Social Work And Health Committee - 27/10/2008

At a MEETING of the SOCIAL WORK AND HEALTH COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 27th October, 2008.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Bailie Helen WRIGHT, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 22nd September, 2008 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I ARRANGEMENTS FOR MANAGING HIGH RISK OFFENDERS

There was submitted Report No 505-2008 by the Director of Social Work summarising the first Annual Report on arrangements for managing high risk offenders across Tayside. The Management of Offenders etc (Scotland) Act introduced a statutory function for Responsible Authorities - Local Authorities, Scottish Prison Service, Police and Health to establish joint arrangements for the assessment and management of the risks posed by certain offenders who pose a risk of harm to the public. The responsible authorities were required to keep arrangements under review and publish an annual report.

It was reported that the introduction of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) across Scotland in April 2007 introduced a consistent approach to the management of offenders across local authority and police force areas providing a framework for assessing and managing certain offenders. In Scotland, the implementation of MAPPA had been phased and currently extended to registered sex offenders. Work was ongoing to agree the operational detail of extending the arrangements to violent offenders but, for the purpose of the first annual report, the focus was on registered sex offenders. Local authorities and police also worked co-operatively in relation to violent offenders.

The Committee agreed:-

(i) to note the contents of the report and the on-going developments in relation to high risk offenders;

(ii) to instruct the Director of Social Work to inform the Committee of any developments in relation to violent offenders and of the recommendations arising from the thematic inspection of risk of harm offenders; and

(iii) to instruct the Director of Social Work to present such reports to Committee on an annual basis.

II DUNDEE CITY DRUG AND ALCOHOL TEAM (DAAT) STRATEGY

There was submitted Joint Report No 516-2008 by the Director of Social Work and the Lead Officer, Dundee City Drug and Alcohol Action Team presenting the Dundee City DAAT Drug and Alcohol Strategic Plan to the Social Work and Health Committee.

The Committee agreed:-

(i) the Dundee City DAAT Drug and Alcohol Strategic Plan and accompanying action plan annexed to the report;

(ii) to instruct the Director of Social Work to ensure the strategy was widely distributed; and

(iii) to the production of a mid-period review of the progress of the strategy in consultation with stakeholders.

Helen WRIGHT, Convener.