Probation Officers work together closely with police officers, and other agencies including health, social services, housing and education, to minimise the potential risks posed by the most dangerous offenders.

Known violent and sexual offenders living in the community come under the close scrutiny of Multi Agency Public Protection Panels (MAPPPs) since 1997. There are now 21 MAPPPs meeting regularly across the whole of the West Midlands.

This approach allows representatives from key agencies to come together in order to discuss a joint approach to the effective management of the offender in the community. This is a dual approach focussing upon controlling behaviour and also looking at services that may help in rehabilitation and consequent reduction in the risk of harm posed. Each MAPPP meeting will agree risk management plan for each offender with clear tasks for different agencies.

Any decisions taken by any agency are shared, not made in isolation, and probation officers have effective lines of communication with colleagues in other organisations in a true example of collaboration.

MAPPPs are not open to the general public. They are overseen by a Strategic Management Board with senior representatives from key agencies. Since 2004 the West Midlands SMB has had the benefit of two Lay Advisors who have been recruited from the community, not linked to any of the agencies involved with a brief to provide a community perspective to the work of the SMB and its panels.

A clear example of Police and Probation working closely together has been the establishment of the Joint Public Protection Unit (JPPU) staffed on a full time basis with dedicated Police and Probation staff. In June 2004 a senior probation officer was appointed as MAPPA co-ordinator to provide consistency and co-ordination across the West Midlands area in respect of these arrangements.

JPPU staff now gather intelligence, co-ordinate the exchange of information, provide advice and training to police and probation officers, produce risk assessments on all new registered sex offenders and provide help with resettlement and reintegration. Their detailed knowledge of these individuals informs the decision-making processes of MAPPPs.

One of the requirements of the MAPPA Strategic Management Board is to produce an annual report detailing the work done in respect of this group of offenders, the latest available report is published on this website.