Community Payback Order: Supervision

Interventions suitable for

Individuals who have been formally assessed by a CJSW as being suitable to become subject to a supervision requirement.

Programme title and provider

Supervision Requirement
Cases are held, monitored, and reviewed by a Social Worker.

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

When the client becomes subject to a supervision requirement, the management and monitoring of the requirement will be overseen by a responsible officer who is suitably qualified and a registered social worker. Whilst accountability of the supervision requirement rests with the responsible officer, a non-social work qualified staff i.e., Community Justice Assistant where appropriate, will undertake work with the client as part of their order.
Section 227G of the 1995 Act defines client supervision as:
‘.. during the specified period, the client must attend appointments with the responsible officer, or another person determined by the responsible officer, at such time and place as may be determined by the responsible officer for the purpose of promoting the client’s rehabilitation.’
The court must impose a supervision requirement in the following situations:

• Where the individual is aged under 18
• Where the court imposes any requirement other than an Unpaid Work order or ‘Other Activity’ Requirement
• Where the court imposes two or more requirements

The responsible officer has two key roles:

• To work with the individual and relevant others to achieve change in the
• Individual’s behaviour to encourage desistance from offending behaviour
• To work with the individual to achieve compliance

The responsible office will use the LS/CMI at regular periods throughout the duration of the client’s order to develop effective planning, management and monitoring of the case management plan, which is tailored around addressing the clients criminogenic and social needs. The risk assessment is shared with the client who agrees and signs the action plan.

Possible Outcomes

The main aims of a supervision requirement are to motivate and support the client to stop from further offending and support the client to comply with the intervention offered to them to achieve the intended outcomes. The responsible officer reviews the clients progress and provides reports to court as/and when required, and help the client overcome any obstacles that might hinder the successful completion of their Community Payback Order.
The responsible officer is accountable for ensuring the level of supervision intensity is complied with. This will be determined by regular assessment of the pattern, nature, seriousness, likelihood and imminence of offending. Formal departmental reviews will maintain or vary the case management plan following a review of the client’s progress and compliance with their order. In addition to deciding the level of contact, the responsible officer must also give consideration to the purpose and nature of the contact.
This will be determined by the assessed likelihood of offending and geared towards meeting the specified outcomes detailed in the case management plan. The responsible officer must clarify and share any separate issues relating to the risk of offending and risk of harm with others involved with the client. An aftercare plan is also arranged with services involved with the client during the duration of the Community Payback Order, to ensure a continuity of support is in place where necessary once the Community Payback Order has been successfully completed.

Process for Assessment and/or inclusion in scheme/intervention

A Criminal Justice Social Work Report will be undertaken considering the pattern, nature, seriousness, likelihood and imminence of reoffending to inform decisions about whether a community sentence is feasible. The assessment should also take into account whether a supervision/intervention is required to address the individual’s offending behaviour, or if there are indicators of harm to others which warrant a more in-depth, offence specific or specialist assessment (particularly in the case of violent or sexual offences):

• Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide
• Risk Matrix 2000

or

• Stable 2007 and Acute 2007

a full:

• Risk of Serious Harm

More time may be requested at the Criminal Justice Social Work Report interview stage to allow a fuller and more in-depth assessment to be undertaken around these risks to ensure an appropriate sentencing decision can be made. Regular reviews can also be requested within the report i.e., 3 months, 6 months and 6 months thereafter, to provide the court with an update of the client’s progress.