yot information sheet case management and sentence planning

7/28/2019 YOT Information Sheet Case Management and Sentence Planning

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CHANGES TO CASE MANAGEMENT AND SENTENCE PLANNING

To support sentence planning in the secure estate, the YJ B is introducing:

Updated sentence planning paperwork

Updates to eAsset, the secure estate case management system, in line with theNational Standards for Youth Justice Services

Guidance on effective practice in case management for secure estate staff

Training courses in case management and sentence planning processes forsecure estate staff

Why is this happening?

Since 2008, a number of reviews and practice issues related to case management andsentence planning have highlighted a need for improvements in these areas, particularlywith regards to information sharing both within establishments and with external keystakeholders, such as YOTs. These included:

Recommendations made following inquests into deaths in custody since 2000have specifically highlighted concerns with case management and sentenceplanning

Lack of clarity concerning responsibilities in case management in the secureestate

A revised edition of National Standards for Youth J ustice Services (2009) whichsets out requirements relating to areas such as sentence planning

Lack of consistency across the young peoples estate in supporting the transitionof young people serving indeterminate sentences to the adult estate, particularlywith regards to the sentence planning review paperwork

How are YOT practitioners affected?

The change for YOTs is not a practice shift, but an adjustment to sentence planningdocumentation.

Specifically:

T-forms are being replaced with updated sentence planning forms. There are fewerforms and they are named after the meeting they correspond to, e.g. Initial planningmeeting

YOTs will be expected to complete or update the YOT Case Managers report (anupdated version of the T4) in time for planning meetings

Resettlement has a more prominent focus in sentence planning and is now to beconsidered from the very first meeting

There will no longer be a T1:FR; YOTs should be actively involved in sentenceplanning from the beginning and have copies of Final review paperwork that includes


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resettlement actions to take forward into the community

Forms will be supported by written guidance, available online

YOTs will still share key information with the secure establishment caselead/supervisor/worker which will be recorded in the documentation, such as:

o Changes to ASSET or other documentationo Information about or from the young person that affects risk management,

sentence planning or resettlemento Resettlement actions that need to take placeo Suitable interventions/objectives and targets that the young person should be

undertaking All case management responsibilities remain the same (Secure estates complete

paperwork, information should be shared to complete them), with some recognitionthat the chairing of meetings will be more flexible

Secure estate staff involved with sentence planning and risk assessment are beingtrained to carry out these processes appropriately and in line with current NationalStandards

What is new?

Sentence planning and resettlement escalation process

A sentence planning and resettlement escalation process is being introduced for use this is a mechanism for communication via template letter in situations where a YOT is

not satisfied with a sentence plan and has been unable to address issues with the secureestate case manager, for instance if key interventions are not available, or situationswhere a young person is nearing their release date and some actions remain outstandingand the secure estate needs to escalate this.

YOTs and Secure estates can both use the mechanism. It is being introduced toencourage official communication between the key parties in the process and will besupported by guidance.

Forms for young people serving indeterminate sentences

LSP (Life sentence plan) forms are now replaced with standard sentence planning forms.

However, there are now two new forms that YOTs will be asked to complete. The first iscalled a POSTRS B and is a post court report that is applicable in the adult estate andadult estate systems, which is very important at transfer.

The second form is the YOT Case Managers Parole Report, which is a more in-depthlook at the young persons particular risks, needs and interventions in relation to their longterm sentence. Placements will be able to provide YOTs with information aboutestablishments that provide the necessary interventions for these young people andexperienced long term unit staff will be able to support YOTs with its completion.Guidance about when and how the forms need to be completed will be available online.


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Who to contact

There will be regular updates and links to information about the project included in YOTbulletins. Any questions should be directed to the Project Manager, Anna Hacche [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Question and Answer Sheet

Q. Do YOTs have to complete T-forms?

T-forms will no longer be used once the eAsset system upgrade goes live in October. Allyoung people in custody will transition over to the new forms and so the next time you attenda sentence planning meeting, on or after that date, you will see and use the new forms.

Old forms should be archived and/or kept on file for reference.

Secure estate staff complete and circulate sentence planning forms, based on the informationthat they have from planning meetings, YOTs, other professionals, the young person and anyparents or guardians.

Q. What forms have to be completed by YOTs?

Sentenced, remanded and civilly detained young people: YOT Case Managers report

Indeterminate sentences: POSTSR B and YOT Sentence planning for parole

Q. When do YOTs have to complete these forms?

The YOT case managers report form should be completed after speaking to a young personprior to every sentence or remand planning meeting they have.

The POSTSR B form is completed for indeterminate sentences only, and should be based onthe content of the Post Court Report and sent to secure estate staff at that time for inclusionin the young persons file and parole dossier.

The YOT Sentence Planning for Parole form is completed in line with the indeterminatesentence planning cycle. The form should be completed in time for the first sentence planreview (based on assessments and the MARAP/MALRAP meeting) and then updated in timefor each annual review of the young persons sentence plan. These forms will also beincluded in the parole dossier and used as a basis to plan objectives and targets.

Process maps outlining this detail is available (and is attached to this document), and theNational Standards released next year will outline these details for YOTs and secure estatestaff. In addition, a guidance document for YOTs will include this key information in oneplace.

Q. What do the forms look like?

YOT Heads of Business Regions and the YJ B Cymru Head of Oversight and Support willcirculate the forms for you to view. They will be available online but not until just before the golive in October.

The forms are named as follows:

Standard forms

Risk assessment and management (one rolling form)

Remand management, planning and review (one rolling form)

Initial sentence plan

Sentence plan review

Release preparation

Final review

Young people consultation

YOT Case Managers report

Early release


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HDC recommendation

Indeterminate forms

YOT Sentence Planning for Parole

POSTSR B

MALRAP (LISP 2)

SPR L

SPR D

SPR G

SPR F

SPR E

Q. Why arent YOTs being trained in these forms?

YOTs are already skilled in completing these types of forms and simply need to be aware of

the change in the questions asked.

The YOT Sentence Planning for Parole form is the most complex of the three new forms, butis asking questions that YOTs are already experienced in answering, relating to risk and need but more specifically considering long term interventions.

All of the forms will be supported by written guidance and secure estate staff can also providesupport where necessary.

Some seconded YOTs will be included in training at establishments and therefore they maybe a good point of call if there are questions about the forms.

Q. What is the point of the sentence planning and resettlement escalation process?

There is no easy process for YOTs and secure estate staff to escalate any issues related tosentence planning or resettlement actions which have not been carried out in sufficient timeand which case managers have been unable to resolve, such as interventions not beingavailable in the secure estate or accommodation not being available prior to release.

YOTs and secure estate need to rely on each other to make the appropriate arrangementsand to be able to communicate if this is not happening.

Q. Will the resettlement escalation process have a negative impact on YOTs?

The mechanism is not designed to be a negative process for either YOTs or secure estate

staff. It is an escalation process because we are aware that for many reasons, arrangementsfor release sometimes fall through the cracks. The process and letters generated from itshould be viewed as reminders to ensure that young people are released from custody safelyand securely and are fully aware of the arrangements and restrictions in time for releasebefore they are released. YOTs are also strongly encouraged to use the sentence planningescalation process to ensure where necessary that sentence plans whilst in custody meet theneeds of young people as much as possible.

Q. Is there a new process for working with young people with indeterminate sentences?

Yes there is. These young people will attend regular sentence planning meetings as anysentenced young people do to ensure that their progress is regularly reviewed and fed intotheir objectives and targets where possible.


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LSP paperwork that was previously used will be replaced with standard sentence planningpaperwork. However, there are some additional forms that need to be completed so thatyoung peoples information and progress is not lost in the transition to the adult estate.

Secure estate staff will complete the majority of the new forms and then they will all beincluded in the Parole Dossier that is sent to the Adult Estate/YOT/Parole Board. YOTsshould read secure estate documents carefully so that they are fully aware of the youngpersons circumstances prior to Parole hearings or transition to the adult estate/Probation.

Q. What documents will YOTs receive from the secure estate to agree regarding eachsentenced young persons release?

YOTs should expect to receive a copy of sentence planning forms and the Early release orHDC recommendation form to make comments in favour or against release and return themto secure estate staff. YOTs will also have a copy of each of the planning forms that shouldcontain relevant information about resettlement actions and licence preparations forreference.

Q. How will YOTs know what objectives and targets need to be completed in the community ifthe T1:FR does not exist?

The sentence planning forms record information about objectives and targets and theirprogress so YOTs and secure estate staff should be fully aware of whether arrangementsneed to be made to continue these in the community. These arrangements should berecorded in the Resettlement actions section of the appropriate sentence planning form (e.g.the Release preparation form).

YOTs cease to use these forms once the young person is released and therefore it is notnecessary to have an additional form just outlining community objectives and targets. Theyoung person can have a copy of the objectives and targets page that they can take withthem.

Q, Do the new forms mean more work for YOTs?

The YOT Sentence Planning for Parole form is a new form to complete in addition to existingpaperwork such as the ASSET and the ROSH. It has been piloted since 2011 and has so farbeen completed to a high standard. It does not have to be completed for several weeks intothe sentence so YOTs should not have timing conflicts with other documents that they arerequired to complete for the young person.

Secure estate staff and seconded YOTs (particularly from long term specialist units) shouldbe familiar with the form and able to support its completion.

The POSTSR B is duplication of a Post Court Report, but with good reason. To ensureconsistency at transition to the Adult Estate (which is likely in most cases), completion of

paperwork that matches the OASys system will mean that key information will follow theyoung person into their new establishment. This form could be populated through the cut andpaste of information contained in the post court report.

It is also important to note that the indeterminate population is reasonably low in the youthjustice estate and therefore this paperwork will not be filled out regularly.

The YOT Case Managers Report is an updated of the T4, which should be completed nowand is therefore not additional work.

Q. How does this link up to new changes that are coming up in relation to assessment?

The new sentence planning forms will simply be adjusted again to move away from asking for

ASSET information and allow for the flexibility that the new assessment frameworkintroduces. The need for forms such as the YOT Case Managers Report, will be reviewed


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once the secure estate is able to access the framework, as it is likely to be unnecessary dueto the information sharing that the framework allows.


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Timescale

Sentence planning process Remand

Documentationprepared by the

YOT/PlacementsPlanning Meetings Result

On admission

Within 10 working

days of admission

2

Within 20 working

days of initialremand planning

meeting

3

Within 20 workingdays of remandplanning review

On court decisionof remand

Risk Assessmentand Management

Initial RemandPlanning

Remand PlanningReview

Remand Planning

Review

RoSH

Inform

PIF

PCR

Secure estatedocumentation

Risk ManagementMeeting

Updated for

PERIOD OF CONTINUOUS ONE MONTHLY REVIEWS WITHIN REMAND EPISODE

Bail Asset

Within 5 workingdays of admission

1Remand

Management &Planning


Remand ReviewUpdated for

RemandManagement &

Planning

YP Consultation


RemandManagement &

Planning

YP Consultation


Updated for

Updated for

RemandManagement &

Planning

YP Consultation


Updated for


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PCR

Timescale

Sentence Planning Process

Documentationprepared by the

YOT/Placements

Planning Meetings Result

On admission

Within 10 workingdays of admission

1

Within 20 workingdays of initial

planning meeting

2

Within 90 workingdays of casediscussionmeeting

3

On sentence


Initial PlanningMeeting

1st Sentence PlanReview Meeting

Case DiscussionRisk Assessmentand Management

RoSH

Inform

Sentence planreview

PIF

20 working daysbefore release

date

4

Initial sentence

planning

Releasepreparation

10 working daysbefore release

date

5

Final Review

ReleasePreparation

Meeting

Final ReviewMeeting

Young Person IsPrepared For

Release

Asset

PSR

YP Consultation

YP Consultation



YP Consultation

Secure estate

documentation

Updated for

Risk ManagementMeeting


Updated for

PERIOD OF CONTINUOUS 3 MONTHLY REVIEWS WITHIN SENTENCE PERIOD


Updated forAgree Sentence

Plan

VMP


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yot information sheet case management and sentence planning

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