Service Specification for Support Delivery of Alcohol Treatment Requirement Service Specification Document This document defines the service, including the required outcome(s) and outputs. As part of an SLA or, the national minimum outputs in this document are mandatory for all providers. The document can also contain optional outputs that are available for Commissioners to commission. 1. Service Specification Document 2. Operating Model 3. Direct Service Costs & Assumptions Document 4. Cost Spreadsheet Page 1 of 12
Version Control Table Version No. Reason for Issue / Changes Date Issued P1.0 Preview Publication 28-01-2011 P1.1 Deleted references to the 2007 National Standards and unmerged rows in output table P2.0 Go live publication. Changes since preview: Responsible Officer changed to Offender Manager in output rows 4 and 5, and inserted in output row 7 where previously missing. Reference to new Probation Instruction added. AFP1.0 Available for Planning Purposes version. Prepared for MOJ website to assist with forward planning, following revisions to align with the Rehabilitation Programme. Definition of Service: Reference to Section 212 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 added. Updated to reference provisions of LASPO Act 2012 which removed restriction requiring an ATR to be made for a minimum of 6 months period. Dependent Service Elements: updated. Strategic Context: Previous text deleted, including list of current strategic issues, as outdated. Standard wording inserted about Transforming Justice programme, equalities and female offenders. Text about recent changes in commissioning arrangements added. Reference to providers of interventions added. Responsibilities of providers of offender management services 11-04-2011 01-10-2011 10-03-2014 Page 2 of 12
detailed. Example measurement / assurance method for commissioners: Updated in line with the performance and assurance framework. References for Detailed Mandatory Instructions: reference to LASPO Act 2012 added. References for Non-Mandatory : Advice on Implementing Changes NOMS document reference added. National Minimum Table: Minor changes to wording of some outputs. Former output row 8 (relapse prevention is arranged and delivered...) deleted, as considered to be a how regarding delivery of the requirement. P3.0 Go live version. Service elements: Offenders access and attend treatment amended to read: Offenders are provided with appropriate support to enable them to access and attend treatment Output changes: Output row 1: Amended from: The offender commences the specified treatment within the timescales indicated to the court at the time of sentence to: The offender is provided with appropriate support to enable them to access agreed provision of treatment by the treatment provider. Output row 2: Added in accordance with the treatment provider s agreed schedule, to avoid reference to a treatment schedule that the OM may not have access to. Output row 5: Amended from: Offenders are 18-06-2014 Page 3 of 12
provided with feedback on their progress by the offender manager and treatment worker and assisted in planning for appropriate treatment to continue after the end of the requirement to read: The OM ensures that the offender is provided with feedback on their response to treatment during and at the end of treatment and assisted to consider options for future treatment provision after the Treatment Requirement is ended. Output row 8: wording amended from assessed using validated alcohol assessment tool to: using an authority approved alcohol assessment tool. Dependency with the specification Manage the Sentence for CO/SSO clarified in Strategic Context and Dependent Service Elements rows. Page 4 of 12
Introduction to Support Delivery of Alcohol Treatment Requirement Specification Note: Definitions used in Specification (Introduction and Outputs) below: Dependence: a cluster of physiological, behavioural and cognitive phenomena in which the use of a substance or a class of substances takes on a much higher priority for a given individual than other behaviours which once had greater value (as defined by the World Health Organisation International Classification of Diseases ). 1. Service Name Support Delivery of Alcohol Treatment Requirement 2. Key Outcome(s) for Service Successful completion of treatment Reduction in or elimination of alcohol use Reduction in alcohol related offending 3. Definition of Service Under Section 212 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, an Alcohol Treatment Requirement (ATR) is available to courts as a sentencing option for offences committed on or after 4 April 2005 by offenders aged 18 or over. An ATR can be made as part of a Community Order (CO) or a Suspended Sentence Order (SSO). The following requirements must be met: The offender is dependent on alcohol This dependency is such that it requires and may be susceptible to treatment Arrangements have been or can be made for treatment The offender expresses willingness to comply with its requirements. The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offender (LASPO) Act 2012 removed the restriction for an Alcohol Treatment Requirement to have a minimum length of six months. These provisions aim to provide local providers with the flexibility to tailor treatment requirements to individual treatment need, changing patterns of substance misuse, and the move towards a recovery focused approach to treatment. The court does not have to be satisfied that alcohol caused or contributed to the offence in order to impose an ATR. Page 5 of 12
Testing cannot be made a compulsory part of the ATR. An ATR attached to a CO cannot be subject to review by the court, although progress on an ATR can fall within the overall review of an SSO. An ATR must be carried out by or under the direction of a specified person having the necessary qualifications or experience. Core treatment consists of specialist care planned interventions, although preparatory and/or post-treatment work may be included. 4. Service Elements In Scope Offenders are provided appropriate support to enable them to access and attend treatment Information is shared Liaison between the offender manager and the treatment provider is proportionate to the risk of harm presented by the offender Progress is sustained and reinforced after treatment 5. Out of Scope Elements Pre-sentence assessment of suitability for and availability of treatment Development of partnerships and other working relationships with local commissioning groups and treatment provider agencies Delivery of alcohol treatment by external provider 6. Dependent Service Elements The overall process of management of the offender, including sentence planning and enforcement, is contained in the Manage the Sentence for a Community Order (CO) or Suspended Sentence Order (SSO) service specification. The service elements in Manage the Sentence for a CO or SSO, which are all dependent with this specification, are: A plan is prepared The plan is implemented The plan is implemented by referral to specialist services The offender is monitored and compliance is promoted Risk is managed The sentence plan is reviewed and the sentence is terminated Page 6 of 12
Document Service Specification Sign-off Complete SDWG 16-06-2014 Inter-agency public protection procedures Engagement of specialist advice Case transfer Enforcement action This specification ( Support Delivery of Alcohol Treatment Requirement ) covers work specific to delivery of the Alcohol Treatment Requirement (that is, tasks undertaken because, and only because, the requirement is in place) and is therefore additional to the offender management processes covered in Manage the Sentence for a CO or SSO. 7. Strategic Context The specification aligns with the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) Transforming Rehabilitation: A Strategy for Reform document published in May 2013. This outlines the services to be provided by the National Probation Service and prisons, and the services to be delivered by contracted providers. The National Probation Service holds responsibility for advice to courts, offender management of MAPPA/high risk of serious harm and other public interest offenders. For low and medium risk of serious harm cases, the National Probation Service must also respond to information from the contracted provider and staff working in prisons that suggests that there may be a potential escalation to high risk of serious harm, undertake renewed risk assessments and take on the responsibility for the management of any cases in which risk of serious harm has become high. This specification requires effective working arrangements between the National Probation Service, prisons and providers of services. This specification is interdependent with the specification Manage the Sentence for a Community Order or Suspended Sentence Order which contains the core requirements relating to offender management, including preparing and implementing a plan; MAPPA work; enforcement and appointments in line with National Standards. This specification covers only those additional tasks, which are undertaken because the Alcohol Treatment Requirement is in place, such as: liaison with the treatment provider to monitor attendance and engagement, and discuss failures to attend; and providing joint feedback, identifying further work to be done and planning for treatment needs to be met after the requirement has finished. See Dependent Service Elements for more detail. In April 2013 responsibility for commissioning of alcohol treatment services in England became the responsibility of Local Authority Directors of Public Health under changes introduced in the Heath & Social Care Act 2012. In Wales, responsibility for commissioning alcohol treatment services rests with Page 7 of 12
Local Health Boards. may be provided by a range of organisations, including NHS Mental Health Trusts in England, NHS Local Health Boards in Wales and by third sector providers. All offenders, as local residents, should have access to these interventions where required as part of mainstream health provision. Providers of offender management services are responsible for funding the supervision and enforcement of the requirement as part of a CO or SSO, but not for the funding of mainstream treatment or testing. Equalities Under the Equality Act 2010, the Ministry of Justice has an ongoing legal duty to pay due regard to the need to: eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other prohibited conduct; advance equality of opportunity between different groups (those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not); and, foster good relations between different groups. Providers are required to act in accordance with this duty, as well as the more general provisions of the Equality Act. Historically, there have been unequal patterns of outcomes, with some groups of offenders with shared protected characteristics faring better than others (see NOMS Equalities Annual Report 2011-12). The MOJ is committed to address this disproportionality. Female Offenders Female offenders are a minority grouping within the offender cohort and often exhibit complex needs which must be addressed if their risk of reoffending is to be reduced. The government published its Strategic Objectives for Female Offenders in March 2013, which is integral to the delivery of offender management services. Needs in relation to domestic violence, sexual violence, and abuse are highly prevalent among female offenders. The MOJ and NOMS continue to work with the Home Office on its Ending Violence Against Women and Girls annual action plan. 8. Flexibility All the outputs in this specification are mandatory referred to as the National Minimum. 9. Reference to Supporting Documents Supporting documents to be determined. Page 8 of 12
10. Example Measurement/ Assurance Method for Commissioners 11. References for Detailed Mandatory Instructions 12. References for Non- Mandatory Delivery under this specification is subject to the requirements set out in the NPS SLA; the CRC (Schedule 9 - Service Levels and Service Credits and Schedule 21 - Information); and NOMS Performance Reports. These documents include information about key performance measures, equalities data, management information, quality assurance and inspection activities. Criminal Justice Act 2003, Section 212 Probation Instruction 13/2011 Delivery of Alcohol Treatment Requirement Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012 Advice on Implementing Changes to the ATR, DRR and MHTR (NOMS Commissioning Group, November 2012) 13. Review Review cycle to be determined Page 9 of 12
Specification National Minimum Row Service Element Outputs / Output Features Applicable Offender Types Policy Theme Example Methods of Measurement / Assurance References for Detailed Mandatory Instructions References for Non- Mandatory 1. Supporting offenders to enable them to access and attend treatment The offender is provided with appropriate support to enable them to access agreed provision of treatment by the treatment provider Criminal Justice Act 2003: Section 212 including revised guidance on Managing the Alcohol Treatment Requirement (ATR) - Update of Annex B to Probation Circular 57/2005 2. Supporting offenders to enable them to access and attend treatment The offender is instructed to attend for treatment by the offender manager, in accordance with the treatment provider s agreed schedule. Criminal Justice Act 2003: Section 212 3. Information is shared The offender manager monitors attendance in accordance with a consistent framework agreed between the offender manager and the treatment provider. Page 10 of 12
Row Service Element Outputs / Output Features Applicable Offender Types Policy Theme Example Methods of Measurement / Assurance References for Detailed Mandatory Instructions References for Non- Mandatory 4. Information is shared Liaison between the offender manager responsible for the Community Order and the treatment worker who is responsible for the care plan regarding the risk of harm presented by the offender and any changes to these takes place within prescribed timescales. 5. Liaison between the offender manager and the treatment provider is proportionate to the risk of harm presented by the offender The Offender Manager ensures that the offender is provided with feedback on their response to treatment during and at the end of treatment and assisted to consider options for future treatment provision after the Treatment Requirement is ended. 6. Liaison between the offender manager and the treatment provider is proportionate to the risk of harm presented by the offender The offender manager ensures that treatment providers are made aware of the offender s needs and risks. Page 11 of 12
Row Service Element Outputs / Output Features Applicable Offender Types Policy Theme Example Methods of Measurement / Assurance References for Detailed Mandatory Instructions References for Non- Mandatory 7. Liaison between the offender manager and the treatment provider is proportionate to the risk of harm presented by the offender Offenders presenting a medium or high risk of serious harm receive more intensive supervision from the offender manager than those who present a low risk of serious harm. 8. Progress is sustained and reinforced after treatment Alcohol use is assessed at the end of the requirement using a authority approved alcohol assessment tool. Page 12 of 12