Bulletin July 2008

Issue 33

Communities & Local Government

CSIP South West has recently Target shake up delivers stronger focus on
issues that matter to the public
changed to a new communications
system. To contact CSIP employees The results of a comprehensive shake up of council
please use the following email targets and priorities were published recently.
combination The priorities - agreed in partnership with central
Firstname.Surname@csip.org.uk government - show the pattern of issues across
(e.g. carol.prescott@csip.org.uk) England that councils will now have to grapple with
over the next three years.

Click below to read the full news article.

National News
Department of Health
World Class Commissioning Assurance System
The delivery of the world class commissioning vision
and competencies will take place within a
commissioning assurance system. This will drive
peformance and development, and reward PCTs as
they move towards becoming world class
commissioners.
Click below to view or download a copy of this
document.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/
Commissioning/Worldclasscommissioning/Assuranc
e/index.htm
http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/8664
68
The chosen priorities in every local area in England
can be viewed at:
http://www.localpriorities.communities.gov.uk
Department of Health
Health Secretary’s Goal to Tackle Health
Inequalities
The Government's commitment to tackling health
inequalities and helping the most deprived
communities was set out by Health Secretary Alan
Johnson on 10 June 2008 together with details of
£34 million to fund programmes to support local
communities.

Click below to view or download the full news article.

http://nds.coi.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?
ReleaseID=369909&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFrom
Department=False

Page 1 of 8
 National Offender Management Service
The Offender Management Guide to Working with
Women Offenders
This document gives guidance to probation areas,
offender managers and Regional Offender Managers
and Directors of Offender Management, to improve
service delivery to women in the criminal justice
system to help them to reduce their offending. The
intention is to promote the best possible provision for
this, generally vulnerable, offender group at all
stages of their ‘journey’ through the criminal justice
system, with the aim of breaking cycles of re-
offending and, where appropriate, providing effective
alternatives to custody for socially excluded women
at risk of offending .
Click below to view or download a copy of this
document.
http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/silo/files/managem
ent-guide-to-working-with-women-offenders.doc
NHS Confederation
Cabinet Champion Needed for Better Mental
Health for All, says new Coalition
A New Vision for Mental Health, from the Future
Vision Coalition', calls for action to build on the
successes of the National Service Framework (NSF)
for Mental Health, to put mental wellbeing at the
centre of public policy and to improve the quality of
life of all people with mental health problems.
Click below to view or download the full press
release.
http://www.nhsconfed.org/issues/mediacentre-
listing.cfm/pressrelease/794
Department of Health
Transforming the quality of dementia care -
consultation on a National Dementia Strategy
The Government's first National Dementia Strategy
consultation document was published recently. The
Strategy is one of the first national strategies that
focuses on the Commissioner's responsibility in
delivering high quality services. This is a move away
from previous national strategies that has expected
providers to drive improvements.
Click below to view or download a copy of the
Consultation paper.
http://www.changeagentteam.org.uk/_library/Strategy
.pdf
Page 2 of 8
Department of Health
Carers at the heart of 21st century families and
communities: a caring system on your side, a life
of your own
The carers' strategy sets out the Government's short-
term agenda and long-term vision for the future care
and support of carers.
The carers' strategy is underpinned by £255 million
to implement some immediate steps alongside with
medium and long-term plans.
Click below to view or download a copy of this
document.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Pu
blications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_0853
45
Department of Health
Strategic Health Authorities’ Visions for Better
Healthcare
Each of the nine Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs)
involved in the Review published their visions for
better healthcare during May and early June 2008.
These vision documents will be the basis of Lord
Darzi’s final Our NHS, our future report, which will
enable and support their delivery.
Click below to view or download a copy of the South
West Vision
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Pu
blications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_0854
00?
IdcService=GET_FILE&dID=166899&Rendition=We
b
South West News
CSIP South West
Health, Social Care & Criminal Justice (HSCCJ)
Programme
The HSCCJ has developed an area on the CSIP
South West website. To visit these pages click
below.
http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/our-work/health--
social-care-in-criminal-justice.html
Publications & Resources
National Offender Management Service
National Service Framework – Improving
Services to Women Offenders
This is a strategic framework to achieve improved
and effective service delivery to women in the
Criminal Justice System to enable them to reduce
their offending.
Click below to view or download a copy of this
document.
http://noms.justice.gov.uk/news-publications-events/
publications/strategy/NSF-Women-08?view=Binary
Mental Health Foundation
Keeping the Faith – Spirituality and Recovery
from Mental Health Problems
The potential for a positive relationship between
spirituality and mental wellbeing has been illustrated
previously by the Mental Health Foundation but how
this is occurs at a practice level has been largely left
unexplored. This report, funded by the Department of
Health, explores how spiritual activities as part of an
integrative approach can support the mental health
and healing of individuals.
Click below to view or download a copy of this
document.
http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/silo/files/keeping-
the-faith.pdf
Page 3 of 8
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
Mental Health into the Mainstream – An ADASS
Discussion Paper
This discussion paper calls for a new, ten-year,
cross-government national strategy for mental health
and wellbeing focusing on eight priorities:
• Enabling people to live ordinary lives,
• Putting the person first,
• Safeguarding people,
• Developing effective and accessible services,
• Creating a mentally healthy society,
• Supporting people who care for people with
mental health problems,
• Building capacity in public services.
• Taking forward Vision 2015: the future of
mental health, published by the Sainsbury
Centre for Mental Health, the NHS
Confederation, the Local Government and
Association of Directos of Adult Social
Services in 2006
Click below to view or download a copy of the
document.
http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/silo/files/mental-
health-into-the-mainstream--an-adass-discussion-
paper.pdf
A Collective Responsibility to Act Now on Ageing
and Mental Health – A Consensus Statement
Formal consultation on the National Dementia
Strategy for England has begun - the organisations
endorsing this statement firmly believe it should mark
only the starting point of a comprehensive
commitment to address the full range of mental
health problems in later life. Dementia cannot and
should not be seen in isolation from the rest of
mental illness in older people. For instance
depression affects three times as many older people
as dementia. It is essential that the funding and
resources necessary are made available to
implement sustained improvements across the
spectrum of later life mental disorder, which must
also include a focus on mental health promotion.
Click below to view a copy of this document
http://www.snpearstesting.org/consensusfinal.pdf
 National Statistics
Attitudes to Mental Illness 2008 Research Report
This report presents the findings of a survey of
attitudes towards mental illness among adults in
England. Questions on this topic have been asked as
part of TNS's face-to-face Omnibus since 1994. The
most recent previous surveys in the series were
carried out in 2003 and 2007.
The aim of these surveys is to monitor public
attitudes towards mental illness, and to track
changes over time.
Click below to view or download a copy of this report.
http://www.londondevelopmentcentre.org/cms/site/do
cs/Bulletin/July%2008/DH_084573[1].pdf
Social Care Institute for Excellence
Experiences of children and young people caring
for a parent with a mental health problem
This briefing focuses on the experiences of children
and young people under 18 years of age caring for a
parent or parents defined as having mental health
problems that are ‘serious’ or ‘severe’, and
‘enduring’.
Click below to view or download a copy of this
briefing paper.
http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/briefings/files/sca
re24.pdf
Department of Health
Mental Health Act 2007: Report on the
Consultation Exercises on the Draft Revised
Code of Practice and Secondary Legislation
This report covers the consultation exercises
conducted from 24 October 2007 to 24 January 2008
on the draft revised Code of Practice to the Mental
Health Act 1983 and on the secondary legislation to
be made in the light of the Mental Health Act 2007. It
details the process, analyses the responses received
and explains which comments were accepted and
which discarded and why.
Click below to view or download a copy of this
document.
http://www.londondevelopmentcentre.org/cms/site/do
cs/Bulletin/July%2008/DH_084606.pdf
Page 4 of 8
The Equalities Review
Engendered Penalties: Transgender and
Transsexual People’s Experiences of Inequality
and Discrimination
This research project was undertaken for the
Equalities Review between the period of July 14th
and September 1st 2006. During this 6 week period,
the researchers undertook a mixed quantitative/
qualitative approach to collecting and analysing
information on transgender and transsexual people’s
experiences of inequality and discrimination in the
UK.
This report is an analysis and summary of the results
obtained, and it outlines the levels of inequality and
discrimination that trans people face.
Click below to view or download a copy of this
document.
http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/silo/files/engendere
d-penalties.pdf
Department of Health
Support, Time & Recovery (STR) Worker – A
Competence Framework
This Best Practice Guidance sets out the
background; purpose; and development of the
Competence Framework for Support, Time and
Recovery (STR) workers employed across health
and social care sectors.
Click below to view or download a copy of this
document.
http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/silo/files/str-
workers--a-competence-framework.pdf
National Events
Changing Minds, Social Perspectives Network,
Social Care Institute for Excellence
Power to the People? A study day exploring
personalisation in mental health
8 July 2008 -10.00am – 4.00pm
The Sturtridge Suite, Weedon Road, NN5 5BG,
Northampton
This study day is open to all service users, careers,
practitioners, managers, commissioners, academics
and other people interested in sharing good practice
and examining the challenges for all the stakeholders
in realising the promise of this bold new agenda.
Click below for further information or  020 7089
6864
http://kc.csip.org.uk/viewdocument.php?
action=viewdox&pid=0&doc=38497&grp=1
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
The Heart & Soul of Change. What Works in
Therapy?
14 July 2008
EMMTEC Building, University of Lincoln
This workshop will provide a detailed recipe for
enhancing what works based upon the empirically
validated guidelines of how change actually happens
in therapy.
Click below for further information.
http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/silo/files/heart--
soul-workshop.doc
Neil Stewart Association
Transforming Social Care: Putting People First
15 July 2008
Jurys Great Russell Street Hotel, London
This conference is for senior managers and policy
makers in adult social care from health, local
government, the voluntary and private sectors. It will
provide an opportunity to bring together the full range
of players from the Putting People First consortium
and provide high level policy guidance and feedback
on how this change is being taken forward.
Click below for further information or  020 7324
4363,
http://www.neilstewartassociates.com/sh244/
Page 5 of 8
Substance
After the Event: Culture and Sport – Access &
Legacies
15 & 16 July 2008
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
This conference will focus on events of every hue -
from the global to the local; from the mega to the
mini; from cultural to sports. It will ask: ‘How do we
make them ‘open’? How do we make them work for
us? What do we mean by legacy?’
Click below for further information.
http://app.e2ma.net/app/view:CampaignPublic/id:594
0.1017880211/rid:f871be3a7b268c91f411a963e1a0c
7da
Department of Health
Towards a Strategy to Support Volunteering in
Health and Social Care
2 September 2008
Somerset County Cricket Club, Taunton TA1 1JT
The Department of Health launched on the 3rd June
2008, a ‘Vision towards a Volunteering Strategy’, for
consultation. The aim is to promote the role of
volunteering in the context of health and social care
reform, and inform improvements to support
volunteering across the health and social care
system.
For further information and a booking form, please
go to:
http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/silo/files/towards-
strategy-to-support-volunteering-in-health-and-social-
care.doc
Nacro
Improving Health, Supporting Justice: Meeting
the Challenge
3-4 September 2008
University of Derby
‘Improving Health, Supporting Justice’, strategy for
offender health and social care, sets out a template
to meet the mental health needs along the criminal
justice pathway and includes both those offenders
being resettled from prison and those supervised in
the community.
Click below for further information or  020 7840
6466,
http://kc.csip.org.uk/viewdocument.php?
action=viewdox&pid=0&doc=38261&grp=1
 Pavilion
Future Challenges – Exploring creative ways for
mental health education and training to bridge
the gaps between legislation, policy and practice
10 & 11 September 2008
Jubilee Campus, University of Nottingham
This conference will examine the role of education and
training as an essential bridge between legislation, policy
and practice. This will be done through:
• presentations on the key themes of implementing
legislation and consolidating recent innovative
initiatives in education and training
• concurrent sessions concentrating on specific areas
and challenges for education and training
• a concluding session to evaluate the conference,
draw together key messages and set the scene for
the 2009 conference.
Click below for further information or  0870 890
1080
http://www.pavpub.com/pavpub/conferences/showfull
.asp?Conference=721
Cygnet Health Care
Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Adults with
Autistic Spectrum Disorder
2 October 2008
Royal College of Physicians 11 St Andrews
Place, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4LE
The conference will address the mental health
problems that affect adults with Autistic Spectrum
Disorders (ASDs). Experts in the field will give an
overview of how mental health problems present with
ASDs, including what they are, how common they
are, and what causes them.
Click below for further information or  01438
342942
http://www.cygnethealth.co.uk/about-us/news-
events/spectrum-meeting.html
Page 6 of 8
B-U Events Ltd
Dual Diagnosis – Clinical Skills Conference
8 October 2008
Leicester Racecourse, Oadby, Leicester
Living with Dual Diagnosis, mental health and
substance use means a complex presentation to
services, which, at times do not hold the key skills to
address the issues. This conference aims to discuss
these issues and explore ways of moving services
forward for service users.
Click below for further details or  07527 201051 or
07964 698163
http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/silo/files/dual-
diagnosis--clinical-skills.doc
Association of Directors of Social Services & Local
Government Association
National Children and Adult Services (NCAS)
Conference
22-24 October 2008
Liverpool Arena & Convention Centre
The theme for this conference is “Sharing the Vision
- Shaping the Future”.
The programme will consist of a mix of keynote/
ministerial addresses and other significant plenary
sessions by key players in the adult and children
sectors. There will also be the opportunity to take
part in a variety of participatory breakouts and
networking sessions.
Click below for further details or  01609 532705
http://www.adss.org.uk/events/2008/conf08.sht
ml
 NHS Employers
Leading Workforce Thinking
4-6 November 2008
International Conference Centre, Birmingham
This conference promises a high quality programme,
innovative thinking from high profile speakers and
the chance to make connections through networking
with colleagues.
The conference offers a unique opportunity for
healthcare leaders to discuss workforce issues,
exchange views and ideas and expand their
knowledge. Featuring a mix of thought-provoking
plenary sessions, interactive workshops, in-depth
masterclasses and a first class exhibition, this
important event is your chance to take a step back
from your day job, learn and be inspired.
Click below for further information.
http://www.nhsemployers.org/toolkit/conference.cfm
South West Events
Care Services Improvement Partnership – Valuing
People Support Team
Supporting People with Complex Needs
8 July 2008
The Royal Hotel, South Parade, Weston Super
Mare
A number of people will deliver presentation relating
to services, networks and therapies to help support
people with complex needs.
For further information, please contact Jackie
Edwards, Valuing People Carer Co-ordinator on
01934 875643 Jackie.Edwards@ukonline.co.uk
Page 7 of 8
CSIP South West
Dementia Strategy Consultation Event
17 July 2008
The Warspite Room, Council House, Civic
Centre, Royal Parade, Plymouth
Following the Department of Health Listening events,
the National Dementia Strategy is due for publication
in early June. This event will explore the content and
how this will be taken forward by health and social
care organisations. The final publication is due in
October 2008 following this period of consultation.
The flyer is available at:
http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/silo/files/dementia-
strategy-flyeer.pdf
and a booking form from:
http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/silo/files/dementia-
strategy-rsvp.doc
CSIP South West
Dementia Strategy Consultation Event
23 July 2008
British Airways Workers Association Healthcare
& Leisure Centre, Southmead Road, Filton,
Bristol
Following the Department of Health Listening events,
the National Dementia Strategy is due for publication
in early June. This event will explore the content and
how this will be taken forward by health and social
care organisations. The final publication is due in
October 2008 following this period of consultation.
The flyer is available at:
http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/silo/files/dementia-
strategy-flyeer.pdf
and a booking form from:
http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/silo/files/dementia-
strategy-rsvp.doc
 Noticeboard
Equality South West
Get Involved in the LGBT Health Summit
4-5 September 2008
BAWA Healthcare & Leisure Centre, Bristol South Somerset MIND - Re-Launch & Open Day
24 July 2008 - 10.00am – 3.00pm
The theme of this year’s summit is Equality and The Markwick Centre, Dampier Street, Yeovil.
Diversity. The key objectives are to: BA21 4EN

 raise awareness of differences in health
outcomes affecting LGBT people;
 share ideas and good practice regarding the
removal of barriers to service access for LGBT
people;
 focus on the specific and differing needs of a
broad range of LGBT people, including older
people, BME communities, disabled people
and those living in rural settings;
 foster partnership working and to make
recommendations about improving health
outcomes for LGBT people.
Click below for further information.
http://www.lgbthealth.co.uk/userimages/Abstract_sub
mission_form_FINAL_07_05_08.doc
For further information about this event  01935
474875 or 01935 410138
Voluntary Action Swindon
Swindon LINk Development Officer
Full time, 35 hours/week
£23,749 - £25,320 pa + up to 5% pension
contribution
Closing date: 4 July 2008, 4pm
Interview date: week commencing 14 July 08
Voluntary Action Swindon is a local charity
supporting voluntary groups in the community.
There is an opportunity for an outstanding individual
to support and develop the Swindon Local
Involvement Network (LINk):

For further details and an application form, you can

Newsletters/Web Links visit the website at: http://www.vas-swindon.org

Equality South West The successful applicants will be subject to a CRB

News from Equality South West check.

Click below to view or download a copy of the July

Newsletter.

http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/silo/files/news- To contribute to forthcoming CSIP SW Bulletins

from-equality-south-west--july-2008.doc send information to Carol Prescott, by no later
than 20th of each month, at
carol.prescott@csip.org.uk

For more details about forthcoming EVENTS,

Mind in Taunton & West Somerset and contact details for the CSIP SW team,
E-Bulletin go to http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk, or
contact the CSIP SW office on 01278 432002.
Click below to view or download copies of their most
recent Bulletins.

http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/e-bulletins/equality-
south-west.html

South Somerset Mind

E-Bulletin

Click below to view or download a copy of the most

recent Bulletin.

http://www.southwest.csip.org.uk/silo/files/south-
somerset-mind-ebulletin--summer-2008.doc

Page 8 of 8
NATIONAL SERVICE FRAMEWORK

IMPROVING SERVICES TO WOMEN OFFENDERS

Ministerial Foreword

As the ministerial champion for women in the criminal justice system, I am

pleased to be able to launch this National Service Framework. The
Framework – the first of its kind – marks a significant step on our journey
towards delivering on the commitments the Government made in its
response to Baroness Corston’s Report on Women with Particular
Vulnerabilities in the Criminal Justice System in December last year.

The National Service Framework aims to improve the services we deliver

to women offenders. It does so by setting out the Government’s strategic
aims and objectives for how we propose to meet the needs of women offenders in the short,
medium, and long term. It goes on to set out high-level service expectations, both through
the reducing re-offending pathways, and for the delivery of statutory services. It is supported
by the recently published Prison Service Gender Specific Standards, and the Offender
Management Guide to Working with Women, which is also published today. These provide
the more detailed operational guidance for prison and probation staff delivering services on
the ground.

Together, these documents will form the basis upon which NOMS will develop a series of
costed service specifications for women in custody and in the community. The intention is to
put in place a sustainable system to deliver a co-ordinated approach to addressing the
needs of women coming through the criminal justice system, recognising that those needs
are often different from those of men. It is essential that we design and deliver services to
ensure that women have equal opportunities to address their offending. This will help to fulfil
our commitments as set out under the 2006 Gender Equality Duty. It will also bring us further
forward in fulfilling our headline aim, which is to ensure that women who come into contact
with the criminal justice system are treated appropriately so as to protect the public and
reduce re-offending, whilst also meeting their specific and individual needs.

MARIA EAGLE MP
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE

2
CONTENTS

DOCUMENT SPECIFICATION Page 4

Page 5
1: INTRODUCTION AND VISION
The Purpose and Shape of this National Service Framework
Next Steps
The Government’s vision for women offenders

2: NATIONAL STRATEGIC AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES Page 7

The Government’s strategic aims and priorities for delivering services to women
offenders

3: THE NEEDS OF WOMEN OFFENDERS AND PATHWAYS TO REDUCING Page 9

RE-OFFENDING

The needs of women offenders

Effective services
Pathways to reduce re-offending

4: REQUIREMENT FOR STATUTORY SERVICES Page 19

Service requirements for each phase of the offender journey, including the
service ambition, what success would look like and where primary and associated
responsibilities lie.

• Phase 1 – pre-court offender assessment and potential diversion either from

court process or custodial remand
• Phase 2 – sentence planning, for either community or custodial provision
• Phase 3 – community interventions
• Phase 4 – custodial categorisation and allocation, and interventions
• Phase 5 – offender release and subsequent community supervision and
interventions
• Phase 6 – breach and recall

ANNEX A Page 24

The Corston Report’s recommendations and the Government’s response

ANNEX B
Page 26
Fawcett Society conditions and questions for commissioners

3
Document Specification

Document purpose A strategic framework to achieve improved and effective service

delivery to women in the Criminal Justice System to enable them to
reduce their offending.
Other key The Corston Report.
reference The Government Response to the Corston Report.
documentation HM Prison Service Orders and Instructions.
Probation Service National Standards.
Offender Management Guidance.
Authorship Ministry of Justice (MOJ), National Offender Management Service
(NOMS)
Publication date May 30th 2008
Target audience NOMS managers and delivery partners; Sentencers; Police; Local
Authorities; Other Government Departments; HM Prison Service;
Private Prison Providers; Probation Service and other providers of
offender assessment and community supervision; YJB; other relevant
service providers in custody and the community, including health and
learning and skills; HM Prison Inspectorate; HM Probation
Inspectorate; other Inspectorates (OfSTED; CSCI; CHI).
Description The requirements set out in this NSF will be turned into detailed and
costed service specifications by NOMS to ensure sensible
implementation, resources allocation decisions, local factors and
implications.

The intention is to underpin the best possible provision for this

generally vulnerable offender group at all stages of their ‘journey’
through the criminal justice system, with the aim of breaking cycles of
re-offending and keeping socially excluded women at risk of offending
out of custody.
Actions required NOMS and delivery partners to use this framework to develop detailed,
costed service specifications for women in custody and the community,
to target specific improvements in the context of regional and local
needs and, where required, to vary existing contracts and service level
agreements (SLAs) during 2008/09, and to secure specific attention to
women offenders in such contracts and SLAs for 2009/10.
Timings For use from publication.
Contact details Nicola Lowit, Tel: 020 7035 0914
Document purpose A strategic framework to achieve improved and effective service
delivery to women in the Criminal Justice System to enable them to
reduce their offending.

4
1. INTRODUCTION AND VISION

Purpose and shape of this National Service Framework

1.1 In March 2007 Baroness Corston published her report into Women with Particular
Vulnerabilities in the Criminal Justice System. 1 Her report was initially prompted by a
series of suicides in prison, and called for a greater focus and gender specific
approach to women in the Criminal Justice System and those at risk of re-offending.
The Corston Report made 43 recommendations for improving the approaches,
services and interventions for women in the criminal justice system and women at risk
of offending. The detail of the key recommendations can be found at Annex A.

1.2 The Government Response to the Corston Report 2 accepted 40 out of 43 of the
recommendations. This National Service Framework for Women Offenders provides
the context within which NOMS, and their delivery partners, should be delivering on
that commitment. This builds on the work achieved by the Women’s Offending
Reduction Programme, launched in 2004 and followed in 2005 by the announcment
£9.15 million for the Together Women Programme to demonstrate how a multi-agency
approach in the community could address women’s complex needs more effectively.

1.3 NOMS will turn this into costed service specifications for women offenders in custody
and in the community to ensure that services to women offenders are improved in line
with the recommendations of the Corston Report and the Government’s response to it.

• Chapter 2 sets out the Government’s strategic aims, priorities and service
expectations for women offenders.

• Chapter 3 sets out the needs of women offenders and the pathways to address re-
offending.

• It then sets out our high level expectations for service provision at each stage of
the offender journey to meet those needs. It describes what success would look
like, setting out where primary and associated responsibilities lie, linked to the
pathways to reducing re-offending, including the two new dedicated pathways for
women.

1.4 This framework provides the strategic aims, priorities and expectations for delivering
services to women offenders. NOMS needs to specify the exact size, cost and nature
of provision in order to deliver upon these priorities. In addition, while NOMS can
address specific prison and probation commissioning and delivery issues, it needs to
work effectively with its partners across the reducing re-offending pathways at national,
regional and local levels. This will require close liaison between all relevant sectors as
the implementation moves forward.

1.5 It is not within the remit of this framework to specify the resources required to deliver
services to women offenders. This is a matter for the more detailed specifications of
services over time. Providers need to meet the particular needs of this offender group
from existing resources by a combination of improving efficiency and potentially re-
ordering priorities.

1
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/corston-report/
2
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/gov-resp-corston-review.htm

5
 The Government’s vision for women offenders

1.6 This framework is intended to deliver the Government’s high-level vision for how
services should be delivered to women offenders. The headline aim i is to ensure that
women who come into contact with the criminal justice system are treated
appropriately so as to protect the public and reduce re-offending, whilst also meeting
their specific and individual needs. To do this we must:

1) Reduce the number of women coming through the criminal justice system
2) For women who are sentenced, ensure that their needs are met in the community
wherever possible; and
3) For women who are sentenced to custody ensure that the facilities are appropriate
to their needs

1.7 By fulfilling these aims we will realise the following outcomes in support of our
Departmental Strategic Objectives for “protecting the public and reducing re-offending”
and “improving criminal justice”:

1) Fewer women being sentenced

2) Fewer women being held in custody
3) Reduced re-offending
4) Improved well-being and a reduction in self-harm for women in contact with the
criminal justice system.

Next Steps

1.8 NOMS will develop this framework into a series of costed service specifications for
women in custody and in the community. In the meantime, NOMS will consider
regional and more local implications and potential changes to current service
provision, including the opportunity for early gains through implementing changes to
current services.

1.9 The broad service requirements set out in this framework must be cross-referenced to:

• Offender management standards;

• The newly published Offender Management Guide to Working with Women
Offenders, a revised guide to replace the National Probation Service Good Practice
Guide on ‘Delivering Effective Services for Women Offenders in the Community,’
• National standards for probation; and
• Prison service orders and instructions, including the newly published prison service
order on gender specific standards in the custodial estate (PSO 4800).

6
2. NATIONAL STRATEGIC AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES

2.1 The Ministry of Justice strategy for providing services to women offenders forms part
of the Government’s strategy for women who come into contact with the Criminal
Justice system. This wider strategy is being taken forward through the Government’s
response to the Corston Report. This cross-government programme is co-ordinated
via the Reducing Re-offending Inter Ministerial Group. The intention is to put in place a
long-term and sustainable system to deliver a co-ordinated approach to addressing the
issues identified in the Corston Report, and in the new three year reducing re-
offending partnership plan.

2.2 The headline and measurable strategic outcomes, which support the MoJ
Departmental Strategic Objectives, are to:

1) Reduce the number of women entering the criminal justice system;

2) Reduce custodial remands for women, and where such remands are required
make them as short as possible;
3) Ensure sentencers are better informed about the difficulties currently
experienced by women offenders in the criminal justice system;
4) Ensure that the needs of women who are sentenced are met in the
community wherever possible, and reserve custody for only the most serious
offenders, usually serving more than 12 months;
5) Ensure that for women who are sentenced to custody, the facilities and
interventions are appropriate to their needs and that there is better continuity
of provision of services on their release;
6) Reduce levels of self-harm by women offenders;
7) Reduce re-offending by women.

2.3 The Corston Report recommended that the majority of women held on short sentences
or held on remand should not be sentenced to custody in most circumstances. The
Report also suggested that fewer women should be returned to custody as a result of
breaching their licence or community supervision. If this vision is to be realised we
must ensure that more robust and consistent alternative provision is available in the
community, and that access to supportive services from other sectors is secured. In
addition, many women have multiple and inter-connected needs. All custodial or
community-based provision has to recognise this.

2.4 The Corston Report suggested that prison and probation services have a long way to
go to meet the needs of female offenders, designed as they are for primarily meeting
the needs of male offenders. The 2006 Gender Equality Duty means that we are
legally obliged to ensure that we deliver equality of opportunity for women offenders.

2.5 To deliver our overall strategy, in the short term, we will:

• Work with sentencers to increase their understanding of the needs of women

offenders and enable fuller use of existing community provision;
• Develop Bail Accommodation Support Service provision of appropriate quality for
women to reduce the numbers of women entering prison on remand;
• Review the scope for providing residential or intensive services for women as
pilot projects in former Prospects’ premises;

7
 • Expand the function of existing Approved Premises to provide supervised and
supported accommodation for vulnerable women offenders;
• Request that the Bradley report into how to improve the processes for diverting
offenders with severe mental health problems away from prison provides specific
recommendations for women offenders;
• Update guidance to improve the quality of service Offender Managers offer to
women offenders publish concurrently with this framework;
• Implement Gender Specific Standards to ensure that prison regimes are
appropriately designed and delivered to meet women’s needs; and
• Establish a robust evidence base to determine the key needs for women
offenders, the achievable desired outcomes, and our effectiveness in meeting
them, and continually review those assumptions in the light of new evidence or
changing circumstances.

In the medium term, we will:

• Work with other Government departments, the private and the third sector to
develop and increase access to women’s centres providing wraparound service
provision;
• Encourage offender managers to recommend community sentences augmented
with the supportive interventions offered by such centres as an alternative to
custody in all cases where this can be justified;
• Analyse the potential demand for further Approved Premises provision in more
depth, based on geographical location and criminogenic need
• Design flexibility into the women’s custodial estate so that it can respond to the
differing and inter-connected needs of women offenders, including those of high-
risk-of-harm and serious offenders;
• Utilise any headroom gained from increased community provision to manage the
women’s custodial population with closeness to home as a priority for primary
carers subject to short sentences, and continue to provide support services to
ensure regular family contact when this is not possible;
• Pilot alternative models of provision in the women’s estate to test how far they
meet the needs identified by the Corston Report and the requirements of the
Gender Equality Duty; and
• Work with the Department of Health to ensure that women with mental or other
health issues are diverted to suitable health care on arrest or from court.
• Develop an information strategy to ensure that issues around gender, race and
ethnic background, and disability are identified and reflected in policy and
planning.

In the long term, we will:

• Utilise any headroom gained from increased community provision to re-configure

the prison estate if necessary, and if resources allow, so that women’s
establishments are of optimum size and specification for meeting women’s
needs; and
• Ensure that any established Sentencing Commission considers the differing
needs of women offenders

8
3. THE NEEDS OF WOMEN OFFENDERS, EFFECTIVE SERVICES AND SERVICE
REQUIREMENTS

The Particular Needs of Women Offenders

3.1 Consistent messages from the literature on women offenders show that:

• Although male and female offenders have broadly similar histories, women
offenders tend to have more significant offending-related unmet needs including
education, training and employment, health (including mental health), housing and
income. Many women have multiple and inter-connected needs;
• Their sexual and violent victimisation can play a part in the onset and persistence
of offending;
• Research indicates high rates of substance misuse, especially opiates, amongst
female offenders;
• Women’s offending is most often associated with poverty and financial difficulties;
and,
• Many women’s financial situations are further strained by their having sole
responsibility for dependent children.

3.2 Whilst over 90% of offenders are men, women make up around 6% of the total prison
population. Between 1996 and 2006 the women’s prison population increased by 94%
compared to a 38% increase for men. This is neither because there are more women
offenders nor the result of their offending becoming more serious overall – the
increase reflects the fact that courts have been using custody more frequently for
women for less serious offences.

3.3 A snapshot of the female prison population in February 2008 showed that there were
4,389 adult women held in custody. Of these, 877 (20%) were being held on remand,
spending on average 4-6 weeks in custody, with nearly 60% remanded in custody not
going on to receive a custodial sentence. A further 789 (18%) were held on sentences
less than twelve months. 193 of those sentenced from January 2008 onwards were
being held as a result of breaching their licence conditions. This snapshot lays out a
picture of a largely short-term female prison population. Although the numbers are
small, there has been a recent increase in the number of women convicted for
offences involving violence.

3.4 Data from the Prison Service Offender Assessment System and OASys for the year
ending September 2007 3 show that a considerably larger percentage of women
offenders have emotional well-being and relationship needs than men. Women
offenders have all too often been victims themselves in the past. OASys indicates that
46% of women offenders have been the victim of domestic violence compared to 6%
of men, or suffered from disrupted childhoods. 27% of women offenders are
considered a suicide risk and 27% are considered at risk of self-harm.

3.5 In addition, many women offenders with mental health issues end up in prison when
there may be a case for treatment within the community. Up to 80% of women in
prison have diagnosable mental health problems. The comparable figure in the
community is less than 20%. Approximately 50% of all self-harm incidents in prison are

3
Based on over 26,000 women offenders in prison and the community

9
 committed by women, even though they comprise only 6% of the total prison
population. Women recently released from custody are 36 times more likely than the
general population to commit suicide.

Effective Services and Pathways to Reducing Re-offending

3.6 Effective offender management is characterised by a rounded approach where

interventions are matched to meet identified re-offending risks and needs. The
resources available to achieve this are provided by prison and probation, as well as
increasingly mainstreamed through partnerships and commissioning and joint
commissioning arrangements.

3.7 Social Exclusion Unit’s 2002 report, ‘Reducing Re-offending by Ex-Prisoners’ identified
a number of social factors which contributed towards the re-offending of ex-prisoners.
These were adopted by NOMS in 2004 as the seven ‘pathways’ around which
partnerships would reduce re-offending. The pathways were designed to support
offender management by making it easier to deliver this function, access resources for
offenders and meet any gaps in provision. The Corston Report recommended that
further consideration should be given to these pathways, to ensure that they address
the needs of women, including addressing domestic violence, sexual abuse and
prostitution. Commissioners and providers across NOMS also need to consider that
women often have multiple inter-linking needs, and plan provision accordingly. Our
aim is to ensure women can access mainstream and specific provision. The Prison
Service Order on Gender Specific Standards and the Offender Manager Guide to
Working with Women Offenders provide guidance on how this must be achieved, and
we will develop this further in service review and design.

3.8 Effective services are underpinned by rigorous individual offender assessments which
can then be aggregated to give a picture of cumulative needs. OASys is a useful tool
for this, though providers will need to consider alternative means of assessing for
women offenders who may for one reason or another not undergo an OASys
assessment.

3.9 The Corston Report, and the Government’s response to it, confirmed that meeting the
needs of women offenders is a Government priority. As a result, NOMS
commissioners and providers need to work closely with providers of services for
women from all sectors to ensure that they are:

• Completing high quality needs assessments, particularly taking account of

‘women-specific’ factors, and joint planning between commissioners and
providers;
• Mapping and quality-assessing existing services, and particularly other
mainstream services, to identify how effectively they meet women offenders’
special needs;
• Identifying the ‘gap’ between current services and what is needed – either to
secure necessary funding (which may be through re-directing current resources),
or to drive up the quality of existing services;
• Designing and delivering services to fill the ‘gap’;
• Making services known to potential referrers, overcoming organisational barriers
and ensuring good information exchange; and
• Continually monitoring and improving service delivery outcomes to ensure cost
effectiveness.

10
3.10 Effective packages of integrated services require 4 :

• Flexibility – Eligibility criteria and narrow agency boundaries within the statutory
sector do not fit well with the complexity of women offenders’ lives. Partnership
working is more likely to meet their needs if it is formulated in a more rounded
manner, with well formulated services that are responsive to women’s needs.
• Collaboration between statutory agencies – Services can feel over stretched
and under resourced. Some fail to accept responsibility for meeting women
offenders’ needs. Many women are not referred to the services available. Low
referral rates lead to concerns about the sustainability of projects, and agencies
need to implement locally robust governance arrangements to ensure that
collaborative working delivers results.
• Consistent Funding – Ad-hoc funding arrangements, coming from a wide range
of sources can be destabilising particularly for the third sector. The third sector in
particular reports concerns about precarious funding arrangements, and
providers can spend disproportionate time bidding for funding.

Reducing Re-offending Pathways

3.11 Work focused on the pathways has led to many successes at a national, regional and
local level, focusing attention on the range of offender needs and the resources
required to meet these needs. Work must now focus on developing these to meet the
needs of women and identify the cross cutting issues. Our ambitions for these
pathways, to ensure they provide effective services for women offenders, are set out
below:

Accommodation

3.12 Each region and Wales has been tasked to revise their accommodation delivery plans
to ensure the needs of women are addressed and women specific interventions and
services are considered. To assist in this, NOMS Partnerships Unit has published a
briefing paper for housing and support advisers in prisons; The Importance of Housing
for Women Prisoners 5 .

3.13 The cross-governmental National Accommodation Pathway Group, jointly chaired by

MoJ and CLG, is working to develop specific outcomes for women offenders through
the following actions:

• CLG has commissioned research to produce guidance on preventing

homelessness and addressing the housing needs of offenders for local authorities
and others. This will include case studies on a range of different types of offender.
This is due to be published in the autumn. MoJ, Home Office and Youth Justice
Board officials are on the steering group.

• CLG and MoJ are planning to fund a joint project in 2008/09 on Preventing
Accommodation Loss (POAL) for offenders which will aim to share best practice
and promote partnership working between two prisons and local authorities. The

4
‘Provision for Women Offenders in the Community’, Loraine Gelsthorpe, Gilly Sharpe and Jenny
Roberts
5
http://noms.justice.gov.uk/news-publications-
events/publications/guidance/women_prisoners_housing?view=Standard&pubID=529505

11
 project is to look at ways of preserving existing accommodation, correctly closing
down accommodation where necessary, and seeking agreements with housing
providers to re-house on discharge from prison. POAL is likely to be of most
benefit to those offenders serving shorter sentences. The majority of women
offenders fall within this category.

• CLG are exploring the issues raised in the Corston report relating to local
authorities decision-making under the homelessness legislation in England,
including on intentionality. CLG will undertake an assessment of local authorities’
decision-making regarding offenders in England in order to consider what steps
can be taken to improve how decisions are made.

Skills and Employment

3.14 Some women and their families will benefit from acquiring skills which will improve
their chances of getting employment. This is in turn will reduce the chances that they
will re-offend. Women are more likely to undertake training but less likely to complete
their courses – we will take the factors below into account to improve this:

• More than half the women in prison have a child under 16, and more than a third
have a child under the age of five. To gain employment, women will need access
childcare. Women offenders may need guidance on how to contact mainstream
services, such as local authorities Children Information Services who can help
parents find suitable childcare.
• With the emphasis on Information Advice and Guidance (IAG) and individual
learning plans women should have equal access to provision and have their skills
development needs met more effectively.
• The LSC has a defined process for assessing the needs of offender learners – and
their prospective employers – through a series of Offender Skills and Curriculum
Area Reviews (OSCARs). The particular needs of women are assessed as part of
the process, and this analysis will underpin the joint commissioning decisions
between ROMs/DOMs and the LSC in putting in place a comprehensive package
of provision available to offender learners and from which offender managers can
draw when deciding the tailored programme of services to meet the punishment,
rehabilitation and personal needs of the women offender. The LSC’s Prospectus 6
(“Developing the Offender Learning and Skills Service: the Prospectus”) made
clear that “we accept Baroness Corston’s recommendation that life skills should be
given a much higher priority within the offender skills and employment pathway and
women must be individually assessed to be sure that their needs are met”.
• There are several European Social Fund (ESF) funded projects that have looked at
the specific needs of women getting into work and we will look to learn lessons and
apply them to future policy.
• A Practice Guide on offender skills and employment is being drafted which will
provide a number of examples, including those covering issues of diversity
• MoJ is scoping out a joint project with Business in the Community to look at
pathways into wok for women offenders which will also inform future policy

3.15 Welsh regions have adopted a separate strategy in partnership with the Welsh
Assembly Government and the Director of Offender Management Wales, as neither
the remit of the DIUS or the LSC extends to cover Wales.

6
http://olass.lsc.gov.uk/NR/exeres/BBCE18C8-4D2A-4340-AEE4-0A0E9E2FAFCA.htm

12
3.16 If needed, offenders in prison and supervised in the community should have access to
learning skills to enable them to gain skills and qualifications. This includes access to
volunteering and mentoring opportunities that can increase motivation and skills and
provide flexible arrangements in line with childcare and other needs.

Health inequalities

3.17 Many women offenders have health problems, including mental health problems. Up to
80% of women in prison have diagnosable mental health problems and women
recently released from custody are 36 times more likely, than the general population to
commit suicide and to die from an accidental drug related overdose in the first two
weeks on release. Identifying these needs to enable early access to suitable NHS
services, including CAMHS for younger women, if appropriate, is essential.

3.18 We will work, together with Offender Health (Department of Health), to develop a
comprehensive strategy that addresses the health and social care needs of women
offenders in the community. This will form part of the forthcoming Offender Social
Care and Health Strategy 7 , and will take account of the following factors:
• Services for these women must meet their needs in terms of range and
acceptability of service. These services may take the form of outreach facilities
practising within the locations where women offenders are - such as in court, in
refuges, or police stations.
• PCTs should be encouraged to register women offenders with a local GP and
access regular ‘well women’ provision. Some GPs specialise in the care of
homeless people or drug users and women with these needs should be
referred to such provision where it is available.
• Women working in the sex industry should be encouraged to access specialist
health services where available.

Drugs and Alcohol

3.19 A high proportion of women entering prison mis-use drugs and alcohol, with rates
among remand prisoners being slightly higher than amongst sentenced prisoners. With
pregnant women there can also be knock-on implications for their children. Support for
expectant mothers should be prioritised. The same applies for the use of tobacco.

3.20 Effective delivery of drug interventions is essential. If drug addictions are not
addressed, offenders risk remaining dysfunctional and incapable of engaging with
wider rehabilitative programmes that, collectively, could help them lead law-abiding
lives on release.

3.21 Clinical Substance services should be available in all local women’s prisons including
opiate substitute maintenance regimes. Access to continued clinical treatment should
also be available upon release back in community There should be specific advice for
clinicians for treating pregnant, or suspected pregnant, drug users. Pregnant
substance mis-users should be managed jointly with the relevant local midwifery
service, where they receive treatment which is equivalent to the services provided in
the community.

3.22 CARATs (Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Throughcare) offer a low-
threshold drug service to deliver treatment and support to Problematic Drug Users,

7
For more detail see http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_080816

13
 providing access to a range of wider drug and non-drug services both in custody and
on release. CARATs create a Care Plan based on the specific needs of an individual
prisoner. If assessed as necessary, prisoners should be referred to drug rehabilitation
programmes and/or other appropriate drug services. CARATs are available in all
prisons in England and Wales.

3.23 CARATs should take the lead role in engaging in the Home Office led Drug
Interventions Programme designed to engage and retain offenders in drug treatment at
every stage in the criminal justice system and beyond.

3.24 Alcohol detoxification services should be available in all local prisons for any woman
who is alcohol dependant on arrival in prison.

3.25 Where alcohol is part of multiple drug misuse CARATs (Counselling, Assessment,
Referral, Advice and Throughcare) services should be available to all prisoners in
England and Wales. Where local funding has been identified, the CARATs framework
can be used to provide sole alcohol users with appropriate care.

3.26 Women with substance misuse problems should have equal access to a Drug
Rehabilitation Requirements (DRR). Outcomes for women offenders on DRRs must be
carefully monitored, including access to clinical substance misuse services for all
offenders as required.

Finance, Benefits and Debt

1.1 Financial problems can be a major cause of offending behaviour for many low-income
women, potentially exacerbated by outstanding fines and living in an abusive
relationship. In addition, the family finances may have been managed by the partner
with the woman not even having a basic bank account. Having an individual financial
identity may be important for women who tend to suffer low self-esteem in order to
gain confidence and stronger sense of identity.

1.2 Regions should make use of existing resources in the community or through local
partnership arrangements to seek to advise and support women offenders with low
incomes and debt. Offender managers should note that where debt is a significant
issue it will be important to present advice and assistance in a sympathetic fashion,
where trust and a long-term relationship can be built on consistent advice. In many
cases, especially where there is interaction with a number of agencies, sign-posting
may not be sufficient and more pro-active support may be necessary, not least to
assist with perceived complex matters such as tax credits or re-receiving child benefit

Children and Families

3.27 Recent OASys data suggests that women are six times more likely to be carers than
men, and twice as likely to live in a house with children. Once they are in prison, the
children are looked after by partners (25%), grandparents (25%) or other family and
friends (29%) or are taken into care.

3.28 We will publish a cross-government Framework to help offenders to maintain their

family ties to reduce re-offending and to improve support for their children and families.
This will address the specific needs of women and complement the Gender Specific
Standards for women prisoners. It will set expectations of offender managers and

14
 other local partnerships at each stage of the criminal justice system, from arrest
through to the end of the sentence and beyond.

3.29 To support the framework, we are developing a service specification for NOMS taking
account of the following requirements:

• Services should ‘Think Family’ when working with women offenders, and
recognise that they will not engage successfully with interventions which do not
enable them to manage their child care responsibilities, especially in cases where
they are the primary carer.
• Strong local partnerships are needed to ensure women offenders can access
support and advice to help them manage family concerns, particularly around their
children, including working with universal services like children’s centres and
extended schools, family support services for drug mis-users and Third Sector
providers. An assessment of the family needs should be made if their children are
being cared for by extended family, friends or in the children-in-care system, in
consultation with local authority children’s services. Children’s services must be
informed when a prisoner is due to leave a Mother and Baby Unit. Women should be
referred to children’s centres on release from prison, and local children’s centres
should prioritise women offenders and their children for support.
• Not all family ties are good: some women offenders will need support to
break away from partners, ex-partners or family members who are violent, abusive or
are reinforcing their offending behaviour. In these cases they are likely to require on-
going support from the expert, women-centred organisations in the community.
• Offender Managers should address both the safeguarding and the well-being
of offenders’ children. They need to work in partnership with local authority children’s
services including where the children of women offenders are being cared for by
extended family, friends or in the children-in-care system.
• For women in prison, visiting arrangements should be child-friendly with
regular special child-centred visits and services should work in partnership to provide
suitable housing and other support on release, so women can be re-united with their
children where this is in the child’s interest.

3.30 High risk of harm offenders may be eligible for Multi-Agency Public Protection
Arrangements (MAPPA) management. Under the MAPPA, offender managers must
consider which other agencies need to be involved in drawing up the risk management
plan for the offender. Where the assessment reveals child safeguarding issues around
the offender’s or other children, they will liaise with Children’s Services. MAPPA
strategic management boards are required to establish effective working relationships
with local safeguarding children boards. NOMS will continue to works with probation
areas and the Department for Children, Schools and Families to ensure that the twin
focus upon safeguarding and the well-being of children is maintained in all MAPPA
work.

Attitudes, Thinking and Behaviour

3.31 Women offenders are not a homogenous group and decisions about risk, need,
eligibility and suitability for an intervention should be based on a thorough individual
assessment. Accredited Programmes must be implemented thoughtfully to reflect the
needs of women. In many cases these will provide the best opportunity to change the
attitudes, thinking and behaviours linked to their offending. It is likely that issues arising
from the supportive pathways for women offenders will need to be addressed in the
way programmes are delivered to women.

15
 • The community based One to One Programme has proved a supportive and
successful means to deliver pathway 7 focused work to women that responds to
their individual circumstances.
• CARE (Choices, Actions, Relationships and Emotions) is a pilot programme
developed in consultation with non-statutory agencies. CARE has been developed
specifically for women in custody convicted of violent and/or substance related
offences. It addresses a number of personal and circumstantial difficulties known to
be linked to self-harming, substance misuse, mental ill-health, violence and re-
offending.
• The Adults facing Chronic Exclusion (ACE) pilots led by the Cabinet Office include
work in HMP Holloway to provide a counselling programme that aims to increase
life skills, emotional literacy, self esteem and confidence to reduce re-offending and
protect the public.

Strengthening provision for women

3.32 We will strengthen and integrate the following support in the pathways for women:

Support for women who have been abused, raped or who have experienced
domestic violence

3.33 Many women have experienced, and may still be in, abusive relationships, which can
present a barrier to change and should be identified as an issue where relevant.
Offender Managers need to be aware of resources available in the community to
support women who are survivors of abuse and be able to encourage women to
access these resources. To do so they need to make strong and productive links with
local authorities, and work together with them and other local partners to ensure that
there is capacity available to cope with the demand.

3.34 Women still in abusive relationships may be pressured by partners, e.g. to reveal
credit card pin numbers. In some cases, children may also be at risk of being harmed.

3.35 Women who have left an abusive relationship may need protection. Providers of hostel
accommodation and or training providers need to demonstrate their understanding of
such women’s vulnerabilities by ensuring they provide an appropriately supportive
environment, especially for training in traditionally male-stereotyped skills areas.

3.36 Hostels should have links to appropriate links to facilities for women in the local area,
e.g. women’s centres, well women clinics, mother and toddler groups, etc.

3.37 Providers of all kinds of support should be able to demonstrate appropriate

interpersonal skills in supporting women through assessment, questioning and any
counselling. It is important that women offenders who are survivors of abuse have
positive role models, both male and female. Providers of specialist domestic violence
training or counselling, and providers of specialist alcohol dependency advice or
counselling should have appropriate accreditation.

Support for women who have been involved in prostitution

3.38 Women should be given every support to build a new life away from prostitution.
Offender Managers should aim to help women build a positive self-image and become
empowered to develop other skills and access employment opportunities so that they
may develop to their full potential.

16
3.39 Women should be assisted to keep safe and healthy while in prison and on release,
and given ongoing support with parenting and family relationships. Offender Managers
should, where this is available, establish links with Local Authority special provision.
For example, the London Borough of Camden has a project which works with women
in Holloway to help them avoid returning to prostitution on release.

3.40 Support for women who have been involved in prostitution has been integrated into the
reducing re-offending pathways for women, and local resettlement strategies and
women’s prisons have identified leads to carry this forward. Offender Managers should
refer to the strategies and liaise with the leads as appropriate.

3.41 Many of the characteristics of vulnerability apply as in the supportive pathway above.

Recommended Good Practice

3.42 Existing examples of good practice include the Together Women Programme and the
South West Accommodation Gateway. Both these projects assess the needs of
women offenders in their regions and some of the necessary linkages with other
organisations to provide a more rounded service. In Wales the Women’s Turnaround
Project has rapidly achieved an excellent reputation for working with women offenders
and women vulnerable to offending. It also clearly demonstrates the value of multi-
agency, multi-sector work with offenders and is making a significant impact with
stakeholders and service users. In Leeds the Together Women project works with a
range of agencies to provide a refuge and training for women and to break the cycle of
re-offending. These approaches, bringing together ‘wrap-around services, are very
much in keeping with the Corston Report.

3.43 Women’s Centres are providing a range of services from accommodation to

employment, and are a good example of how to provide services for women in one
place – the one stop shop. Services provided extend beyond those which are
designed to meet offender needs, but would be a good opportunity for commissioners
from different organisations to joint commission women offender-orientated services.

Together Women

3.44 To help support a community based response to women’s offending, £9.15 million
funding was allocated in March 2005 to establish new initiatives to tackle women’s
offending in the community – the Together Women Programme (TWP). The aim of
TWP is to address the needs of women offenders to prevent re-offending; to address
the needs of those ‘at risk’ of offending; and to divert both groups from prosecution and
custody. Two regions, Yorkshire and Humberside (YH) and North West (NW) were
identified to set up TWP demonstration projects. In YH, a consortium of Voluntary
Sector agencies, led by Foundation Housing is delivering the TWP in 3 locations:
Doncaster, Leeds and Bradford. In the North West, there are 2 suppliers delivering
TWP: Liverpool Lighthouse and Salford Foundation.

3.45 Both centres use key workers to work with the women and they have systems in place
to recruit and train volunteers and mentors, often women who have been helped by
TWP. TWP is designed to provide a wrap-around service for women with multi-
complex needs and to do this the centres have established good links with local third
sector agencies to provide services for homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction and

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 mental health. TWP also provides services in the centres, such as 1 to 1 counselling,
basic skills training including IT and group work around confidence, self esteem and
parenting. There are also activities in the centres, such as acupuncture, holistic
therapies, keep fit, cooking and nutrition, sewing and home furnishing.

The Asha Centre

3.46 The Asha Women’s Centre in West Mercia was identified by the Department of Health
in 2003 as a model of good practice for women with mental health problems, and in
2005 was one of two identified by the Home Secretary as a basis for the development
of the Together Women Programme. The Centre is a generic one-stop shop, providing
advice sessions with agencies, signposting to external advice sources and a range of
courses and programmes that develop confidence, self-esteem and empowerment,
skills and qualifications, and support progression to mainstream employment, training,
and voluntary work. The Centre also undertakes prison in-reach and resettlement
work.

3.47 A personal story:

The Turnaround Project – Jane

Jane was sentenced to 12 months community supervision for assault and faced a possible
14-28 day custodial sentence. She was highly distressed and vulnerable, living alone and
suffering harassment from her ex-boyfriend, father and her family. After years of domestic
violence, she was experiencing problems with both her mental and physical health and was
not confident enough to attend her medical appointments. County court proceedings were
pending to evict her for rent arrears of £1,000.

The Women’s Safety Unit took immediate action to provide a police mobile phone and to
report her property damage. The Turnaround Project submitted an urgent application to
prevent her eviction and help her maintain her tenancy. Further investigation by project staff
revealed warrant notices for unpaid fines and for her TV licence. A project team member
accompanied her to her next probation appointment, and contacted the court to arrange a
date for her to attend voluntarily. Project staff contacted Jobcentre Plus to investigate how
her incapacity benefit could be reinstated and provided help in making a further Crisis Loan
claim. They arranged an appointment for her with a medical team.

The Council’s Tenant Support Scheme was alerted, and a supporting statement was
provided about the complexity of her case. She was introduced to a Tenancy Support
Worker and agreement was secured that eviction proceedings would be delayed to give
time for investigation. The supporting statement was also passed to her solicitor - in relation
to her unpaid fines. With this evidence about her case and the support she was receiving,
the magistrates were able to impose a non custodial sentence, including requiring her to
attend for welfare advice, rather than send her to prison.

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 4. SERVICE REQUIREMENTS FOR STATUTORY SERVICES

4.1 This section addresses in greater detail the statutory service requirements for women
offenders as they pass through the various stages of their journey from arrest to
sentence to community supervision or imprisonment to release, and potentially
breach or recall to prison. Each phase of the offender journey includes commentary
about the underpinning ambition, what success would look like and where the
primary responsibility and associated responsibilities for success lie. The offender
journey, in chronological order, can be characterised as follows (and not applicable to
all offenders):

• Phase 1 – pre-court offender assessment (including pre-sentence reports). and

potential diversion either from court process or custodial remand.
• Phase 2 – sentence planning, for either community or custodial provision.
• Phase 3 – community interventions.
• Phase 4 – custodial categorisation and allocation, and interventions.
• Phase 5 – offender release and subsequent community supervision and
interventions.
• Phase 6 – breach and recall.

4.2 The effective management of this offender group demands the close co-operation of
those delivering offender services in the community and custodial sectors. It is critical
to ensure that the interfaces between different partners occur in a timely and accurate
manner, with clear expectations and agreement on what is to be delivered, when, and
by whom. The key criminal justice agencies are:

• police;
• Crown Prosecution Service (CPS);
• sentencers;
• probation providers;
• prison providers; and,
• youth offending services.

4.3 Where women offenders are included in offender management the central person co-
ordinating supervision and services is the offender manager. Currently offenders
receiving a custodial sentence of less than 12 months are not in scope for offender
management.

1. Pre-court offender assessment

1 .Pre-court offender assessment

Service The key outcome is that women offenders get the right sentence. The
ambition fundamental input is that pre-sentence reports are timely and accurate and
set out the risks and needs the offender presents to help the court to
decide on the appropriateness their sentence, and that the court is
encouraged to consider community penalties.
What success • Women remanded in custody are afforded the opportunities of offered
looks like by the Bail Accommodation Support Service and other bail information
schemes; and those schemes are tailored to specific needs of women
offenders, which might include childcare responsibilities, and the
impact on the children and family members left behind

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 • Women are put in touch with supportive social care provision in the
community, which may in some cases be able to provide relevant
assessments of specific needs, or offer a package of intervention to
support community supervision.
• The probation service ensures that pre-sentence reports on women
offenders include information on their specific needs and provision,
targets those most likely to go into custody, and quality assures pre-
sentence reports on these women.
• The court remands women offenders where custody is being
considered for pre-sentence assessment where a pre-hearing report is
not available (e.g. in cases of findings of guilt after a not guilty plea).
• The court requests additional assessment reports (e.g. psychiatric)
prior to sentence.
• There are effective liaison arrangements between the courts and the
probation service to address any systemic weaknesses speedily.
• Effective liaison arrangements exist between probation and prison
establishments to enable assessments of offenders remanded in
custody.
Primary and The primary responsibility for pre-court offender assessment lies with the
associated probation service, and therefore it also carries a central co-ordination role.
responsibilities Secondary responsibilities lie with:
• The CPS, to enable prompt and accurate information exchange to
assist the probation service to carry out its assessments, and to create
opportunities for potential diversion from the court process.
• The prison provider to enable the probation service to carry out its
assessments.
• Health and psychiatric services to deliver timely and accurate health
assessments.

4.4 The ClearSprings Bail Accommodation and Support Service provides support and
housing in the community (not hostels) across England and Wales and was
established from June 2007. The initial focus has been on those already remanded in
custody being referred. The ClearSprings service also takes prisoners released on
Home Detention Curfew, who would otherwise be unable to provide an address to be
released to.

4.5 Both schemes seek to find move-on housing after the end of the bail or HDC period.
Both are able to meet the particular needs of women. A parent may be joined by
dependent children. Up to the end of March about 20% of those on the scheme were
women; 11% of bail referrals into the service were women. 20% of HDC referrals were
women, although women were only 8.3% of HDC eligible prisoners and 11.3% of HDC
releases in 2006. Women were more successful than men at gaining bail and release
on HDC into the scheme. 29% of female bail referrals were successful against 27% for
men, and 47% of female HDC referrals were successful against 36% for men. But,
women were more likely to fail to arrive at the address, and commissioners and
providers need to consider ways of addressing this – perhaps through the use of
voluntary sector or key worker ‘guides’ or mentors.

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 2. Sentence planning

2. Sentence planning
Service The key output is a timely and accurate clear plan centred on addressing
ambition the risks and needs of the offender that sets out how those risks and
needs are to be addressed, at what stage of the sentence and by whom,
with identified expected achievements that are monitored and reviewed. A
key challenge is to enable co-ordinated services for women receiving short
custodial sentences who are not in scope for offender management.
What success • The probation service (offender manager) writes sentence plans that
looks like address women’s specific offending-related needs, and that are quality
assured for how well they meet that goal.
• There are effective liaison arrangements between the offender
manager and the prison based offender supervisor to agree and
implement the detail of the sentence plan, where women receive a
custodial sentence.
• There are effective liaison arrangements between the offender
manager, the offender supervisor and others contributing to the
sentence plan, including external partnership agencies such as health
providers.
• The sentence plan is shared in a timely manner with appropriate
others by the offender manager.
Primary and The primary responsibility for the sentence plan lies with the probation
associated service working closely with the offender supervisor (for those sentenced
responsibilities to custody). The probation service (offender manager) therefore also
carries a central co-ordination role.
Secondary responsibilities lie with:
• The prison provider, where the offender supervisor is located.
• Health and psychiatric services to deliver timely and accurate health
assessments.

3. Community intervention

3. Community intervention
Service The key output is the timely allocation of women to the requirements of
ambition their community sentence, and then the outcome is their successful
completion of the elements of their programme of supervision and the
implementation of the sentence plan.
What success • Timely access to a range of required interventions.
looks like • The probation service delivers or sub-contracts appropriate
supervision and timely interventions as specified in offender sentence
plans and any licence requirements.
• Interventions address the specific needs of women offenders (e.g. as
may be related to work in the sex trade, or to abuse) and, where
appropriate, are delivered in women only environments.
• Interventions take into account any primary childcare role the woman
may have
• There are effective liaison arrangements between the offender
manager and others contributing to the offender’s interventions, such
as health, drug and educational providers (public, private or third
sector). It must be recognised that other interventions, other than
programmes, can make a significant contribution to offender changes
in risks and needs.
• Progress is monitored and reviewed.
• Where needed the police and other relevant organisations play their
full part in any multi-agency arrangements designed to improve public

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 protection.
Primary and The primary responsibility for delivering community supervision and
associated interventions lies with the probation service working closely with providers
responsibilities of other services. The offender manager therefore carries a key co-
ordinating role.
Secondary responsibilities lie with:
• The private, public and third sectors, which may provide specific
services.
• Health, drug, education and any other providers.
• Police and others contributing to multi-agency public protection
arrangements.

4. Custodial categorisation and allocation, and custodial interventions

4. Custodial categorisation and allocation, and interventions

Service The key outputs is the timely and successful categorisation and allocation
ambition of the woman to the appropriate custodial setting (and any subsequent
moves) to enable the implementation of the sentence plan; and the
completion of required custodial interventions before release.
What success • The prison system categorises and allocates women prisoners
looks like efficiently and effectively, placing them as close to home as possible
where appropriate.
• The prison service delivers appropriate and timely interventions as
specified in offender sentence plans and monitors and reviews
progress.
• There are effective liaison arrangements between the prison based
offender supervisor and the offender manager about the offender’s
progress through programmes of interventions.
• There are effective liaison arrangements between the offender
manager, the offender supervisor and others contributing to the
offender’s interventions, such as health, drug and educational
providers (private, public or third sectors). Interventions other than
programmes are developed and fully utilised where they can make a
significant contribution to offender changes in risks and needs.
• Effective delivery of drug interventions to ensure drug addiction can be
addressed.
• Service provision is aligned to ensure equal outcomes for women
offenders, even where women’s needs and profiles differ from men’s.
• Effective and timely continuity of care available through effective
liaison between CARATs, CJITs, Offender Managers, Offender
Supervisors and others contributing to the offender’s individual needs.
Primary and The primary responsibility for categorising and allocating offenders and
associated delivering custodial interventions lies with the prison service working
responsibilities closely with other providers. The offender supervisor, working closely with
the offender manager therefore carries a key co-ordinating role.
Secondary responsibilities lie with:
• The third sector, which may provide specific services.
• Health, drug, education and any other providers.

5. Offender release and subsequent community supervision / interventions

Offender release and subsequent community supervision / interventions

Service The key output is the release of women who have either completed their
ambition custodial intervention, or who can go on to complete their programme in
the community. The key outcome is their successful completion of any
period of community supervision.

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What success • The offender manager and offender supervisor monitor and review the
looks like women’s progress before release and liaise to agree how any
sentence plan will be completed.
• There are effective liaison arrangements between the offender
manager, the offender supervisor and others contributing to any
ongoing interventions, such as health providers, where women are
supervised in the community.
• Custodial and community interventions become more ‘joined up’ to
enable continuity of provision, including after the end of licence or
breach period if necessary.
• The police and other relevant organisations play their full part in any
multi-agency arrangements designed to improve public protection.
Primary and The probation service (offender manager) carries a central co-ordination
associated role as the focal point for the required assessments and continuity of
responsibilities interventions.
Secondary responsibilities lie with:
• The prison service, where the offender supervisor is located, and their
support of offender assessments.
• Health and psychiatric services to deliver timely and accurate health
continued interventions and assessments as required.

6. Breach and recall

6. Breach and recall

Service The key outcome is that offenders who are in breach of their
ambition requirements are dealt with promptly, either by the courts or through recall.
Careful consideration must be given to proposals to the courts when
offenders are breached, recognising that ‘relapses’ may not present
unacceptable risks to the community.
What success • The probation service undertakes breach / recall assessments, taking
looks like account of the needs of women as primary carers.
• The probation service completes a revised sentence plan for the
woman who may remain in the community or be sentenced to custody
(see sentence plan section).
• The probation service quality assures breach / recall assessments and
decisions.
• The prison service allocates recalled women in the context of the
revised sentence plan.
• Effective liaison arrangements exist between probation and health and
psychiatric services where additional offender assessments are
required to support breach / recall decisions.
Primary and The primary responsibility for offender breach / recall and associated
associated assessments lies with the probation service, and therefore it also carries a
responsibilities central co-ordination role.
Secondary responsibilities lie with:
• The police, to arrest recalled offenders.
• Relevant contributors to MAPPA.
• Health and psychiatric services to deliver timely and accurate health
assessments.

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 Annex A: Corston Recommendations

1. The Corston Report made 43 recommendations, the most key

• Recommendation 1 (and related Recommendations 3, 4, 5, 11) – Every agency

within the criminal justice system must prioritise and accelerate preparations to
implement the gender equality duty and radically transform the way they deliver
services for women

• Recommendation 2 – The Government should announce within six months a

clear strategy to replace existing women’s prisons with suitable, geographically
dispersed, small, multi-functional custodial centres within 10 years

• Recommendation 14 (and related Recommendations 11, 15, 16 & 17) – The

seven pathways should be much better co-ordinated strategically for women and
should incorporate pathways eight [for women who have been the victim of
sexual abuse or domestic violence] and nine [for women who have been involved
in prostitution]

• Recommendation 18 (and related Recommendations 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24,
25, 26, 28) – Custodial sentences for women must be reserved for serious and
violent offenders who pose a threat to the public

• Recommendation 33 (and related Recommendations 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35) –
Women’s centres should also be used as court and police diversions; as part of a
package of measures for community sentences; and for delivery of probation and
other programmes

The Government Response to Corston addressed the sentencing related recommendations

very fully. In particular it committed to the following actions:

• Ensuring planned improvements to the quality and range of information available to

sentencers will include specific information relating to women offenders. This will be
incorporated in work with local Criminal Justice Boards to develop better information on a
range of areas including crime patterns, sentencing practice and the cost and
effectiveness of various disposals. Improved information to sentencers will ensure that
they are better placed to make decisions on the appropriate type of sentence for each
woman offender, depending on her circumstances.
• When providing information to sentencers, and reminding courts of the powers available
to them, prosecutors will ensure that in cases of women offenders, the information
provided enables the court to make the correct decision in terms of disposals and
interventions which are appropriate to address those women’s needs and which are
likely to be most effective at reducing the risk of further offending.
• The use of Conditional Cautioning, for example, may be a particularly useful response
for some women offenders and could allow for some of the underlying factors which
affect their offending to be addressed. Further work will be carried out to identify how this
kind of integrated approach to the sentencing of women can ensure the use of more
effective and appropriate disposals for them.
• Action will be taken to ensure sentencers are better informed about community provision
for women and how it can address their needs more effectively than custody. New liaison
arrangements between the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and the
judiciary will be used to ensure that sentencers are made aware of the schemes and

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 provision for women that are available through NOMS and also the private and voluntary
sectors.
• Revised guidance on the use of the Drug Rehabilitation Requirement and Alcohol
Treatment Requirement will stress that Offender Managers should take account of
domestic arrangements, childcare and other issues in sentence planning.
• Guidance for pre-sentence report writers is being revised to ensure that all offenders,
including women, are targeted for community orders rather than custodial sentences
where appropriate
• The revised National Probation Service Good Practice Guide on ‘Delivering Effective
Services for Women Offenders in the Community’ will ensure that the necessary
changes are made to improve interventions and services for women in the community.
The guide will set out what is required in a number of areas to ensure the needs of
women are met, including in relation to bail and remand, pre-sentence reports, Offender
Management, resettlement pathways, domestic violence, unpaid work and staff training.
• New liaison arrangements have been put in place at national and regional level between
the National Offender Management Service and the judiciary. At local level there are 42
area level, bench level and Crown Court liaison arrangements primarily involving the
probation service. Regional Offender Managers are already meeting with sentencers and
formal arrangements for this are being finalised. Regional Offender Managers are
profiling existing services and provision for women in their regions and the results will be
used to identify what packages of measures are required to address women’s multiple
needs. Sentencers will be encouraged to support the services and provision for women
identified by the Regional Offender Managers and to visit schemes wherever possible.
• And although breach arrangements will not change, under the Criminal Justice Act 2003
they already allow for sufficient flexibility. They were introduced as a deliberate measure
aimed at strengthening the previous arrangements under which a court could (and often
did) choose to do nothing in response to breach, or simply impose a fine. Under the 2003
Act, once a breach has been proved, the court must take action, the aim being to
encourage compliance with the original order, not to imprison people.

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 Annex B: Fawcett Society Conditions and Questions for Commissioners

In their report Provision for Women Offenders in the Community, the Fawcett Society
proposed nine effective practice conditions and questions commissioners to consider:

1. Be women-only to foster safety and a sense of community and to enable staff to

develop expertise in working with women;
2. Integrate offenders with non-offenders so as to normalise women offenders’
experiences and facilitate a supportive environment for learning;
3. Foster women’s empowerment so they gain sufficient self- esteem to directly engage
in problem- solving themselves, and feel motivated to seek appropriate employment;
4. Utilise ways of working with women which draw on what is known about their effective
learning styles;
5. Take a holistic and practical stance to helping women to address social problems
which may be linked to their offending
6. Facilitate links with mainstream agencies, especially health, debt advice and
counselling.
7. Have the capacity and flexibility to allow women to return to the centre or programme
for ‘top up’ or continued support and development when required;
8. Ensure that women have a supportive peer-group or a mentor to whom they can turn
when they have completed any offending-related programmes. Personal support is as
important as direct input addressing offending behaviour;
9. Provide women with practical help with transport and childcare so that they can
maintain their involvement in the centre or programme.

We would support these conditions though question whether, although women only services
will be most suitable for many women this may not be the case for all. In a difficult financial
environment prioritisation also applies to working with women. The nine questions
commissioners and providers need to ask:

1. What is available within the region specifically for women (including young women,
ethnic minority women, older women and other disadvantaged women)?
2. To what extent could existing mainstream provision for women be utilised for women
offenders? Are there useful partnerships that could be forged between agencies to help
address women offenders’ needs (including both intra and inter voluntary and statutory
provision)?
3. In what ways could any barriers to working with women who offend, within existing
service provision, be addressed and overcome?
4. Do any of the potential service providers already have a stable setting/or building which
might be used as a base for a women’s service?
5. Who, if any, are the other service users within the same building or setting? Would any
of these other service users militate against the creation of a safe supportive
environment for women? Or, conversely, can any of the other activities within the same
setting be used to enhance the work with women (for example, Women’s Aid or
counselling)?
6. Is there appropriate childcare provision? If not, could childcare provision be created /
accessed?
7. Is the building / setting easily accessible and otherwise conducive to women’s needs?
Could transport be provided?
8. Does the project initiate styles of working with service users which are conducive to
women’s learning needs?
9. Does the provision provide opportunities for women to be integrated within non-offending
groups?

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