Growth and development.pdf

Dundee4. Performance: Criminal JusticeKey ActivitiesThe proportion of social enquiry reports reported to courtwithin target time2000-2001 QuartileProportion of social enquiry reports submitted to the courts 97.4 3by due dateThe time taken to complete community service orders1999-20002000-2001Number of social enquiry reports submitted to the courts 2,294 2,514 253.8 1during the yearNumber of community service orders made during the year 483 508 51.3 1Average length of community service (hours) for orders 156 2completed during the yearAverage hours completed per week 2.7 42000-2001per 10,000QuartileThe Council is part of a criminal justice grouping with Angus and Perth and Kinross. Criminal justice servicesare delivered in Dundee against a background of acute poverty, unemployment and drug use. Drug andalcohol issues affect almost two thirds of offenders on whom a social enquiry report is prepared.As the demand for social enquiry reports continues to rise, so do the numbers of probation and communityservice orders. The Council is able to report meticulously on targeting in terms of the likelihood of re-convictionin the next 18 months.Numbers of offenders completing statutory orders without breach have improved significantly, from under40% to a reported 75%. Since 2001 all offenders subject to probation orders participate in groupwork,starting with an induction module. This is followed by a menu of structured interventions. Evaluation is builtin at the end of each session and programme.Youth Justice work continues to be taken forward through the CHOICE project, based within Children’sServices, aimed at reducing the number of young people progressing from the children’s hearing systeminto the adult court system. Criminal Justice Services support the CHOICE project by way of funding a socialwork post.Management information is used to improve performance at all levels. There is prompt feed-back to workers,and the supervision of potentially dangerous offenders, including sex offenders, is subject to annual externalaudit. However, unified management information will not be easily achieved across the three partnerauthorities, as Dundee continues its long-standing commitment to in-house development, and at least oneother authority is moving to a commercial software provider. It is, however, recognised that the use of OASysand the wider issue of delivering accredited programmes will attract significant costs. Dundee is in the processof agreeing a common assessment and evaluation process with partners.When Criminal Justice Social Work moves back to refurbished accommodation a team of two police officerswill move to this office. This will strengthen links with the police, particularly with regard to both registeredand non-registered sex offenders. The Tay Project is also based in Dundee and offers personal changeprogrammes to adult sex offenders. One such programme has won a national award for work with sexoffenders who have an intellectual difficulty.59