Introduction

In 2010, the Policing and Crime Act (2009) amended Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act (1998) to make Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) responsible for formulating and implementing a strategy to reduce reoffending by adult and young offenders.

Avon and Somerset Reoffending Board

In 2017, the Safer Somerset Partnership agreed to participate in the Avon and Somerset Reducing Reoffending Board. This was in the knowledge that strategically, there was benefit in working across local authority boundaries.

Integrated Offender Management

According to the 2020 Neighbourhood Crime IOM Strategy 80% of all crime in the UK is perpetrated by those who are reoffending. In other words, a small number of criminals commit the majority of our crimes. These offenders are now identified and targeted by an innovative multi-agency management approach.

Integrated Offender Management (IOM) is a country-wide, approach for addressing persistent and prolific offenders in local communities. The scheme is jointly managed by police and probation, with the support of partner agencies including recovery workers and local authorities.

With multiple issues that tend to be both complex and interdependent, those under IOM management often pose an elevated risk of reoffending. Although each individual will have their own unique challenges, there are patterns in behaviours and circumstances that are commonly encountered within the cohort:

• Need or lack of access to suitable accommodation
• Substance misuse
• Lack of employment
• Children and families
• Mental or physical health problems

In Somerset, the IOM Services page acts as a directory of recovery and support services within the locality that can support and compliment an IOM approach.

Somerset Youth Justice Partnership

The Somerset Youth Justice Partnership brings together statutory partners to ensure effective operation of the Youth Justice system in Somerset.

The Partnership is led by the Somerset Youth Justice Partnership Board who work to co-ordinate the provision of Youth Justice services in Somerset by the Youth Justice Team and to ensure the effective contribution by partnership agencies to support the principal aim of the Youth Justice System (as defined by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (legislation.gov.uk) the prevention of offending by children and young people.

This includes reducing the likelihood of reoffending by young people and the risk of harm that they can cause to other people and themselves.

Statutory partners are listed in Section 39 (1) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998:

• Somerset Council (Children’s Services & Public Health)
• Somerset Integrated Care Board
• Avon & Somerset Constabulary
• Probation Service