Community Payback Order: Programme

Interventions suitable for

Men who commit sexual offences or offences with a sexual element

Programme title and provider

Moving Forward, Making Changes

Details of all Specific national or local scheme/intervention(s) available

Moving forward Making Changes is a behavioural programme in three parts (pre-group, groupwork, and maintenance) designed to provide treatment for men who commit sexual offences or offences with a sexual element. It can only be delivered by social workers and/or psychologists fully trained in its use. Treatment via MFMC aims to address the following:

• Helping the individual and those assisting and/or managing them, to understand the factors that are of relevance to their risk and how these factors interact.
• Provide a formulation of the case using the integrated theory of sexual offending, taking into account all factors relevant to risk.
• Providing the individual with an opportunity to address the factors most relevant to their offending.
• Assist an individual to develop skills to make changes in their thinking and behaviour.
• Help the individual and develop future plans so that they can lead their lives and meet their needs in pro-social ways and reduce the risk of them causing sexual harm to others.
• Work in partnership with the person’s support network and assist them to support the individual with their future plans.
• Work in partnership with other agencies in the management and assessment of risk.

Possible outcomes

Alongside reduced assessed risk levels, other perceived benefits identified by staff and men interviewed for this evaluation included improved ability to sustain healthy social relationships, regulate their emotions, cooperate with supervision, and understand and change problematic attitudes. 85% of men who completed an exit survey on leaving Moving Forward Making Changes said they thought it would stop them reoffending in a similar manner.

Process for Assessment and/or inclusion in scheme/intervention

All sex offenders will be assessed by the Justice Social Work Service, the Joint Sex Offender Project (hosted by Aberdeenshire Council) and Police Scotland Offender Management Unit using risk management tools, including Stable and Acute 07. Individuals will be assessed for suitability to undertake the MFMC programme. If suitable, MFMC will be delivered via a Community payback Order with a 3-year programme requirement.
 

Interventions suitable for

Men convicted of domestic abuse offences

Programme Title and Provider

The Caledonian Programme

Details of all Specific national or local scheme/intervention(s) available

The Caledonian Programme aims to target men convicted of domestic abuse offences. It consists of 14 individual sessions and 22 group work sessions followed by a period of maintenance. The recommended period is 2 years. Partners, ex-partners and children are offered voluntary contact while the man is on the programme. For men who are convicted but are unable to undertake the group work part of the programme due to such things as employment patterns or English not being their first language there is a one-to-one version of the Caledonian Programme that can be delivered. Partners, ex-partners and children will also be offered voluntary support.

Possible outcomes

The programme aims to target attitudes and beliefs that support domestic abuse. The programme helps men to recognise their abusive behaviour, take responsibility and reduce their offending. Safety planning and support is offered to women and children in an attempt to keep them safer.

Process for Assessment and/or inclusion in scheme/intervention

Suitability for the programme is carried out at the Criminal Justice Social Work Report stage. This consists of 2 interviews with the man and a joint interview from the social worker and the women’s worker with the partner. In addition to this, information is received from Police Scotland in relation to previous domestic offences and police callouts. During the assessment stage the social worker will complete an initial Spousal Assault Risk Assessment (SARA) and LS(R):SV.