Intensive Support & Monitoring Services Alternative to Remand
‘Intensive Support and Monitoring Service (ISMS): Alternative to Remand (ATR) was designed to tackle the ever-increasing numbers of young people remanded to secure accommodation. The service works with young people under 18 for whom the Procurator Fiscal is opposing Bail. An Interim Evaluation published by Glasgow City Council Youth Justice team in April 2010 looked at the throughput, processes, and early outcomes from the service in order to provide decision-makers with as much information as possible about ISMS ATR in Glasgow to date. The report found that “the ISMS ATR scheme has made demonstrable progress in relation to costs efficiencies and reduced offending and has achieved considerable success in a short period of time.’ https://www.gov.scot/publications/assisting-young-people-aged-16-17-court/pages/1/
Scottish Government – Assisting young people aged 16 and 17 in court, A toolkit for local authorities, the judiciary, court staff, police, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and service providers.
The service is funded by Glasgow City Council Social Work Services, with a team of one Team Leader and four Social Workers. The Social Workers have long established working relationships with Social Work Court Staff and liaise daily to gather and share information regarding young people (under eighteen) who are presenting at Court, either on a custody basis or on an undertaking.
The ATR Social Worker will make an assessment on the suitability for the service and provide it to the Court when the Procurator Fiscal is requesting consideration for Bail. The report can include a brief background and details of the current situation, potential factors contributing to offending, past trauma and adversity, as well as the existing positive factors in place to assist recidivism. In the case that the Court agrees with the assessment, a Special Bail condition will be imposed by the Court that grants power to Social Work Services (specifically ISMS ATR) to devise and implement a support plan to vulnerable young people who could otherwise have been remanded.
ATR is only offered in a remand case, not as an alternative to custody or any other method of Court disposal and is only valid on that day and date of offer. The young person must give consent to the report being submitted. Only one ATR Bail condition will run at one time. A Social Worker from the ISMS ATR team will be appointed the responsibility of managing the Bail condition. This can only be case managed by a qualified Social Worker, in line with Criminal Justice National Outcomes and Standards. Further reading can be found here: www.gov.scot/collections/justice-social-work-guidance.
A risk assessment will be undertaken in the form of a START: AV (Short Term Assessment of Risk & Treatability: Adolescent Version) or SAVRY (Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youths). This will be formulated, and an intervention plan will be implemented. This process allows the service to focus on the most concerning issues, as well as the most positive. It allows a robust assessment of service provision. This will be reviewed and updated every three months.
Addressing those needs involves the Social Worker building and establishing a relationship with the young person, family, and carers. Supporting the young person to adhere to any other Bail conditions and in understanding and managing court processes is also key. Focussed work with the young person will be undertaken and with carers if required. ATR is also a conduit to accessing other services.
The support package is assessed as per the individuals’ strengths, needs and risks and the implementation of other services will be considered, for example:
- ISMS Employability Coach for Education/ Training/ Employment
An exclusive service to those young people with an ISMS support package in place, the work coach can provide a more dedicated service, applying social and emotional support, as well as bespoke assessments regarding the employment and educational aims and aspirations of the young people. The work coach is involved in the ISMS ATR reviews (with the consent of the young person) and is encouraged to be involved in overall plan of action.
- Forensic CAMHS referral
This is exclusive to young people with an ISMS support package. A direct referral can be made if there are concerns regarding mental health issues, including neurodivergent concerns, behavioural concerns, and if intervention and assessment could contribute to reducing or ceasing offending for the young person. The young person must provide consent. The service typically employs several Clinical Psychologists and a Psychiatrist, if required.
- Outdoor Resource Centre
A service not exclusive to ISMS ATR, but there are priority placements available. Although this service is physical orientated, there is also a mental health and stimulation input included here as a ‘Thinking Skills’ model. The belief here is that the more you practice ‘thinking skills’ the better you will become at them. This particular programme concentrates on problem solving and decision making and the many potential benefits to being a more efficient problem solver, including increased academic success, reduction in conflicts, an improved belief that you can influence situations (locus of control), reduction in anxiety and a reduction in the likelihood of being involved in anti-social behaviour or offending.
ISMS ATR will also seek to incorporate other supports both from Glasgow City Council agencies if required, for example:
- Youth Alcohol & Drug Recovery Service https://www.nhsggc.scot/your-health/right-care-right-place/addictions/
- Family Group Decision Making. https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/fgdm
- Resource Prioritisation Group & Continuing Care Services. https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/cces
- https://charity.celticfc.com/
- https://www.rangerscharity.org.uk/
- https://ptct.org.uk/
- https://www.g20.org.uk/g20-strands
- https://www.facebook.com/YPFutures/?locale=en_GB
Data provided by ISMS ATR shows the following for the period of 2023/2024:
- There are currently ten young people open to ISMS ATR.
- Six were not in training, education or employment.
- An additional six ATR Reports were submitted to Court but not required.
- Three Progress/ Update Reports for existing cases were submitted to Court.
- Three ATR Reports were prepared for Court but not required to be sent.
So, in line with the Community Justice Aims & Objectives, ISMS ATR is principally a service that provides a robust assessment and support plan, utilising partner services and agencies to ensure that young people who have allegedly offended may address the underlying causes of their situation and have the support to integrate or re-integrate back to the community where achievable. Along with the other agencies listed above, and with others not, ATR aims to encourage rehabilitation, offence reduction, and public protection, leading to fewer victims and safer communities. The young person is encouraged to make positive choices, good decisions, better awareness of thinking habits and be a valued member of their community.