Criminal justice services

High risk offenders

Sex offenders

The Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) are a set of statutory partnership working arrangements introduced in 2007 by virtue of sections 10 and 11 of The Management of Offenders etc (Scotland) Act 2005.

The Act places a statutory duty on the responsible authorities in a local authority area to jointly establish arrangements for assessing and managing the risk posed by certain categories of offenders. The responsible authorities are:

  • Police Scotland
  • Local Authorities
  • NHS Board
  • Scottish Prison Service

Police Scotland, Local Authorities and The Scottish Prison service are required to jointly establish arrangements for the assessment of risks posed by sex offenders subject to the Sex Offender Notification Requirements, which is coordinated through MAPPA after conviction and sentencing.

Each local authority area has a MAPPA Coordinator who coordinates initial referrals, sets initial risk management levels and then ensures the responsible authorities are fully briefed by sharing all available information prior to any local MAPPA meeting. Subsequent meetings are then held and chaired by a senior manager’s from Police Scotland or the relevant Local Authority.

Definition of Registered Sex Offender

Category 1, Registered Sex Offender, comprises of offenders who have been convicted of a serious sexual offence and required to register with the police under the terms of the Sex Offenders Notification Requirements. It would also include offenders who have been subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) and Risk of Sexual Harm Order (RoSHO).

Category 3 is any person who has been convicted of an offence if, by reason of that conviction, the person is considered by the responsible authorities to be a person who may cause serious harm to the public and by virtue of that conviction is required to be under supervision by any enactment, Order or Licence, and the risk of serious harm posed is high or very high, and assessed as requiring active multi-agency management at MAPPA level 2 or 3.

Assessment and Management of Risk

There are 3 levels of management within MAPPA:

  • level 1 is Routine Risk Management
  • level 2 is Multi Agency management
  • level 3 is Multi Agency Public Protection Panels (MAPPP)

The adoption of these levels ensures a consistent approach across the country. Each area has the discretion in deciding which cases to refer for management at each level.

The risk management structure works on the principle that cases should be managed at the lowest MAPPA level commensurate with delivering a defensible risk management plan designed to address the risk of serious harm posed by the offender.

The risk of serious harm is the likelihood of harmful behaviour of a violent or sexual nature, which is life threatening or traumatic, and from which recovery, whether physical or psychological, may reasonably be expected to be difficult or impossible.

For MAPPA purposes, the imminence and likelihood of risk of serious sexual harm is classified as:

  • very high risk when there is imminent risk of serious harm. The potential event is more likely than not to happen imminently and the impact would be serious
  • high risk when there are identifiable indicators of risk of serious harm. The potential event could happen at any time and the impact would be serious
  • medium risk when there are identifiable indicators of serious harm. The offender has the potential to cause such harm but is unlikely to do so unless there is a change in circumstances (for example failure to take medication, loss of accommodation, relationship breakdown, drug or alcohol misuse)
  • low risk when current evidence does not indicate likelihood of causing serious harm

MAPPA arrangements only apply to Category 3 offenders who require multi agency involvement at MAPPA Levels 2 or 3, where on-going active managerial involvement is required to adequately fulfil risk management planning.

There is no MAPPA Level 1 process for these offenders with the lead agency continuing to manage these individuals as business as usual once a decision has been agreed that management at MAPPA levels 2 or 3 is no longer required.

National Accommodation Strategy for Sex Offenders (NASSO)

Local authority housing services form part of the responsible authorities and play a key role in the effective management of offenders in the community. Stable accommodation is an integral part of managing the risk presented by offenders in the community and research supports this. Stable accommodation along with effective and robust management and support significantly reduces the likelihood of reoffending.

Each area has a housing officer who attends MAPPA meetings and assists in providing a housing solution for offenders as part of their reintegration back into the community. This officer plays a key role in ensuring that each housing option is risk assessed and this is achieved by an Environmental Risk Assessment of each address prior to occupancy. Only after this has been completed would an offender be offered a housing option.

MAPPA statement

Protecting the public is a top priority for Police Scotland. In Scotland we have a multi-agency approach under the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) which provides a comprehensive response to a complex issue, using professional assessment and management to properly target resources at those who pose a risk to the public.

Police Scotland works in partnership with a number of agencies through MAPPA to ensure all Registered Sex Offenders are robustly managed within the community.

While we can never eliminate risk entirely, we want to reassure communities that all reasonable steps are being taken to protect them.

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