Growth and development.pdf

Scottish Borders4. Performance: Criminal JusticeKey ActivitiesNumber of social enquiry reports submitted to the courts 443 362 49.4 4during the yearNumber of community service orders made during the year 105 105 14.3 3The proportion of social enquiry reports reported to courtwithin target time2000-2001 QuartileProportion of social enquiry reports submitted to the courts 100.0 1by due dateThe time taken to complete community service orders1999-20002000-2001Average length of community service (hours) for orders 145 3completed during the yearAverage hours completed per week 3.4 32000-2001per 10,000QuartileThe number of social enquiry reports submitted to courts fell between 1999 and 2001 and therate is lower than in many other authorities. All reports are submitted to courts by the due date.The rate of community service orders made is relatively low. The average length of hours forcommunity service orders completed in 2000-2001 was relatively low, and the time taken tocomplete orders was low – only 3.4 hours on average completed per week.The Council is part of a criminal justice grouping with the three Lothian councils and Edinburgh.A consortium arrangement has been established involving elected members and chief officersfrom the five authorities. The five service managers are each to take a “portfolio” lead roleacross the grouping for areas such as performance management and practice development.Commitment to developing information systems has supported improvements in practice. Thesupervision regime has recently been revised, with a move to more structured and consistentinterventions delivered on a groupwork basis from a central base. Recommendations andinterventions are targeted to take account of risk of harm, risk of re-conviction and risk of custody.For offenders subject to supervision the first stage of the new supervision arrangements is aninduction programme adapted from the “Think First” programme, which sets out highly specificaction for the rest of their supervision. Two modules have been selected for development –general offending and anger management – and are being implemented across three of thepartner authorities. They will be subject to a best value review and possibly put forward foraccreditation, once this is in place in Scotland.221