LED by Police and Probation in Essex, the biggest alliance against crime ever contemplated in the county was launched by agency planners at an inaugural conference.
The alliance announced plans for Integrated Offender Management which marks a sea change in the way offending is tackled, and aims to drive better working arrangements between the criminal justice agencies, Police, Probation, Prisons, Youth Offending Service and the Drugs Interventions Programme, Health, local authorities and private and third sector agencies.
The Essex Chief Constable Jim Barker-McCardle and Mary Archer, Chief Executive of Essex Probation, led the first conference.
The aim of IOM is to encourage all local agencies to identify those offenders causing most damage to their community, whether they are under statutory supervision or not. This will involve agencies working together to share information, design local provision and to ensure that each offender has an identified case manager whose role will be to oversee the offenders’ journey through what is provided.
All local services will be mapped to identify any duplication and look at ways of working together which create a better joined-up service for offenders. Historically, services have developed in silos and there are often gaps in provision for offenders where agencies do not link or complement each others’ work, and offenders find themselves unsupported and at risk of re-offending.
Providing the motivation for offenders to quit crime is easier if they are subject to some form of statutory supervision. IOM will not only increase the stimulus for this group, but also give impetus to work with others who pose a problem but who are not subject to a court order.
The IOM approach builds on the success of the current offender-focused cooperation between agencies, such as Prolific and Priority Offenders, Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements and Drug Interventions Programme. These schemes have been hugely successful in involving many agencies in delivering services which support offenders and reduce offending.
“This will be a big piece of work but the payoff for the community could be just as big in terms of reduced crime,” said Mary Archer. “It will be based on the effective sharing of information, effective joint planning and interventions and the reduction of the duplication, waste and inefficiency caused by silo thinking and silo working.”
Mr Barker-McCardle said: “In Essex we build on a strong platform of co-operation across statutory, voluntary and business sectors. The opportunities and benefits presented by really effective integrated offender management cannot be understated. There is much work to be done and I relish the challenge. The fruits of our joint labour will be what everyone wants…less offending, less crime, improved lives and an ever safer Essex. ”
