NOMS for crime reduction.

Helen Cash National Advisor Supporting people - London for National Probation Service & association of London Government explains the governments proposals

Before you get too excited and think we are launching the Oscars equivalent for local Crime and Disorder Reduction partnerships, I’d better explain ‘NOMS’ stands for National Offender Management Service set out by the Home Office in ‘Reducing Crime- Changing Lives’.
Announced early in January, NOMS will be set up from June 2004 and is heralded in the Governments response to Patrick Carter’s report “Managing Offenders: Reducing Crime” (Dec2003). There will be National Offender Manager reporting to the Chief Executive, managing nine regional offices in England (additional on in Wales). Ten plans envisage a fully regionalised NOMS within five years. The Service will be responsible for:

• Improving enforcement and credibility of community punishments
• Ensuring community and custodial punishments make offenders address their behaviour and offer a path away from crime
• Raising educational standards among offenders in order to break the link between low educational attainment and crime
  

Government promises a radical over haul [that] will out the individual management of offenders at the centre of a single system rather than falling in the gap between two different services. So what opportunities will this step change provide for those working in housing where crime reduction forms part of our daily task?

A ‘what works’ approach

Plans include a new Sentencing Guidelines council chaired by the Lord Chief Justice where it is expected to provide ‘a unique opportunity to develop a new coherent approach to sentencing’. Expectations are to provide clear, comprehensive and practical guidance for judges and magistrates on issues of punishment. This will be balanced in the Courts with input from ‘offender managers’ providing a view on what will work with individuals to reduce their chances of re-offending. Where offenders have housing related support needs as part of a crime reduction plan, there will be expectations of local service planners and service providers to respond. Such a ‘what works’ approach to crime reduction challenges us to use the opportunity to identify and share models of excellence in Supporting People services where results are achieved in crime reduction alongside care, health and housing outcomes.

Joint Working

Local Authority multi agency supporting people strategies will all need to reflect an approach to service development that can address crime reduction form anti-social behaviour through to offenders who have potential risk of harm. The Core Strategy and Commissioning Bodies will need to work closely with Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships to achieve a cohesive response at a local level and in collaboration with other local authority areas. With regional arrangements a key part of the Governments medium to long term strategy there will be added impetus to London’s Cross Authority and sub regional work.
Most supporting people providers work with offenders and /or victims of crime at some time and will be ensuring this dimension of their work is recognised at review. Where rehabilitation requirements around offending behaviour are significant it will be critical that the support provider works effectively in collaboration with criminal justice. NOMS offers clearer accountability for reducing re-offending and agencies can work with a key person responsible for case management.
The community gets best benefits from sentences which provide ‘opportunities not least in meeting essential practical requirements including housing, mentoring and support for employment’. Where these are delivered and if necessary, linked to treatment, attitude and behaviour change programmes, there is now a significant potential to grow local and regional partnerships that can be preventative as well as reach some of our most difficult and complex cases. The intention is clear- Government proposals are aimed fully regionalised National Offender Management Service within five years which energises local communities where effective links can be forged and joined up strategies developed’- now we need to make it the reality.

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