Criminal Justice and Reoffending

We ensure women in the local criminal justice system have appropriate commissioned services and pathways for a holistic approach to support rehabilitation.

How

The OPCC leads a multi-agency approach across the OPCC footprint by Chairing and leading the work of the Wiltshire Female Justice Support Board.

Develop and deliver local strategies and delivery plans which are aligned to national strategies.

Commission female specific services/pathways to support Out of Court Resolutions and alcohol and substance misuse treatment with a focussed approaches to working with women.

 

Domestic Abuse perpetrators to be supported with commissioned services which are linked to local strategies to reduce reoffending.

How

Commission Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programmes (co-commissioned with Probation Services) 

We are working collaboratively with Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council to develop and deliver a local Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Strategy and identify funding to commission services in-line with national framework. The OPCC acts as Vice-Chair for both Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Sub-Groups for both Wiltshire and Swindon to deliver these strategies.

The OPCC co-commission these programmes with Probation Services.

FearFree
 

FearFree is an independent charity based in Wiltshire, Swindon, and the Southwest, providing support to adults and children impacted by domestic abuse, sexual violence, and stalking, working closely with perpetrators to prevent further damaging behaviour and provide training for local organisations on domestic abuse. On average, 80% of perpetrators have experienced a form of abuse themselves.

The Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme (DAPP – previously known as DASP – Domestic Abuse Serial Perpetrators) is a programme for people who have behaved in a harmful way, helping them to learn new strategies and techniques to stop it happening again. By supporting people to parent in a non-abusive way, they help break the cycle.

Support is provided on a one-to-one basis or in a group setting, taking place on a weekly basis. They provide education, resources, techniques, and practical strategies to help perpetrators address the causes of the actions and change their behaviour. Alongside this support, FearFree has a dedicated Affected Others Worker who provides support to the victim, (ex)-partners and children impacted by the perpetrator’s behaviour.

The programme is delivered with a multi-agency provision, working in partnership with probation and the police to create a coordinated community response. This provision particularly supports high risk perpetrators to prevent further harmful behaviour.

www.fearfree.org.uk/refer/wiltshire

Swindon Women's Aid

Open2Change is part of the wider service offered by Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service. The Open2Change team works to provide support to those recognised as displaying unhealthy and harmful behaviours in intimate and/or family relationships.

They support those engaged in our service to recognise, understand, and address their behaviours. Their programme is based around the completion of six objectives to incite motivation, recognition and accountability; helping those engaged in the programme to understand the impact of their harmful behaviours and create positive change in their relationships.

This programme works in conjunction with the Police and Probation service to continue to holistically assess and rehabilitate harmful behaviours. The team will also meet with those in Prison Custody who wish to access support and rehabilitative work around their relationships when they are released from Custody to the Swindon Area.

Feedback from someone that they've supported.

“I know it wasn't the best circumstances to why I become involved with Women's aid in the first place…. I honestly feel I have come leaps and bounds since you stepped in to my life and no words can describe my appreciation for the support you have provided me in a very confusing and challenging part of my life… You've helped me to understand not just how others can feel because of my actions sometimes but understand myself as well”

SWA Domestic Abuse – Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service

Sexual crime perpetrators to be supported with commissioned services which are linked to local strategies to reduce reoffending.

How

Commission support programmes for sexual perpetrators in Wiltshire and Swindon from local provider Circles South West.

Circles South West’s vision is ‘No More Victims’ of sexual abuse. We contribute to the prevention of sexual abuse by providing ‘Circles of Support and Accountability’ for people who have sexually harmed, helping to reduce their risk of reoffending by supporting them to safely integrate into local communities and holding them to account for their behaviour.  

Central to this service are carefully selected and trained volunteers who form a Circle of Support and Accountability (Circle) around an individual ‘Core Member’ (person who has sexually harmed), meeting with them regularly for 12-18 months. Each Circle consists of 4 or 5 volunteers. The Core Member’s engagement is also voluntary and they are referred to the service by Probation or Police. Volunteers are informed of the core member’s past so that they can assist them to better manage their thought patterns and behaviour, which could otherwise result in them reoffending. Each Circle of volunteers is managed by an experienced Coordinator who is a criminal justice professional. The coordinator liaises closely with Probation and Police, reporting regularly on about the Core Member’s progress and any concerns relating to risk, thereby making an important contribution to risk management in the community.  

Circles represent a community engaging with, rather than rejecting, someone trying to live without harming, putting local volunteers at its heart. Circles work towards the vision of ‘No More Victims’ by reducing emotional loneliness; modelling appropriate adult relationships; monitoring core member behaviour and holding the core member to account for their behaviour. This intensive, strengths-based approach supports the Core Member on a positive journey of change.  

circles-southwest.org.uk

Ensure pathways and services are developed/available to support serving military personnel and veterans in the Criminal Justice System.

How

• Ensure links are made for a joined-up approach across services
  
  PCC leads the way to improve support for ex-servicemen and women
  
  
• Work with local military units to encourage earlier interventions
  
  
• Ensure veterans are better supported
  
  
• Support embedding NHSE funded services within the criminal justice system
  Op NOVA | Forces Employment Charity
  
  Mental health support for veterans, service leavers and reservists - NHS (www.nhs.uk) 
  
  

'Forces Connect' app

Forces Connect South East (FCSE) is a cross-border partnership created to support the aims of the Armed Forces Covenant and promote a greater understanding and awareness of the issues affecting the Armed Forces Community within public services across the South East.

This app aims to produce an easy-to-use and comprehensive directory of valuable contacts and information, for those seeking help within the Armed Forces Community.

Download for android 

Download for iphone 

This app aims to produce an easy-to-use and comprehensive directory of valuable contacts and information, for those seeking help within the Armed Forces Community.

Areas covered within the Forces Connect app include Hampshire, Kent & Medway, Surrey and Sussex providing support for:

• Crisis Support
• Employment, Education & Training
• Family Support, Care & Benefits
• Health & Wellbeing
• Housing & Homelessness

Ensure the Criminal Justice System are supporting suspects/offenders with neurodiverse conditions.

Engaging in the review of processes, policies and service deliverables across the criminal justice system, working with partners to satisfy that support for neurodivergence is being delivered consistently to the highest standard.

This includes owning the management of co-commissioned services with Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council to provide Appropriate Adults to support vulnerable people during police interviews.

The Mental Health Control Room Triage is co-commissioned by the OPCC in partnership with the NHS (Integrated Care Board). The Triage provides a service where clinical mental health professionals assist police with incidents where the mental ill health of an individual gives rise to concern. The services operates 24/7 in order to reflect the unpredictable mental health demand placed on the police.

 

Out of Court Resolutions are primarily for low-level offending where the crime or incident can be dealt without the need for a Court appearance.

They can offer a timely end to an incident, providing education, rehabilitation for offenders and reparation for victims.  Additionally, early intervention can reduce reoffending and reduce the number of offenders being sent to prison. 

The OPCC commissions interventions including bespoke pathways for female offenders and an interventions hub which provides a range of evidence based online interventions to help offenders better manage a range of issues or challenges which may be contributing to their patterns of offending.

Co-commission alcohol and substance misuse treatment services across Wiltshire Police with Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council. 

CGL – Change Grow Live

CGL are commissioned to deliver treatment services for alcohol and substance misuse across Swindon. The OPCC co-commissions this service in partnership with Swindon Borough Council.

Info - Drug and Alcohol Service - Swindon | Change Grow Live

Connect Wiltshire, Turning point

Connect Wiltshire, Turning Point are commissioned to deliver treatment services for alcohol and substance misuse across Wiltshire. The OPCC co-commissions this service in partnership with Wiltshire Council.

Turning Point | Local Service (turning-point.co.uk)

 

Independent custody visiting is a well-established system where volunteers attend police stations to check on the treatment of detainees, the conditions in which they are held and that their rights and entitlements are being observed. The scheme offers protection and confidentiality to detainees, fair scrutiny of police custody and reassurance to the community.

Visit our Independent Custody Visitors volunteering page for more information on how you can support making Wiltshire safer through volunteering.