Progression Service

The DSPD programme is developing services for the management and care of individuals who move on from the DSPD units in high security.

For some of those who have made progress within a DSPD unit, progression may involve a move to a lower level of security, or, ultimately to a supervised placement on release.

There are currently very few specific community services for those with a severe personality disorder and to address this, a range of different community- based services are being established within wider mental health provision.

These facilities, some of which may be located on medium secure unit sites, will help to build the required patient pathways through different levels of secure treatment facilities for those with severe personality disorder.

The DSPD programme is working with Probation services and other public protection agencies to ensure that the right services are in place to give individuals the opportunity to work towards a safe and successful re-integration into the community.

One of these public protection agencies are known as MAPPA (Multi-agency public protection agencies).

The MAPPA are a statutory set of arrangements operated by criminal justice and social care agencies that seek to reduce the serious re-offending behaviour of sex and violent offenders to protect the public. The Criminal Justice Act 2003 re-enacted and strengthened legislation that imposes a duty on police, probation and the prison service, in each of the 42 areas in England and Wales, to establish arrangements for the assessment and management of risk posed by certain sexual and violent offenders. The MAPP arrangements were introduced in April 2001 and as part of them the Responsible Authority are also required to review, monitor the operation of the arrangements and publish an annual report as to their effectiveness.

Back to top ^