervision in employment at the end of their order or licence

2. Indicators that contribute to reducing reoffending

NI15 Serious violent crime rateNI16 Serious acquisitive crime rateNI20 Assault with injury crime rateNI26 Specialist support to victims of a serious sexual offenceNI28 Serious knife crime rateNI29 Gun crime rateNI32 Repeat incidents of domestic violenceNI33 Arson incidentsNI34 Domestic violence – murderNI38 Drug related (Class A) offending rate

3. Indicators related to reducing reoffending

NI7 Environment for a thriving third sectorNI39 Alcohol-harm related hospital admission ratesNI40 Drug users in effective treatmentNI79 Achievement of a level 2 qualification by the age of 19NI80 Achievement of a level 3 qualification by the age of 19NI117 16 to 18 year olds who are not in education, training for employment (NEET)NI118 Take up of formal childcare by low-income working familiesNI140 Fair treatment by local servicesNI141 Number of vulnerable people achieving independent livingNI142 Number of vulnerable people who are supported to maintain independent livingNI152 Working age people on out-of-work benefitsNI156 Number of households living in Temporary AccommodationNI161 Learners achieving a Level 1 qualification in literacyNI173 People falling out of work and on to incapacity benefitsNI174 Skills gaps in the current workforce reported by employersNI179 Value for money – total net value of on-going vat-releasing value for money gains that have impacted since the start of the 2008-09 financial year

See NOMS: The crucial role of the new Local Performance Framework at http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/nationaloffender

Updated February 2008

National Public Service Agreements

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Since their introduction in 1998, Public Service Agreements (PSAs) have been fundamental parts of The Government’s public expenditure framework and set out specific outcome expectations for expenditure. Outcome targets are supported by performance indicators and systems that underpin the targets.

From April 2008, a number of new PSA targets will be implemented. These PSAs provide an opportunity to embed the reducing re-offending agenda across regional levels to support effective local delivery. The PSAs directly relevant to Protecting the Public and reducing reoffending are:

PSA 16: Increase the proportion of socially excluded adults in settled accommodation and employment, education or training which includes offenders under probation supervision to be in settled and suitable accommodation

PSA 23: Make communities safer PSA 24: Deliver a more effective, transparent and responsive Criminal Justice

System for victims and the public PA 25: Reduce the harm caused by alcohol and drugs.

A further set relates to relevant public services, including:

PSA 15: Address the disadvantage that individuals experience because of their gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief (Government Equalities Office)

PSA 18: Promote better health and well-being for all (Department of Health) PSA 19: Ensure better care for all (Department of Health) PSA 20: Increase long-term housing supply and affordability (Communities

and Local Government)

PSA 16: Increase the proportion of socially excluded adults in settled accommodation and employment, education or training which includes offenders under probation supervision to be in settled and suitable accommodation

PSA 16 is a highly relevant PSA that aims to ensure that the most socially excluded adults are offered the chance to get back on a path to a more successful life, by increasing the proportion in more settled accommodation and also in employment, education and training.

PSA 16 is one of only 30 PSAs that have been agreed across Government and is the first PSA to focus specifically on the needs of the most vulnerable adults.

As with NOMS, the PSA will focus on adult offenders (aged 18+ under probation supervision) by:

Encouraging prevention and early intervention by focusing on transition points when individuals can be helped to avoid long-term exclusion

The promotion of joint working by setting out a shared cross-Government commitment

Sending a clear signal that helping these groups is a Government priority

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Incentivising and driving delivery, through providing a clear performance management framework.

NOMS is currently consulting on their Strategic Plan for reducing re-offending for adults from 2008-2011 which will be launched to co-incide with the new PSAs. The Strategic Plan will be implemented from April 2008 by regional reducing offending partnership boards to support the effective delivery of local partners.

A Cabinet Office Social Exclusion Task Force briefing on the Socially Excluded Adults PSA and Local Area Agreements is available at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/social_exclusion_task_force/psa/regional_presentations.aspx

A second slide pack presents baseline and proxy data on the indicators for the socially excluded adults PSA eg for the South West Region and other local government regions. This is also available at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/social_exclusion_task_force/psa/regional_presentations.aspxand is intended to inform Local Area Agreement negotiations between the Government Office for the South West and the region’s local authorities. It provides latest data on the % of offenders under supervision in settled and suitable accommodation but does not break that figure down to gender.

Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships

Responsible authorities (see below) have a statutory duty to work with other local agencies and organisations to develop and implement strategies to tackle crime and disorder including anti-social and other behaviour adversely affecting the local environment as well as the misuse of drugs in their area. These statutory partnerships are known as Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) or Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) in Wales.

The responsible authorities as set out in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 are:

Police Police authorities Local authorities Fire and rescue authorities Local health boards (LHBs) in Wales, and Primary care trusts (PCTs) in England (PCTs were added on 30 April 2004).

The partnerships carry out an audit of local crime, disorder and misuse of drugs every three years. Using the information arising from this audit and based on consultation with local communities they then formulate a strategy for combating crime, disorder and the misuse of drugs including substance misuse (in Wales) in the local area. The last round of audits were undertaken in 2004. Strategies were published and are being implemented from April 2005 covering the period until March 2008.

The responsible authorities are required to work in co-operation with probation boards parish councils, NHS Trusts, NHS Foundation Trusts, Proprietors of independent schools and governing bodies of an institution within the further education sector and to work closely with Drug Action Teams in two tier local authority areas and have developed integrated working arrangements in unitary authority areas. They are also expected to invite a range of local private, voluntary,

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other public and community groups including the public to become involved in the audit & strategies development process.

The Home Office Crime Strategy Cutting Crime: A New Partnership 2008-11 outlines the role that reducing re-offending plays in meeting wider crime reduction objectives. The reducing re-offending agenda is embedded in the Criminal Justice Strategic Plan for 2011.

Other policy areas

There are a number of other policy areas that have been identified as being particularly relevant to women offenders:

Health and social care

A national Offender Health Strategy is being developed jointly by the Department of Health and the Ministry of Justice: Improving Health, Supporting Justice. The consultation recognises the importance of improving the understanding of the health and social care needs of women who come into contact with Criminal Justice System in order to reduce their experience of health inequalities. They note a separate programme of work is being undertaken alongside Improving Health, Supporting Justice, to address the specific needs of women. This will incorporate responses to the recommendations made in the Corston report.

Improving Health Supporting Justice (Consultation closed 4th March 2008)

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_080816

See also Connecting Housing to the Health and Social Care Agenda

http://www.icn.csip.org.uk/_library/Resources/Housing/Housing_advice/CSIP_HousingHealthSocial_final.pdf

Department of Health (Spring 2006) Supporting Women into the Mainstream, Commissioning Women-only Community Day Services.

www.socialinclusion.org.uk/publications/Womens_Day_Services_Doc.pdf

Drugs & Alcohol

Delivery at a local level in the community is through Drug Action Team partnerships, using Criminal Justice Integrated Teams (CJITs). and through Counselling Assessment Referral Advice and Throughcare Services. (CARATS) teams in prison.

Two documents that cover joint commissioning are:

Good practice in care planninghttp://www.nta.nhs.uk/publications/documents/nta_good_practice_in_care_planning_gpcp1.pdf

The Department of Health’s Clinical Management of drug dependency in adult prisoners

http://www.drugslibrary.stir.ac.uk/documents/adultprisons.pdf

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Domestic violence

The government inter-departmental delivery plan for 2007/08 includes building capacity within the domestic violence sector to provide effective advice and support to victims of domestic violence and to improve the criminal justice response to domestic violence.

Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (see above) should include domestic violence as part of the audit and strategies. Over half of CRDPs have a domestic violence co-ordinator.

End Violence against Women www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org commissions a range of work around domestic violence and other violence against women. A report on the progress government departments are achieving in tackling violence against women is at www.endviolenceagainstwoemn.org.uk/documents/Making%the%20Grade.pdf

Learning & skills

Relevant links include “Reducing Reoffending through Skills and Employment” produced in partnership with DfES, Learning and Skills Council, Offenders Learning and Skills Service, Job CentrePlus and the Corporate Alliance.

See www.dfes.gov.uk/offenderlearning/uploads/documents/green_paper_reducing_re-offending_through_skills_%20and_employment_final_version.pdf

In March 2008 the Government set out the details of the transfer of £7 billion to local authorities to help colleges and sixth forms deliver the reforms needed to raise the education and training leaving age to 18. At the same time, Government will direct £4 billion a year through a new agency to provide training and skills for adults. The proposals are published by the Department for Children, Schools and: Families and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills in a White Paper Raising Expectations: enabling the system to deliver.

The plans will mean the dissolution of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) by 2010 and instead make local authorities responsible for offering all young people in their area a full menu of choices - both the new Diplomas and Apprenticeships alongside GCSEs and A levels.

For adult learners it will mean:

The creation of a streamlined Skills Funding Agency, to route funding to FE colleges and other providers to meet the demands of employers and learners;

Giving the Skills Funding Agency the lead role in sponsoring colleges and providers;

That the Agency will manage the creation and management of the new England-wide adult advancement and careers service, which will play a key role, with Jobcentre Plus, in boosting individual demand for skills and guiding people to the right training to meet their needs and help change their lives; and

That the Agency will eventually take over the management of the new National Apprenticeship Service, from the LSC,with end-to-end responsibility for the

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Apprenticeships programme, including ultimate accountability for national delivery of targets

The consultation document Raising Expectations: enabling the system to deliver can be found at http://www.dcsf.gov.uk

Social welfare advice

The Legal Services Commission now also falls under the Ministry of Justice along with NOMS and there is potential to create a closer link with the body responsible for the legal aid scheme in England and Wales. The Legal Services Commission also facilitates the Community Legal Service (CLS) that helps people with civil legal problems such as family breakdown, housing and debt2. The Criminal Defence Service (CDS) helps people who are under police investigation or facing criminal charges. The LSC has recently announced strategies to provide advice on domestic violence and mental health.

www.legalservices.gov.uk

For sources of legal advice: www.clsdirect.org.uk/en/about/

Reference sources on women offender needs and service delivery issues

The Women’s Offending Reduction Programme (WORP) Action Plan published in March 2004. The Plan contained action points for a range of stakeholders both within and outside the Criminal Justice System designed to ensure that policies, interventions and services were made more appropriate to meet the needs and characteristics of women offenders.

www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/WORP-action-plan

The Women’s Policy Team at NOMS has produced reviews of progress of this Women’s Offending Reduction Programme in 2005 and 2006.

The Women and Young People’s Group’s Strategy and Resources Guide for the Resettlement of Women Prisoners published in July 2006. This guidance highlighted gender differences and the issues for women offenders related to the seven pathways to resettlement. It also identifies two additional pathways relevant to women:

2 HM Treasury’s Financial inclusion action plan for 2008-11 published in December 2007 outlines a new outreach services that will be commissioned jointly by the LSC and NOMS under NOMS finance, benefit and debt pathway. This will provide a service for prisoners and where appropriate, their families. The £5 million initiative will operate in every regional of England and Wales.

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Women who have been abused, raped or have experienced domestic violence

Women who have been involved in prostitution.

The National Probation Service’s Delivering effective services for Women offenders in the community – a good practice guide published in November 2006.

This document brings together a broad range of information and advice on the issues women offenders face in the community and how to ensure their needs are recognised and addressed. The guide aims to ensure that the outcomes of probation work are equal for male and female offenders and identifies issues for women in relation to general health and mental health needs, sex worker support services, survivors of child abuse services and child care and social services. Guidance is also provided on meeting the diverse needs of women offenders, such as women from BME communities or those with disabilities who can face multiple discrimination.

A revised guide will be published by April 2008. This will take account of the issues raised in the Corston Report (see below) and will be supported and implemented through the National Service Framework for women to ensure that interventions and services for women in the community are improved.

HMP Prison Service [Women’s Team] (Spring 2006) Strategy and resource guide for the resettlement of women prisoners.

www.mediafordevelopment.org.uk/attachments/documents/resettlement%20of%20women%20prisoners.pdf

Home Office (March 2004) Women’s Offending Reduction Programme Action Plan.

National Probation Service (November 2006) Delivering Effective Services for Women Offenders in the Community – A good practice guide.

NOMS (Women’s Policy Team) (September 2006) Women’s Offending Reduction Programme 2006 Review of Progress.

Reference sources on the women offenders and women only services

A number of documents are produced by the Women’s Resource Centre (see www.wrc.org,uk) and the Griffins Society (see www.thegriffinsociety.org)

Women’s Resource Centre publications

Why women only – a report on the value of women-only organisations

http://www.wrc.org.uk/downloads/Policystuff/whywomenonly.pdf

A report on women’s organisations experience of NOMS Commissioning

http://www.wrc.org.uk/downloads/Policystuff/NOMSreport2008.pdf

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A template gender equality schemes aimed at central and local government, and related public bodies. These detail some of the cross-cutting issues that public bodies may want to consider and include in their schemes. See:

http://www.wrc.org.uk/downloads/Policystuff/GES%20Template%20Central%20Government%20May%202007%20FINAL.doc

 Griffins Society publications

Clark, Rebecca (2004) What Works for women who offend? Griffins SocietyResearch Paper 2004/04.

www.thegriffinssociety.org/Research_Paper_2004_04.pdf

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