Throughcare: Stages in the Provision of a Throughcare Service to Prisoners

Throughcare Map

Statutory Supervision

The supervising social worker should meet with the client within 24 hours of release. The purpose of the first meeting is to:

  • Review licence conditions
  • Discuss and offer assistance with any immediate needs
  • Review the action plan
  • Answer any queries from the client
  • Arrange the time of the next appointment
  • the licensee fail to attend the supervising officer must take appropriate action to make contact during the next two working days. If contact is not established the Justice Dept must be informed.

The primary objectives of statutory supervision are focussed on assisting former prisoners to reduce the risk of re-offending.

Ongoing supervision will include:

  • Engage client in appropriate supervision plans
  • Maintain motivation to change using pro-social modelling
  • Update action plans as appropriate
  • Complete and update risk assessments
  • Complete and update risk management plans
  • Refer to research based group work programmes to support the work agreed by the supervisor and client
  • Make appropriate referrals to partner agencies
  • Maintain contact according to National objectives and standards i.e. minimum of weekly for four weeks and fortnightly thereafter for the next three months, including a home visit monthly. Contact may be more frequent with high risk offenders.
  • Hold formal reviews with client, line manager and any other agencies or individuals who are involved in the provision of or support. Subsequent reviews take place at six months and six-monthly thereafter for the first three years and then annually. In cases where the offender presents a high risk reviews may be more frequent.
  • Provide progress reports to the Scottish Executive Justice Dept on life licensees and termination reports for determinate licensees.

Please note that the contents of Throughcare Map have not been updated since 2009. As a result, certain of the processes described here may no longer be current and accurate. It remains online as an historical resource, but has been superseded by Youth & criminal justice in Scotland: the young person's journey.