Interventions News

Issue 25 – November 2006

Contents
Introduction
25/01: NPD Interventions Unit Contact Details
25/02: Update on Unpaid Work
25/03: Unpaid Work Manual
25/04: Unpaid Work in Warwickshire
25/05: Links with the Resettlement Estate in the Midlands
25/06: Prolific & other Priority Offenders
25/07: General Offending Programmes Review
25/08: Change Control
25/09: Domestic Violence Programmes Update
25/10: Researching ‘what works’ for NOMS Interventions
25/11: Accredited Programmes Evaluation Measures
25/12: CALM Symposium, 13 October 2006
25/13: European Funding for Accrediting Offender
Learning
25/14: Some Dates for your Diaries
INTRODUCTION Skills for Life Manager
Roger Stevens 020-7217 8283
This issue of Interventions News provides more Employment & Skills Policy Manager
examples of the range of work that is going on Ian Henshaw 020-7217 0682
across interventions. For instance, the national Unpaid Work Project Implementation Manager
unpaid work conference earlier this month Neill Martin 020-7217 8877
provided a platform for showcasing examples of Business Services Manager
best-practice. There are articles about innovative Jake McClure 020-7217 8992
work in the West Midlands linking prisons and Unpaid Work Scheme Manager
probation in relation to unpaid work, on offending David Mead 020-7217-5120
behaviour programmes and news of an exciting PS Plus Manager
series of seminars on prolific and other priority David Preston 020-7217-8323
offenders Employment & Skills Advisor
Marcus Smart 020-7217 0766
We hope that this issue will be of interest to all Team Support Manager
probation staff and if you too have a story to tell Olubusola Shokan 020-7217 8448
why note share it with the rest of us by writing an Team Support
article for this newsletter. Contact details for the Mark Chidwick 020-7217 0681
editor, John MacGregor, are on page 19. Team Personal Secretary
Alison Graham 020-7217 0686
Sarah Mann
Head of NPD Interventions Unit fax 020-7217 0693

Intensive Interventions Team

25/01: NPD INTERVENTIONS UNIT CONTACT Head of Intensive Interventions
DETAILS Claire Wiggins 020-7217 8646
Personal Secretary
During the last few months there have been a Julie Taylor 020-7217 8546
number of staff changes, so herewith the most PPO Development Manager
up-to-date list of unit members: Robin Brennan 020-7217 0916
Drugs & Alcohol Implementation Manager
Head of Interventions Fiona Bauermeister 020-7217 0768
Sarah Mann 020-7217 8432 Drug & Alcohol Development Officer
Personal Secretary Robert Stanbury 020-7217 0767
Julie Taylor 020-7217 8546 Drug & Alcohol Advisor
Vacancy 020-7217 8003
fax 020-7217 8496 PPO Development Officer
Corinna Griggs 020-7217 0760
Community Reintegration Team Team Support
Head of Community Reintegration Mark Chidwick 020-7217 0681
Jill Shaw 020-7217 0673 Team Personal Secretary
Personal Secretary Alison Graham 020-7217 0686
Julie Taylor 020-7217 8546
fax 020-7217 0693

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Offending Behaviour Programmes Team Administrative Officer
Head of Offending Behaviour Programmes Ali Moghal 020-7217 0679
Danny Clark 020-7217 0675 Team Personal Secretary
Programme Implementation Manager Vacancy 020-7217 0677
Diane Anderson 020-7217 8895
(ASRO/OSAP/DID) Business Support & Communications Manager
Programme Implementation Manager John MacGregor 020-7217 8520
Elizabeth Hayes 020-7217 8401
(SOTPs) fax 020-7217 0693
Programme Implementation Manager
Phil Mackin 020-7217 8044
(IDAP/CDVP/CSB) 25/02: UPDATE ON UNPAID WORK
Programme Implementation Manager
Jonathan Martin 020-7217 8081
(ETS/Think First/One to One/Women’s
Acquisitive Crime)
Programme Implementation Manager
Phil McNerney 020-7217 0674
(ART/CALM)
Head of Psychology & Evaluation
Liz Bird 020-7217 8418
Principal Psychologist
Jo Day 020-7217 8999
Senior Psychologist
Karl Williams 020-7217 8991
Psychological Assistant
Sinead Bloomfield 020-7217 8813 A successful national conference for practitioners
Psychological Assistant involved in the delivery of Unpaid Work was held
Natalie Letts 020-7217 0676 at the Hilton in London’s Docklands on November
Senior Research Officer 2nd. It provided a forum for the launch of the new
Victoria Dawson Wheeler 020-7217 8815 Unpaid Work Practice Manual, which replaces the
National Training Manager ECP Manual. The conference was a platform for
Tudor Williams 020-7217 8068 showcasing examples of best-practice in Unpaid
Training Development Advisor Work, with presentations from West Midlands,
Eileen Davis 020-7217 8211 Warwickshire and Aston Business School.
Training Development Advisor
Alex Law 020-7217 8211 The programme included keynote speeches from
Training Development Advisor Gerry Sutcliffe MP, the Under-Secretary for
Emma Myatt 020-7217 8211 Criminal Justice and Offender Management, and
Training Development Advisor Roger Hill, Director of the National Probation
Karen Townend 020-7217 8211 Service. There was a panel discussion relating to
Executive Officer the use of the new Unpaid Work Practice Manual
Lesley Smith 020-7217 8336 and a series of workshops in the afternoon,
Executive Officer focusing on contestability, visibility, partnerships,
Ruth Taylor 020-7217 1779 links with employment and Community Payback.

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The aims of the day were:
• To inform practitioners of Government priorities
for Unpaid Work;
• To launch the new Unpaid Work Practice
Manual;
• To enable probation staff to discuss the
implementation of the Manual;
• To increase awareness of ways of increasing
visibility and awareness of Community
Payback;
• To provide a forum for innovative best-practice
in the area of skills and employment;
• To emphasise the value of partnerships
between probation, the civic sector, the
voluntary and community sector, the corporate
sector and the general public.
Visibility and working with the Voluntary and
Community Sector (VCS) were key elements of the
conference, and NPD are keen for institutions and
organisations from the VCS to work alongside
probation Areas in providing support and ideas for
unpaid work placements. An example of this is
the recent collaboration between the Round Table
and the NPS which has led to four major cities
benefiting from a clear-up campaign.
Bradford, Leicester, London and Portsmouth will
see events take place in late November during
Inside Justice Week whereby offenders work
alongside established business figures in a
variety of projects which include the restoration of
a community football pitch and the cleaning of
graffiti from a deprived London district. This
partnership is by no means the first of its kind,
and the NPS is encouraging more and more of
these to develop.
2007 is of course the centenary year of the NPS,
and it is hoped that June will be designated a
national partnership week whereby voluntary
organisations will spearhead an ongoing
campaign to bring Community Payback to the
forefront of public awareness.
4
In terms of awareness-raising, our new
Community Payback link is designed to help to
direct members of the public to the appropriate
website/contact information for the community in
which they live, in order to allow them to suggest
projects and placements:
http://www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk/output/Pa
ge332.asp
We also hope to encourage local government
sites along with those of the VCS organisations
with whom we work to display a link to our site on
their web pages.
Neill Martin, Unpaid Work Manager and Jake
McClure, Business and Development Manager for
Unpaid Work, joined the NPD Interventions Unit,
Community Reintegration Team, in August and
David Mead, Unpaid Work Scheme Manger,
joined the team in October.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Jake McClure, NPD Interventions Unit
Email: Jacob.Mcclure2@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020-7217 8992
25/03: A MANUAL ON THE DELIVERY OF
UNPAID WORK
The Unpaid Work Manual was launched at the
London Docklands Conference on the 2nd
November. The Manual builds on the success of
Enhanced Community Punishment. It therefore
retains many of the underlying principles of ECP,
but in a more concise and practice orientated
format. The Manual also includes a section on the
management of risk in Unpaid Work and
establishes standards for the management of
health and safety. Other sections refer to
maximising inclusion, compliance and community
payback.
The Manual will be available on EPIC in the near
future, as will an Executive Summary of the
Manual, together with a full Equality Impact
Assessment. The Executive Summary and Impact
Assessment will also be referenced on the Home
Office Website. Revised Unpaid Work training
materials will be available early in 2007 and it is
intended that the Manual will be reviewed one
year after implementation.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
David Mead, NPD Interventions Unit
Email: David.Mead6@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020-7217 5120
5
25/04: UNPAID WORK IN WARWICKSHIRE
After a recent visit by Jill Shaw, (Head of
Community Re-Integration), and Janet Power,
(latterly Project Implementation Manager, Unpaid
Work), I have been asked to submit this article
about unpaid work in Warwickshire with a
particular emphasis on the SYDNI Project that we
visited that day.
Since our launch of Community Payback in
November last year we have continued to look for
and identify more and new ways of highlighting
our work so that our local communities and faith
groups can easily access our services and be
confident that the work that we undertake will
be to a good standard and that the offenders
will be well supervised.
We currently have a good relationship with our
local newspapers and we regularly send them
press releases including before and after photos.
In setting up projects we specifically seek
beneficiaries’ permission to use the project for
publicity purposes when considered appropriate
and we have offenders sign confidentiality waivers
if they are prepared to engage with local media.
We also seek to plaque or certificate completed
projects. Our supervisors wear branded clothing
and, if after assessing the risk it is considered
appropriate, we put up branded “A” Boards where
we are working.
6
We were one of the areas involved in the “Clean-
Up 06” campaign and we received good publicity
when 5 projects in the Warwick area were put to
the public vote to see which was undertaken first.
All 5 were projects that we were already engaged
with and we have continued to work with all the
organisations ever since. There were over 300
votes cast with the winner receiving 111 votes.
SYDNI was one of the projects and, although it
didn’t win the vote, we have continued to work
there and our involvement at the Centre has
been mutually beneficial.
On the day that Jill and Janet visited, I had
arranged for them to meet the project manager,
Alaina MacGregor. As always, the place was a
hive of activity and despite the fact that we were
late in arriving and Alaina was in a meeting, she
still managed to find the time to give us an
informative tour of the centre and enthuse us
with her passion for The Sydenham
Neighbourhood Initiatives Project (SYDNI).
Starting life 8 years ago, SYDNI has successfully
raised over £1.2 Million to build the Community
and Resource Centre in the heart of the
Sydenham estate. The SYDNI Centre opened in
2002 and saw over 4000 people use the building
within the first year of operation.
Sydenham lies on the south-east edge of
Leamington Spa, approximately 2 miles from the
town centre. Within the estate lie a handful of
shops, a private medical centre, a private
members drinking club and a pub. There are two
primary schools on the estate and one large
secondary school on the edge of the estate.
Other than these there are no accessible services
to the residents. In the opposite direction from
town lies country fields and private non-
accessible farming land. Sydenham is an isolated
housing estate of some 2000 households and
over 4000 people. The population is diverse with
30% recorded as being from Ethnic Minority
Groups, predominantly Asian but with a growing
Portuguese population currently standing at
around 800.
The main aim of SYDNI is to work in a multi-
agency partnership to help people alleviate social
isolation and exclusion and to regenerate the
area. SYDNI supports local people and groups in
identifying their own needs and helps them to
look at various resolutions and options to address
those needs.
This is done by SYDNI offering the facilities,
advice, advocacy and support for groups and
individuals and they provide classes, activities
and events which are open to their community.
They also work with Community Representatives
identifying isolated and vulnerable groups on the
estate and setting up appropriate support groups,
namely: Parents/Toddlers group, Older People’s
Group, Youth Group, Elderly Asian Women’s
’Group.
7
There are numerous community events held by
SYDNI throughout the year celebrating cultural
differences. These assist in broadening people’s
awareness and understanding and breaking down
the barriers that may have been erected by
negative stereotyping. The Project Manager also
works within the schools on two or three projects
a year delivering programmes focused on
intercultural and intergenerational work with
young children promoting positive difference,
identity and self-esteem.
The project is more than just the Centre, but the
Centre is the focal point of the community. The
building houses training rooms, counselling room,
IT and language support centre, an Asian Elders
Day-care centre, a Community Café, a youth
centre and a main sports hall. It is set in a
disused school site and the 125 year lease is
managed by the Project Team.
Since the beginning of this year Probation has
worked with SYDNI, assisting in the maintenance
of the building and site. Projects have included
cleaning the Community kitchens, Painting the
Youth room, Graffiti removal, and maintaining
grounds and fencing. We also have individual
placements helping out in the Community Café.
Compliance and completions on these
placements have been excellent and two
offenders have been reluctant to leave the project
on completion of their hours.
In return SYDNI have been an Ambassador for
The Probation service and have promoted our
work to other peer projects across the region.
They have introduced us to new and/or potential
beneficiaries and have also assisted some of our
individual placement offenders in job-search
activities and accredited training courses.
Both parties have their eyes wide open to the
pitfalls of the type of work and the tenuous nature
that this type of relationship could potentially
have. However, with good team management and
strong communication between all parties, to
date, there have been few hiccups and the
relationship grows from strength to strength.
Offenders can see that it benefits the community
and the community can see that offenders are
paying back for their offending. Articles such as
these and newspaper clippings are good for
relaying information but working in communities at
grass roots level can make or break you. The
two-edged sword will come heavily down upon
your neck if your standards drop or you fail to
produce the goods, but if you deliver a quality
service the local grapevine will ensure that more
work will be forthcoming and, more importantly,
that you are chosen provider of delivering the
service.
Many thanks to Alaina MacGregor for her
assistance in putting this article together.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Frank Gravenor, Unpaid Work Scheme Manager,
Warwickshire Probation Area
Email:
Frank.Gravenor@warwichshire.probation.gsi.gov.
uk
Tel: 024 76482822
25/05: LINKS WITH THE RESETTLEMENT
ESTATE IN THE MIDLANDS
An exploratory meeting took place in August
between probation managers and prison
colleagues from HMP Hewell Grange and HMP
Brockhill, the Community Reintegration Team
from NPD and NOMS to consider sharing
resources for programmes and unpaid work. This
has been followed by local meetings in which
information sharing has been agreed to ensure
the best use of opportunities for community work
placements. Health and safety risk assessments
will be consolidated, and an excel spreadsheet
devised to ensure a shared database of projects.
8
Potentially there is the possibility to share storage
space and workshops; apply for joint funding, and
have some shared marketing and media
campaigns in relation to unpaid work/community
placements. In addition prisoners who are eligible
for release on temporary licence (ROTL) are
attending probation led offending behaviour
programmes, and there is scope for an increase
in provision. Other Areas who are interested in
developing similar schemes may contact Stephen
Gill ACO West Midlands or Les King Area
Manager Interventions West Mercia or
alternatively Jill Shaw, Head of Community
Reintegration, NPD.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Stephen Gill, West Midlands Probation Area
Email:
Stephen.Gill@west-midlands.probation.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 0121 248 2700
Les King, West Mercia Probation Area
Email:
Leslie.King@west-mercia.probation.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 01562 820071
Jill Shaw, NPD Interventions Unit
Email: Jill.Shaw5@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020-7217 0673
25/06: PROLIFIC AND OTHER PRIORITY
OFFENDERS
PSR quality
A number of Probation Areas assisted with a PPO
PSR review to investigate how far report writers
were following the guidance contained in
PC33A/05. The reports were read by six SPO’s
from different areas, working in pairs. The findings
appeared in the recent NPS Bulletin. NPD is now
producing a checklist for PSR writers to reiterate
the guidance and is considering the most
appropriate format for this.
PPO Toolkit
We are still collating best practice, examples of
good inter-agency working, useful protocols, and
problem-solving procedures. Due to a lack of
information we have brainstormed with our
October Reference Group and will upload this
information into EPIC late November in addition to
presenting at the Regional Workshops.
Examples are still more than welcome – the
toolkit is a pin-board for good practice and will
constantly evolve. We are happy to receive
examples by email, or call if you wish to discuss.
Drug-testing on licence
Areas are reminded that all PPOs are to be
included in the NSMART sample since this is the
means by which this initiative is being monitored.
Thereafter the numbers are made up to 20 per
cent (for commencements) with other cases.
If you are in any doubt about this process please
contact us.
Regional Workshops
The following regional events have been agreed,
topics for discussion/themes for the day to be
concluded at least two months prior to each
event, however the draft national agenda items
are currently – PSR refresher, toolkit, targets
and drug testing procurement. Wales have yet
to pick their date – the blank NPS region/contact
columns indicate the remaining available
dates.

Event No NPS Region Contact Actual Event

1 London Darian.Mitchell@london.probation.gsi.gov.uk 15/12/06

2 17/01/07
3 26/01/06
4 West Midlands Neil.Appleby@west-midlands.gsi.gov.uk 16/02/07
5 05/03/07
6 North East Stuart McPhilips (Wendy – wdale@go-regions.gsi.gov.uk) 13/03/07
7 North West Barbara.Bate@manchester.probation.gsi.gov.uk 29/03/07
8 East Midlands Hardyal.Dhindsa@nottinghamshire.probation.gsi.gov.uk 11/04/07
9 Yorks & Hum Patrick Wilkes / Peter G Wright / Janice Williams 26/04/07
10 South West Garry Holden / Elizabeth Moss 08/05/07
11 South East Andrea.Saunders@sussex.probation.gsi.gov.uk 01/06/07
12 06/06/07
13 East of England Jan.Kemp@go-east.gsi.gov.uk 02/07/07
14 06/04/07
15 01/08/07

9
Drug testing quality assurance
We are conducting an evaluation of the process
in which the NPS areas are drug testing PPO’s
to ensure accuracy and to highlight the possible
need for regular quality assurance akin to our DIP
colleagues. We requested that each NPS area
provide at least one drug testing site and so far
we have confirmed 67 sites from 40 NPS areas.
Initial findings have shown that NPS areas are
paying a varied price for drug testing kits and
confirmatory tests and more astonishingly they
are testing for a whole range of drugs when we
only have the legal basis to challenge cocaine
and opiates.
Two samples are due to be sent out this week to
each of the sites and the results will be presented
to the Project Board in the first week of December
and communicated wider the following week.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Robin Brennan, NPD Interventions Unit
Email: Robin.Brennan@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020-7217 0916
Corinna Griggs, NPD Interventions Unit
Email: Corinna.Griggs2@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020-7217 0760
Overall responsibility for PPO policy lies within the
PPO Implementation Team in the Home Office
Drugs Interventions Programme, which has kindly
provided the following update:
Re-launching the PPO Programme
The Home Office document entitled Rebalancing
the Criminal Justice System in favour of the law-
abiding majority was published in July. It explicitly
notes the success of the PPO programme and
includes a commitment to re-launch it later in the
year, and to align it more clearly with the Drug
Interventions Programme, to ensure that the
highest crime causing drug users are identified
and targeted.
10
The PPO Programme Team and Drug
Interventions Programme Team, in the Home
Office, have merged together to form the new
Offender-based Interventions Unit. This unit is
currently mapping out what needs to be done to
meet the commitment of the CJ Review to ensure
the two programmes are working alongside each
other as effectively as possible.
PPO Evaluation
To coincide with the re-launch and closer
alignment with DIP, the PPO Team will be
publishing a full evaluation of the Programme so
far. The interim evaluation of the PPO programme
reported a 10% reduction in recorded offending
reflected in convictions, over six months. This
evaluation can be found on the PPO minisite:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/dpr46.pdf
The full evaluation will look at several aspects of
the PPO Programme, such as the implementation
of the scheme and good practice issues through a
number of PPO staff interviews. It will examine
the PPO’s own perceptions of the effectiveness
of the programme through a series of offender
interviews. The full evaluation will also look at the
impact of the PPO programme on recorded
offending reflected in convictions over a far longer
time period than the interim evaluation. The final
report will aim to strengthen delivery of the
programme and communicate the key results
to practitioners and other interested parties.
PPO Newsletter
In order to keep all our stakeholders informed of
new developments during the PPO Re-launch
and alignment with DIP, the PPO Programme
Team will be producing a regular newsletter. In
this we hope to cover such issues as information
sharing, effective offender and case management,
performance monitoring, and treatment services
and support pathways.
JTrack
New functionality will ensure that key information
about all PPOs in prison, including location and
release information, is available on JTrack. This
has been achieved by cross-referencing a
download from Prison Service IT systems against
the list of PPOs on JTrack so that, where there is
a match across data fields on both systems, key
information is attached to the JTrack file.
This should allow offender managers working
in prisons and on schemes, to be aware which
offenders have PPO status, where they are being
held, and when they are due to be released.
Gregg Mead, PPO Implementation Team, Home
Office Drugs Interventions Programme
FURTHER INFORMATION:
For detailed information on the PPO Programme
please visit the PPO minisite:
http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/ppo/ppominisite
01.htm
A copy of Rebalancing the Criminal Justice
System in favour of the law-abiding majority can
be found on the Home Office website:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/CJS-
review.pdf?version=1
The PPO Implementation Team is very interested
to hear how the PPO re-launch and alignment
with DIP is going on the ground, so please get in
touch and tell us what has worked well for you.
We are currently compiling a database of case
studies to better understand the challenges faced
in delivering excellent services to PPOs. Please
email Rachael Laurence if you have a case study
to share:
Rachael.Laurence@homeoffice@gsi.gov.uk
11
25/07: GENERAL OFFENDING PROGRAMMES
REVIEW
We are progressing our joint review with the
Prison Service of all the General Offending
Programmes currently delivered in England and
Wales. A Project Board has been created
consisting of representatives of both bodies and
we are about to embark upon a full literature
review of all our current programmes with a view
of producing a refreshed programme which will
be compatible in both prison and probation
settings.
We will be involving practitioners and mangers in
both settings as part of this review as we want the
refreshed programme to represent the experience
staff have gained delivering the current
programmes. The timescale we are working to
indicates that we should have a new product to
present to the Correctional Services Accreditation
Panel by July 2007.
Following successful accreditation of the
Programme a further Business Case will be
devised to outline the national implementation plan.
Please contact me if you would like to offer your
views on this project.
Phil Mackin, Project Manager, General Offending
Programme Refresh Project
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Phil Mackin, NPD Interventions Unit
Email: Philip.Mackin3@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020-7217 8044
Mob: 07768 803241
25/08: CHANGE CONTROL
The Change Control Board sat on 26 October
2006. As we are in the process of amending the
Change Control procedures to involve the
Effective Practice Training Managers, the Board
was on a smaller scale then other years.
Nevertheless there were a range of issues
discussed and the Report will be available in
December 2006.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Phil Mackin, NPD Interventions Unit
Email: Philip.Mackin3@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020-7217 8044
25/09: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAMMES
UPDATE
Every Probation Area now delivers an accredited
Domestic Violence Programme. The majority of
Areas deliver the Integrated Domestic Abuse
Programme (IDAP) while the North East and
North West regions plus Thames Valley deliver
the Community Domestic Violence Programme
(CDVP).
The Programmes are bedding in well but
inevitably there are implementation issues which
need reviewing. The pressing concern is the high
number of offenders being sentenced to complete
either Programme but then having a join a waiting
list. The continued roll out of the Specialised
Domestic Violence Courts may have contributed
12
to this situation in addition to all Courts
appreciating the need to effectively sentence
Domestic Violent Offenders. To start dealing with
this situation a questionnaire is to be sent to each
area designed to gain a view of the current position
in each area. Additionally the recent Change
Control Panel reviewed both Programmes’
manuals and agreed to the roll out of the
amended versions early in The New Year.
During the summer there was a debate regarding
the suitability of Domestic Violent Offenders to
complete General Offending Behaviour
Programmes. This is a complex matter and we
need to explore the range of issues involved over
time. The initial view taken by the designers of
IDAP and CDVP and ETS is that a General
Offending Behaviour Programme should never
be considered as the only form of intervention for
such an offender. To ensure appropriate referrals
are made Offender Managers need to consult
with their Intervention colleagues and form a joint
view based in the individual’s need and level of
risk The Programme designers considered that
they may be a case for the development of a joint
relapse prevention programme and this will be
costed into next year’s business plan.
This debate also brought into focus the need for
a clear understanding of the term Instrumental
Violence and as to whether this can be applied to
every case of Domestic Violence. The view of the
designers is that this definition is not sufficient to
describe the complexities of a Domestic Violence
Offence and have asked for further research to be
undertaken. Again this research project will be
costed and included into next year’s budget.
The role of the Woman Safety Worker is key
to the safe running of the Programmes and my
predecessor Sue Pearce made a successful bid
for extra funding, which has been available to
areas from June to ensure Areas were able to
maintain and develop this role. Additionally we
have been able to provide five national training
events for WSWs and are considering how we
can streamline the training to be able to provide a
National Vocational Qualification.
This has been a very busy period for all staff
involved with the delivery of Domestic Violence
Programmes and the current position of demand
outstripping supply will remain at least in the short
to mid term. However given the professionalism of
all staff in this area of work we are heading
towards achieving this year’s completion target
which indicates that we are intervening
appropriately to ensure the reduction in
reoffending and importantly we are doing a
worthwhile job to ensure the safety of others.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Phil Mackin, NPD Interventions Unit
Email: Philip.Mackin3@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020-7217 8044
13
25/10: RDS NOMS, RESEARCHING ‘WHAT
WORKS’ FOR NOMS INTERVENTIONS
RDS NOMS is the Home Office Research,
Development and Statistics unit embedded in
NOMS. RDS NOMS produces evidence and
provides evidence-based advice to inform policy
development, the implementation of new NOMS
interventions, and the impact of existing
programmes. As part of this work, RDS NOMS
Research and Evaluation (RDS NOMS R&E)
conducts Rapid Evidence Assessments and
manages Systematic Reviews to synthesise existing
knowledge about ‘what works’. We also manage
and undertake process, feasibility and outcome
studies and use action research to produce
evidence to support decision making throughout
NOMS, the Probation Service and Prison Service.
This evidence will improve the targeting and
delivery of interventions across the services.
‘What works’
An important part of RDS NOMS’s work is to
advise colleagues about ‘what works’ to reduce
re-offending. Currently, cognitive-behavioural
programmes for general offenders, substance-
misusing offenders and sex offenders have the
strongest evidence base to suggest they can help
reduce re-offending.
The Washington State Institute for Public Policy’s
(2006) review is one of a number of international
studies (with, amongst others, Wilson et al, 2005;
McGuire, 2002) which has found that cognitive
behavioural programmes are effective in reducing
recidivism for general offenders. While UK-based
studies (e.g. Friendship et al., 2002; Falshaw et
al, 2003) have so far produced a mixed picture of
the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural
interventions, this may be due to weaknesses of
implementation or research designs (Debidin &
Lovbakke, 2004).
In addition, amongst the psychological
programmes for sex offenders, behavioural and
cognitive behavioural approaches showed the
most robust effects (Lösel & Schmucker, 2005).
Indeed, International and UK evidence supports
using treatment programmes with sex offenders
and have shown that they reduce re-offending
(e.g. Washington State Institute for Public Policy,
2006 and Friendship et al, 2003)
There is a similar picture in relation drug treatment
programmes. Several UK and international studies
(e.g. Bullock, 2003; Ramsay, 2003) have
concluded that the successful completion of drug
programs is likely to reduce recidivism, with
therapeutic communities and drug courts found to
be particularly effective in reducing drug crime
(Holloway et al, 2005). Several researchers (e.g.
Prendergast et al, 2004; Wexler, et al, 1999) have
also highlighted the importance of successfully
completed aftercare programmes in reducing
re-offending amongst this group.
14
Focusing briefly on the delivery of interventions,
while some evidence (McGuire, 2000) suggests
more positive results are produced in a non-
custodial setting, and that offenders themselves
perceive community sentences to be useful (Mair
and May, 1997); more recent work by
Landenberger and Lipsey, 2005) suggests that
effectiveness of treatments is not related to their
setting.
Evaluations of other types of interventions,
including violent offender treatment programmes
and education, training and employment
interventions, have so far produced promising but
inconclusive results
Why is research quality important?
Producing high quality, robust knowledge about
interventions is not easy, but it is important we
take action to address the relative shortage of
strong UK evidence of the effectiveness of
interventions. This is because high quality
evidence provides a knowledge base for
decisions at all levels of an organisation like
NOMS. For example, if decisions are based on
flawed evidence there is a much greater chance
of unexpected effects which could have serious
consequences on the ground. This could
potentially hinder delivery, impede development
and waste resources.
Future research
NOMS has six goals which it will focus on in
2005-2008 – supporting sentencers and
implementing sentences; implementing the
Criminal Justice Act 2003; establishing integrated
offender management; taking action to reduce re-
offending; developing commissioning and
contestability; and developing the organisation.
RDS NOMS R&E is working closely with NOMS,
the Probation Service and the Prison Service to
develop a wide range of research studies which
will provide high quality evidence to support the
delivery of these goals. For example, RDS NOMS
is managing four large-scale cohort studies,
including one focused on offender management.
These will provide evidence on which
interventions are associated to reductions in re-
offending. By providing accessible information on
‘what works’, RDS NOMS research will be of use
to frontline delivery staff and policy makers in the
Probation Service, the Prison Service and
partnership agencies.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Daniel Ramsey, RDS-NOMS Research &
Evaluation
Email: Daniel.Ramsey7@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020-7035 3445
References
• Bullock, T. (2003). Key findings from the
literature on the effectiveness of drug
treatment in prison. In Ramsay, M. (ed)
Prisoners’ Drug Use and Treatment: Seven
Research Studies. Home Office Research
Study 267. London: Home Office
• Debidin, M. and Lovbakke, J. (2004).
‘Offending behaviour programmes in prison
and probation’. In Harper, G. and Chitty, C.
(eds.) The impact of corrections on re-
offending: a review of ‘what works’. Home Office
Research Study 291. London: Home Office.
• Falshaw, L., Friendship, C., Travers, R. and
Nugent, F. (2003). Searching for ‘What Works’:
an evaluation of cognitive skills programmes.
Home Office Research Findings 206. London:
Home Office.
• Friendship, C., Mann, R. E., & Beech, A. R.
(2003), Evaluation of a National Prison-Based
Treatment Program for Sexual Offenders in
England and Wales. Journal of Interpersonal
Violence, 18(7), 744-759
15
• Friendship, C., Blud, L., Erikson, M. and
Travers, R. (2002). An evaluation of cognitive
behavioural treatment for prisoners. Home
Office Research Findings 161. London: Home
Office.
• Holloway, K., Bennett, T. and Farrington, D.
(2005). The effectiveness of criminal justice
and treatment programmes in reducing drug-
related crime: a systematic review. Home Office
Online Report 26/05. London: Home Office.
• Landenberger, N. A. and Lipsey, M.W. (2005)
‘The Positive Effects of Cognitive-Behavioural
Programs for Offenders: A Meta-Analysis of
Factors Associated with Effective Treatment.’
Journal of Experimental Criminology.
• Lösel, F. and Schmucker, M. (2005). ‘The
effectiveness of treatment for sexual offenders:
A comprehensive meta-analysis’. Journal of
Experimental Criminology, 1, 117-146.
Mair, G. and May, C. (1997) Offenders on
Probation. Home Office Research Study
167.London: Home Office.
• McGuire, J. (2002). ‘Criminal Sanctions Versus
Psychologically-Based Interventions with
Offenders: A Comparative Empirical Analysis’.
Psychology, Crime and Law, 8, 183-208.
• McGuire, J. (2000) What Works in Reducing
Criminality. In Graycar, A. (Ed.) Reducing
Criminality – Partnerships and Best Practices.
Australian Institute of Criminology.
• Prendergast, M.L, Hall, E.A., Wexler, H.K.,
Melnick, G. and Cao, Y. (2004). Amity Prison-
Based Therapeutic Community: 5-Year
Outcomes. The Prison Journal, 84(1), 36-60.
• Ramsay, M. (ed) (2003). Prisoners’ Drug Use
and Treatment: Seven Research Studies.
Home Office Research Study 267. London:
Home Office.
• Washington State Institute for Public Policy
(2006). Evidence-Based Adult Corrections
Programs: What Works and What Does Not. –
Washington State Institute for Public Policy.
[Available online at: www.wsipp.wa.gov]

• Wexler, H.K., Melnick, G., Lowe, L. and

Peters, J. (1999). ‘Three-year reincarceration
outcomes for in-prison therapeutic community
and aftercare in California’. The Prison
Journal, 79(73), 321-336.

• Wilson, D.B., Bouffard, L.A. and MacKenzie,

D.L. (2005). ‘A quantitative review of
structured, group-orientated, cognitive-
behavioural programs for offenders’. Criminal
Justice and Behaviour, 32(2), 172-204.

25/11: ACCREDITED PROGRAMMES

EVALUATION MEASURES FEEDBACK
REPORTS, PSYCHOMETRIC
ASSESSMENTS

This article is to highlight the recent publication of

produced using the psychometric extracts from
the Evaluation Measures: Psychometric
IAPS and based on data sent previously to NPD
Assessment Feedback Reports for the General
by Areas. This is a testament to the time and
Offending Behaviour Programmes ((GOBPS)
effort given by programme and other staff to
Enhanced Thinking Skills & Think First),
administer and enter the psychometric
Substance Misuse Programmes (Addressing
assessments. On this occasion NPD were
Substance Related Offending & Offender
pleased to provide feedback reports for 15
Substance Abuse Programme) and the Drink
Probation Areas delivering DID1, 2 Probation
Impaired Drivers Programme (DID). For each of
Areas delivering Substance Misuse programmes2
these programmes a National Report was
and 8 Probation Areas delivering GOBPs3.
produced and it is available on EPIC. For those
The information in each report aims to provide
Probation Areas which had more than 50
management and programme staff in areas and
matching offender pre and post programme
at NPD with an easy to read summary of the data
psychometric assessments an individual report
collected so far on psychometric assessments
was published comparing area data to the
national results. An e-mail as well as paper copies
of these reports were sent to the relevant Area 1 Teeside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, North Yorkshire,
Chief Officer. Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland, Staffordshire, West
Midlands, West Mercia, Dyfd-Powys, Essex, Hampshire,
Kent, Thames Valley, Avon & Somerset.
It is a great achievement to be able to announce 2 Thames Valley, Avon & Somerset.
Northumbria, Lancashire, Staffordshire, West Midlands,
the publication of these reports which have been
3
West Mercia, Hampshire, Kent, Thames Valley.

16
and provide a useful prompt to explore the
following:
• An indication of how programmes are being
implemented;
• An indication of how well evaluation and
monitoring systems in particular are operating;
• An indication of whether the measures are
going in the desired direction in relation to the
key treatment targets of each individual
accredited offending behaviour programme.
The reports aim to provide a useful piece of
management information about programmes. On
the whole, it was pleasing to see that generally
the information gained from the psychometrics
indicates that they are going in the desired
direction for the relevant treatment targets of
GOBPs, DID and Substance Misuse
Programmes.
They give an indication that locally and nationally
there is a need to focus on improving data
accuracy and quality, and that there is a need for
Areas to continue to work towards entering
programme data on IAPS in ‘real-time’ rather than
as a back office function. The reports for
individual Probation Areas provide a comparison
with the national data and identify where results
are going in an undesired direction. This enables
areas to focus attention on identifying the
potential reasons for this and take action as
appropriate. This is also applicable at a national
level, for example NPD has noted that two
psychometric assessments used in GOBPs (the
locus of control and the Gough Socialisation
scale) need attention as they are currently
consistently moving in an unexpected direction
pre to post programme.
There is a need to improve the quality of
programme data as much data was lost when it
was cleaned nationally due to issues such as
17
dates not matching or having a post assessment
for an offender but not a matching pre
assessment. In order to help address this issue,
a current project for the Offending Behaviour
Programmes Team is to provide a framework that
can be used locally and nationally to improve the
quality and accuracy of data collected for
programmes. Finally, the feedback reports provide
a snapshot of data from Areas and if
psychometric assessments have yet to be
inputted onto IAPS they will not have been
included in the reports. This may be one reason
that some probation areas did not receive a
specific report for ETS, Think First, ASRO, OSAP
or DID.
In the future, once sufficient data is available
nationally, reports will be produced on the One
to One, Cognitive Skills Booster and Womens’
Programmes. In the next six months NPD will aim
to provide feedback reports for the CALM, ART
and Domestic Violence Programmes. In the
meantime once having read the reports, if you
have any feedback please e-mail them to the
OBPT helpdesk:
NPD.OBP.Helpdesk@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
This feedback will be used to assist future
refinement of the report structure and content.
Finally, a big thank you again to all the staff in all
the Probation Areas who have taken the time and
effort to administer the psychometric assessments
and enter the data onto IAPS or send it to NPD.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Jo Day, Principal Psychologist, NPD Interventions
Unit
Email: Jo.Day@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020-7217 8999
25/12: CALM SYMPOSIUM, 13 OCTOBER 2006
As successful Symposium on the CALM
programme was held in Yorkshire to celebrate the
roll out of the programme and outline future areas
of development. CALM (Controlling Anger and
Learning Mange it) is a cognitive behavioural
programme which teaches skills in managing
anger and emotion. It is delivered in both prisons
and community to male offenders who have been
assessed as having offended due to poor
emotional control.
The principal speaker was Dr Bill Winogron, the
Canadian author of CALM whom having spent the
initial part of the week leading a CALM Training
for Trainers course then used the opportunity to
demonstrate a prototype of eCALM, an IT based
training programme which will act as an adjunct to
the more traditional methods of training staff, not
only in CALM but also the principles of effective
interventions. The audience was particularly
impressed as demonstrated by the number of
areas volunteering to pilot the project.
Other key speakers included Dr Danny Clark;
Head of Offending Behaviour programmes at
NPD who argued that whilst it was still too early
for a full evaluation of the effectiveness of the
programme, the analysis of psychometrics
indicated positive outcomes.
The symposium ended on a high with Dr Bill
Winogron arguing that when compared to other
jurisdictions, the Probation service in England &
Wales has the most skilled and motivated staff and
delivers the most effective programmes – a pleasing
contrast to some of the more recent headlines.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Phil McNerney, NPD Interventions Unit
Email: Philip.Mcnerney2@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020-7217 0674
18
25/13: PROBATION AREAS SECURE
EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND (ESF)
SUPPORT FOR ACCREDITING
OFFENDER LEARNING
The National Learning and Skills Council, in
partnership with the National Probation
Directorate, have successfully accessed ESF
Equal funding. This will provide additional support
to the Offender Learning and Skills Service and
ETE work undertaken by Probation Areas.
In addition to the employability focussed
interventions that will be developed to support
OLASS, two key projects for Probation will be
developed. Both projects look to develop formal
accreditation of offender learning that takes place
within both unpaid work and general offending
behaviour programmes. The preferred model of
accreditation is the National Open College
Network’s suite of Progression Awards that are
compatible with the developing ‘Framework’ for
achievement. NOCN offer an excellent
opportunity to develop a credit based approach
to accrediting offender’s achievements.
15 Probation Areas have been successful in
securing £1.5million of European Social Fund
(ESF) support to develop accreditation
opportunities for offenders undertaking unpaid
work and general offender behaviour
programmes.
A further project looking at developing an
Intermediate Labour Market Model will be
managed by Merseyside Probation Area.
The development of ESF Equal provision in the
community will be supported by the Community
Re-integration Unit. The unit has responsibility
for the key area of Education, Training and
Employment operational policy development
and interface with Probation Areas.
The projects will run for a twelve month period
to December 2007 and will be monitored and
evaluated. Best practice emanating from the
project will be disseminated to all interested
Areas.

FURTHER INFORMATION
Ian Henshaw, NPD Interventions Unit
Email: Ian.Henshaw@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020-7217 0682
Marcus Smart, NPD Interventions Unit
Email: Marcus.Smart@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020-7217 0766

25/14: ADVANCE NOTIFICATION OF TWO

EVENTS, EARLY 2007

Some dates for your diaries for the New Year:

30 January 2007 – PS Plus Forum, London

21 & 22 March 2007 – National Employment &
Skills Conference, Birmingham

Further details about these events will follow

shortly.

Marcus Smart, NPD Interventions Unit

Email: Marcus.Smart@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020-7217 0766

Thanks to all contributors to this edition of

Interventions News.

If you have a story to tell about implementation of

what works/ interventions, why not write an
article, preferably with a photograph, and send to:

JohnA.MacGregor@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

19