1. AGING OFFENDER INITIATIVE
Lynne Dolphin, senior practice development officer/principal social worker (adults) durham

2. ‘Aging Sex Offenders – managing risk in the community’
Published in Policing and Society – An international Journal of Research and Policy
Vol. 28, 2018, Issue 1
Ms Hannah Bows & Professor Nicole Westmarland
Durham University
October 2015
Commissioned and funded by Durham Constabulary
Research commissioned by Durham Constabulary in response to concerns regarding the rapidly ageing sex offenders register and lack of existing provisions for offenders with care and support needs
Recommendations
Aging offender population increasing – this demand should be taken into account when budgeting
Risk does not diminish with age – training for those working with older people should be available to alert to the potential for abuse
Practitioners should be aware that just because someone has not been on the sex offenders register, does not mean they have never been on, and should be alert to any signs of abuse
Helpful to have a learning day between police and practitioners
Support to keep older offenders in the community rather than in care
Training for providers

3. Challenges for LA’s, partner agencies:
Increased risk of poor physical and
mental health
Housing needs
Range of restrictions and obligations
placed on the person
Difficulties in finding care placements
Expectations of care providers
Training needs
No consistent referral pathway
Notice of release
Disclosure
Registering with a GP
Lack of appropriate approved
premises/disabled access/female
accommodation
Little support/knowledge around
managing ex-offenders with dementia
We only know what we know (not
routine to do background checks/no
longer on register/person might not
disclose)
These are some of the challenges identified in the research document but also those identified through the course of our working group meetings
We know from research that given the socio-economic background of prisoners, they are likely to be at greater risk of poor physical and mental health
The person cannot always return to the area in which they used to live

4. Ageing Offender Working Group
MAPPA Co-ordinator, National Probation Service (Chair)
Safeguarding Adults Business Manager, DCC
Senior Practice Development Officer/Principal Social Worker, DCC
Safeguarding Representative, Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS
Safeguarding Representative, Darlington Borough Council
Durham Clinical Commissioning Group
Police
Housing representative, Durham and Darlington
Prison Social Worker, DCC
Team Manager, Durham Locality Team, DCC
Just a flavour of the range of people/agencies input into the working group
We do try to engage with HMPS – it has been difficult to get attendance but inroads are being made in engaging governors

5. Action Planning
September 2016 – multi-agency group formed to address recommendations of research & ToR developed
Identification of numbers of offenders pre-release
Identification of commissioning gaps
Development work around clearer pathways /timely assessments/GP registration
Development of joint information sharing agreement – what will be shared
/when/who with
Development of clear guidelines for all agencies to address risk
Training – what are the needs
Split into a number of working groups – e.g. looking at commissioning, housing

6. Progress Linked with Providers around information/training needs
Task and Finish Group established
Chair has made inroads with Prison Service
Progress in identifying SPOC re notification of release
CCG are taking issue of GP registration forward
DCC updating Prison Protocol
Group continue to meet regularly to share progress updates against action plan
DCC Protocol for Working in Prisons in Co. Durham sets out
Responsibility for social care assessments
Determining eligibility
Delivering social care service in the prison setting
Aids, Equipment and Adaptations
MH and LD needs
Urgent needs – fast track process
Ordinary residence
End of Life Care
Advocacy
Duty to Refer
Contains a screening checklist
Assessment flowchart
Autism pathway under development

7. The next phase…..
A focus on bringing together constituent parts of work into coherent plan of
action
Develop flowchart precisely defining stages of assessment pathway from pre-
release to care/community
A binding agency agreement to provide wrap around services to aging offenders
Presentation to governors from NE prison service