8.3.10 Intensive Support Surveillance Programme (ISSP)

The Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP) is the most rigorous non-custodial intervention available for young offenders. It combines intensive community-based surveillance with a comprehensive and sustained focus on tackling the factors that contribute to the young person’s offending behaviour. Where an ISSP is used, it must be delivered in line with the Youth Justice Board’s Key Elements of Effective Practice.

The Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme is targeted at two main groups of young offenders:

• the small group of prolific young offenders (aged 10 to 17) who, Home Office research suggests, commit approximately a quarter of all offences committed by young people
• those young people who are not prolific offenders, but who commit crimes of a very serious nature and who would benefit from early and intensive intervention.

The ISSP features a set of core elements covering:

• education and training (or employment);
• offending behaviour work;
• restorative justice;
• family support;
• interpersonal skills/constructive use of leisure;

as well as a range of surveillance options, including electronic monitoring.

Most offenders will spend six months on ISSP. The most intensive supervision (a minimum of 25 hours per week) will last for the first three months of the Programme. Following this, the supervision will continue at a reduced intensity (a minimum of five hours per week) for a further three months. On completion of ISSP the offender will continue to be supervised for the remaining period of their order.

Hillingdon ISSP has devised a ‘best practice’ gradual reduction for young people, who have not gained or maintained a suitable educational/training/employment placement, as follows;

• 15 hours during the 4 month
• 10 hours during the 5 month
• 5 hours during the final month

This is to ensure that the young person is still involved in supervised activities and not left unsupported during the last 3 months of the ISSP.

In order for a young person to obtain a place on the ISSP Scheme the following will need to be considered:

• The eligibility of the young person for ISSP
• The availability of places on the programme
• Their suitability for such an intensive programme.

Young offenders are eligible for ISSP if they are appearing in court charged with or convicted of an offence, and have previously been charged, warned or convicted of offences committed on four or more separate dates within the last 12 months, and received at least one community or custodial penalty.

In addition, young offenders can also qualify for ISSP if they are at risk of custody because:

• the current charge or sentence relates to an offence which is sufficiently serious that an adult could be sentenced to 10 years or more, or
• they have a history of repeat offending on Bail and are at risk of a secure Remand under section 130 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001

In August 2005 the eligibility criteria was amended to include two key changes.

New short cut

Any young person, who has previously received a Detention and Training Order and – within a year of leaving custody – faces custody again, is now eligible for ISSP.

Serious crime shortcut additions

Any young person initially charged with Section 18 (Grievous Bodily Harm), who subsequently has the charge reduced to a Section 20, can now be considered for ISSP, as can any young person charged with aggravated taking and driving away.

It is vital to know that not all the young offenders meeting the criteria will be suitable for such an intensive programme.  In particular the young person must be charged with an offence that could be dealt with by way of custody and the Court has indicated that they are seriously considering a Custodial Sentence. 

This would mean that if a young person was at court and the magistrates had indicated that they were considering a community penalty only, then the young person would not be eligible for the ISSP scheme, even if they met the initial eligibility criteria. 

It is important that Court Duty Officers ensure that they ask magistrates to give an indication of potential sentence in cases adjourned for a pre-sentence report.  If the scheme becomes over subscribed then extra suitability criteria may need to be applied.  These will include:

• The seriousness of previous offending
• The seriousness of offence
• The motivation of the individual under consideration
• In Detention and Training Order cases, the risk of re-offending on transferring to the community. 

ISSP and Bail

At 9am the YOS duty officer will phone custody to establish whether a young person has been refused Bail and will be attending Magistrates or Youth Court.

 The court officer/Bail support worker will also liaise with CPS and the defence solicitor on each planned appearance in court where there is a possibility that bail may be refused.

Where there are concerns that a standard Bail support package would not prevent a young person from being subject to a Remand in custody, the YOS duty/court officer/bail support worker should contact the ISSP, if the young person meets the eligibility criteria, to ascertain whether there is a place.

If there is a place available, a member of the ISSP team will meet with the young person and their family at court. They will look at what the programme can offer and whether the young person is suitable and motivated to undertake it. The ISSP worker will explain the programme to the young person and their family.

Before the court appearance, the young person and family will be interviewed to explain how the Bail Support Scheme and ISSP will operate, giving an outline of the supervision and surveillance elements, explaining the obligations of the young person, including breach procedures and consequence of non-compliance.  A standardised package will be made available, including a contract which the young person and family will be asked to sign prior to or during the court appearance.

There would be an expectation that electronic monitoring would be part of the programme and this would be part of the identified plan.  It will be the responsibility of the court to contact Securicor Monitoring Services immediately if electronic monitoring is appropriate.  If electronic monitoring is not possible, due to the young person’s living arrangements a member of the ISSP team will be responsible for telephone tracking the young person every evening.

The YOS duty/court officer/Bail support worker will explain to the Court the elements of the individual programme and will present the bail support package to the Court.

If the Bail package is agreed, an appointment will be set for the following day. The young person will be provided with a copy in writing, which they will be required to sign. 

If the Court accepts the Bail ISSP proposal a notification must be sent to the police on the same day to ensure that any Breach Action will be swiftly administered.

PSR (Pre-Sentence Reports) - Requests to Sentence

When a young person has appeared in Court and a PSR has been ordered, if the court is considering custody then an ISSP Programme should be considered if the young person meets the criteria. As the young person is being considered for an Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme and in the circumstances of the case, a Custodial Sentence is a possible outcome; the PSR writer should make immediate contact with ISSP Team to commence the joint assessment process, this must include an assessment of risk.

The ISSP worker will meet with the young person and their family (where feasible) and undertake an ISSP assessment; this will include an assessment of the young person’s motivation to undertake such an order. The ISSP worker will begin to outline a programme and contact relevant agencies in order to provide a robust intervention.

Once the programme has been formulated the ISSP worker will meet with the young person and their family (where feasible), again and all parties will sign the ISSP Contract.

The ISSP worker will provide a written report, outlining all elements of the programme; the report must be agreed by the PSR writer.

The young person’s initial timetable should be prepared before the sentencing hearing.

Where the ISSP are unable to offer a place to a young person, a report must be written, clearing stating the reasons why a place cannot be offered.

All ISSP reports must be gate kept, where possible this should be done by the PSR writer to ensure consistency in the reports.

Where possible the ISSP worker must attend the sentencing hearing to answer any questions the Court may have in regards to the ISSP intervention.

If a young person is sentenced to a Detention and Training Order or Section 91 Custodial Order and meets the criteria for an ISSP, it is the responsibility of the YOS case manager to assess whether, because of the possible risk posed upon return to the community that this young person needs to be considered for an ISSP. 

If a case manager considers that an ISSP will be appropriate for a young person on release from custody, they should discuss this with their Operational Manager at the earliest opportunity and a decision taken prior to the penultimate review.

The suitability for ISSP should be kept under review as part of sentence planning reviews. The consideration of an ISSP should be included on the T form recording. The final decision will be between the YOS and the Secure Estate (although the Secretary of State has the power to impose).

Once ISSP has been identified as appropriate, the YOS case manager will confirm with the ISSP officer about availability on the programme. This place will then be reserved prior to release. A meeting between the young person, the ISSP worker and the case manager must take place to explain the expectations of the programme and the consequences in the case of failure to engage. 

The YOS case manager will arrange the final review meeting for two weeks prior to release and it is important that the family and the ISSP worker attend this meeting. Asset should be reviewed and updated and where appropriate, the Risk of Serious Harm Asset should be completed and Risk Management Procedures followed. If at this late stage it is decided that further specialist assessments are required, these will be undertaken on release by ISSP and YOS specialists during the induction period.

At this final review meeting, the young person (and family member where appropriate) will sign the ISSP Detention and Training Order contract.

The YOS case manager will liaise with the ISSP worker and the core programme will be planned to reflect the target areas identified by Asset. The ISSP worker will take responsibility for contacting other YOS specialists/outside agencies to ensure that a clear initial timetable is available prior to release from custody.

The YOS case manager will contact the YOI to ensure that the Post Custody Supervision Notice contains details of the ISSP programme.

If a young person fails to attend any part of the programme then it is the responsibility of the allocated ISSP worker to follow up on a missed appointment in person by way of a telephone call or home visit to the young person.

Details of the missed appointment and any information from the subsequent visit must be passed on to the ISSP programme officer.  Any decisions on warnings and breach proceedings will be taken in joint consultation between the ISSP officer and the YOS caseworker/Bail support worker.

Any warning letter or breach decision must be made in writing and signed by the ISSP worker and the YOS case worker/Bail support worker, to show that both parties are in agreement with this decision. The young person may receive a formal and final warning before a breach is instigated.

It is the responsibility of the YOS case worker to list the breach at Court.  The ISSP worker will produce a breach report. The report and breach proposal must be agreed by the YOS case worker.

The ISSP worker will ensure that the young person’s solicitor is aware of the breach proceedings, so that there are no delays at Court.