Community Justice East Dunbartonshire Annual Report 2024-2025

The Community Justice East Dunbartonshire Partnership (CJED) brings together statutory, public and third sector organisations working together to reduce reoffending and improve outcomes for people affected by the justice system.

A new National Strategy for Community Justice was published by the Scottish Government in 2022, which set the strategic direction for community justice partnerships across the country. Following this, a revised Community Justice Performance Framework (CJPF) was published in April 2023 and provided the basis for local community justice partners to begin development of a new Community Justice Outcomes Improvement Plan (CJOIP).

This annual report outlines a range of action taken by community justice partners in East Dunbartonshire over 2024 - 2025 towards each of the priority actions as outlined in the national strategy.

To comply with legislative responsibilities under Section 23 of the Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016, this report will be issued in two parts.

The Outcomes outlines the progress that the Com-munity Justice Partners have made towards the community justice outcomes as outlined in the CJOIP and the actions outlined in the 2024-25 Delivery Plan, as submitted to CJS using the Community Justice Im-provement Tool PDF.

The report also reports on the analysis of data in relation to the national indicators and provides an as-sessment as to whether the national outcomes are being achieved across East Dunbartonshire, using the Community Justice Performance Framework.

The new CJOIP for the partnership was published in April 2024 and is available on the EDC HSCP website on the Community Justice webpage.

The national strategy sets out four national aims for community justice, with 13 priority actions sitting underneath these, which the Scottish Government and Community Justice Partnerships should progress to deliver over the duration of the strategy. Effective coordination and collabo-ration are key to achieving these aims.

The Community Justice Performance Framework (CJPF) states:
nine nationally determined outcomes which are to be achieved in each area.Four priority areas do not have nationally determined outcomes at present. 10 national indicators which are to be used to measure performance in achieving the out-comes.

In addition to the nine national indicators which are each directly linked to one of the nine na-tional outcomes, there is also a high-level national indicator. 

The National Outcomes, National indicators and the Indicator Direction by East Dunbartonshire are outlined below.

Priority Areas: Enhance intervention at the earliest opportunity by ensuring greater consistency, confidence in and awareness of services which support the use of direct measures and diversion from prosecution.

National Outcomes: More people successfully complete diversion from prosecution.

National Indicators: Number of diversion from prosecution:

• Assessments undertaken
• Cases commenced
• Cases successfully completed.

Priority Areas: Improve the identification of underlying needs and the delivery of support following arrest by ensuring the provision of person-centred care within police custody and building upon referral opportunities to services including substance use and mental health services 

National Outcomes: More people in police custody receive support to address their needs 

National Indicators: Number of referrals from custody centres

Priority Areas: Support the use of robust alternatives to remand by ensuring high quality bail services are consistently available and delivered effectively 

National Outcomes: More people are assessed for and successfully complete bail supervision 

National Indicators: Number of:

• Assessment reports for bail suitability
• Bail supervision cases commenced
• Bail supervision cases completed.

Priority Areas: Strengthen options for safe and supported management in the community by increasing and widening the use of electronic monitoring technologies.

National Outcomes: No nationally determined outcome.

National Indicators: N/A

Priority Areas: Ensure that those given community sentences are supervised and supported appropriately to protect the public, promote desistance from offending and enable rehabilitation by delivering high quality, consistently available, trauma-informed services, and programmes.

National Outcomes: More people access services to support desistance and successfully complete community sentences .

National Indicators: Percentage of:

• Community payback orders
successfully completed
• Drug treatment and testing orders successfully completed

Priority Areas: Ensure restorative justice is available across Scotland to all those who wish to access it by promoting and supporting the appropriate and safe provision of available services 

National Outcomes: No nationally determined outcome.

National Indicators: N/A

Priority Areas: Enhance individuals’ access to health and social care and continuity of care following release from prison by improving the sharing of information and partnership-working between relevant partners.

National Outcomes: More people have access to, and continuity of, health and social care following release from a prison sentence .

National Indicators: Number of transfers in drug/alcohol treatments from:

• Custody to community

Priority Areas: Ensure that the housing needs of individuals in prison are addressed consistently and at an early stage by fully implementing and embedding the Sustainable Housing on Release for Everyone (SHORE) standards across all local authority areas 

National Outcomes: More people have access to suitable accommodation following release from a prison sentence 

National Indicators: Number of:

• Homelessness applications where prison was the property the main applicant became homeless from

Priority Areas: Enhance individual’s life skills and readiness for employment by ensuring increased access to employability support through effective education, learning, training, career services and relevant benefit services

National Outcomes: More people with convictions access support to enhance their readiness for employment 

National Indicators: Percentage of:
• Those in employability services with convictions

Priority Areas: Enhance community integration and support by increasing and promoting greater use of voluntary throughcare and third sector services.

National Outcomes: More people access voluntary throughcare following a short-term prison sentence 

National Indicators: Number of:

• Voluntary throughcare cases commenced

Priority Areas: Deliver improved community justice outcomes by ensuring that effective leadership and governance arrangements are in place and working well, collaborating with partners, and planning strategically.

National Outcomes: No nationally determined outcome.

National Indicators: N/A

Priority Areas: Enhance partnership planning and implementation by ensuring the voices of victims of crime, survivors, those with lived experience and their families are effectively incorporated and embedded.

National Outcomes: No nationally determined outcome.

National Indicators: N/A

Priority Areas: Support integration and reduce stigma by ensuring the community and workforce have an improved understanding of and confidence in community justice.

National Outcomes: More people across the workforce and in the community understand, and have confidence in, community justice 

National Indicators: Percentage of people who agree that:

• People should help their community as part of a community sentence rather than spend a few months in prison for a minor offence.

This indicator looks at the disposal grouping split – the outcome of the case at court, comparing the proportion of custody disposals to other disposal groups including community disposals. The desire is to see a decrease in the percentage of custody disposals.

This information is updated and published quarterly by Scottish Government analysts and can be viewed here.

The charts below show the percentage of disposals issued at charge level in Scottish criminal courts and the number of disposals respectively. Information is not included on charges for which the accused is not convicted. Disposals are grouped into ‘Community’ (including CPO, RLO, DTTO), ‘Custody’, ‘Monetary’ (including fines and compensation), and ‘Other’ (including admonishments, absolute discharges).

You can see the use of ‘Custody’, for East Dunbartonshire residents. has fluctuated across the timespan. This peaked in 2020-21 to 15.9% with a marked decrease to 6% in 2022-23 before increasing to 10% in 2023-24.

This is in line with the national trend, which reduced from a peak of 13.5% in 2018-19 to 9.7% in 2022-23 before increasing to 11.5% last year.

Custody is consistently the least used. ‘Other’ appears to be increasing, as it is across Scotland, representing over half of disposals last year, while ‘Monetary’ has generally decreased. The use of ‘Community’ disposals has been more consistent.

Priority 1 - Enhance intervention at the earliest opportunity by ensuring greater consistency, confidence in and awareness of services which support the use of direct measures and diversion from prosecution.

What does this mean?

Diversion from prosecution is one of the options available to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) after receiving a police report of a person’s alleged offending. A ‘Direct Measure’ like Diversion allows the person to be diverted away from formal justice proceedings and into support from local Justice Social Work (JSW) teams to address the issues and needs contributing to their offending behaviour. This enables intervention to take place at an early stage, rather than waiting for a court process to take place.

What partnership activity took place in 2023-24 towards this priority?

CJED work in this area is driven forward by one of our ‘Delivery Groups’ which contains a range of partners relevant to that area of work. A Prevention Intervention and Diversion (PID) Group was established to focus on elements within the CJOIP relating to diversion from prosecution. Membership includes COPFS, Police Scotland, Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADP), Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Justice Social Work, Early and Effective Intervention, Children and Families Social Work and local third sector and voluntary organisation partners. 

In the 2024/25 Local Delivery Plan addressing priority areas in the Community Justice Outcome Improvement Plan (CJOIP), the partnership committed to continue to:

• Maintain the level of bespoke support offered to people on Diversion from Prosecution
• Continue the work of the Prevention Intervention and Diversion subgroup
• Progress the actions in the local Diversion Improvement Plan based on some of the recommendations from the Joint Review of Diversion from Prosecution
• Contribute to and feedback from the National Diversion from Prosecution Working Group.

During the reporting year a diversion from prosecution awareness presentation was delivered to East Dunbartonshire Women’s Aid, more sessions will be organised and delivered once the new guidelines are implemented in collaboration with Community Justice Scotland.
Diversion from Prosecution clients are supported by a dedicated Social Work Assistant along with a Women’s Support Worker and a Peer Navigator, commissioned through Sacro and APEX respectively. This has increased the effectiveness of the scheme.  Dedicated staff support people on the scheme to address their needs and explore the circumstances surrounding their alleged offending behaviour, whilst linking with services both statutory and third sector to help move people on to positive destinations. Locally we have seen more complex referrals involving mental health, child related incidents as well as sexual and domestically aggravated incidents.

National Outcome: More people successfully complete diversion from prosecution

National Indicators - Number of diversion from prosecution:

• Assessments undertaken
• Cases commenced
• Cases successfully completed.

The number of diversion assessments undertaken increased by 27% in 2024/25 and 155% compared to the agreed baseline (2018-19) .The increase is in line with the desired direction.

During 2024/25 there were:

• 52 diversion cases commenced
• 38 adult cases (24 males and 14 females)
• 9 young people cases (6 males and 3 females)
• 50 people (96%) successfully completed their Diversion during 2024/25
• 2 cases were unsuccessful in completing their Diversion during the reporting year
• 7 cases commenced in 2024/25 were carried forward into 2025/26.

CJED Outcome Assessment: 

The number of assessments undertaken shows an emerging pattern of increase in line with the desired direction.

The number of commencements shows no emerging pattern where the desired direction is to increase.

The number of completions shows an emerging pattern of increase in line with the desired direction.

During 2024/25, twenty-four people completed an end of DfP questionnaire, all were positive about their time on the Diversion scheme. Example of responses are outlined below.

The Multi Agency Performance Intervention and Diversion (PID) subgroup continues to meet to understand the views of people delivering and supporting Diversion from Prosecution as well as monitoring the progress towards the improvement plan and the effectiveness of the Diversion scheme.

The PID group introduced, as part of the measurement of the effectiveness of Diversion from Prosecution in East Dunbartonshire, a mechanism to monitor further criminal activity either during or after engagement in the Diversion scheme. 

During the reporting year five people on Diversion committed further offences either during or after their engagement. These were Road Traffic Offence x 2, Theft by Housebreaking, Offensive Weapon x 2 and a Section 38 Threatening and Abusive Behaviour.

The Community Justice Coordinator represents the partnership on the Sheriffdom COPFS meetings where Diversion is discussed at a local and sheriffdom wide level. Through attendance at these meetings and hearing from other Loal Authorities in the Sheriffdom, reinforces that the East Dunbartonshire Diversion Scheme continues to be effective.

The Community Justice Coordinator attended the National Diversion from Prosecution Working Group representing the Coordinator Network. The remit of this group is to embed the recommendations from the joint review of DfP and review the guidelines for the scheme. There were seven meetings during the reporting year. 

What does this mean?

The point of arrest and court appearance are crisis points in a person's life. Evidence has shown that people involved in the justice system often tend to be vulnerable, have experienced trauma in their lives and often have health problems. To address health needs and to help to provide routes into treatment or other support is a key factor of the healthcare provided in the custody setting. 

Arrest referral schemes can successfully capitalise on a ‘reachable and teachable’ moment to help people engage with support services and address any underlying health or social issues contributing to their offending, such as substance use or mental health issues. In practice, in East Dunbartonshire, this would be achieved through police custody staff, or a third sector agency talking to people who have been arrested and are in a custody centre outwith the local authority area as there are no custody centres in East Dunbartonshire, and, if the person agrees, making a referral to a support agency for them.

Currently, arrangements for sourcing the data required for this national indicator are still being made and so robust data is not yet available. There are 29 primary police custody centres and a number of ancillary centres across the country. The custody centres cover 32 local authority areas, and while they do not always align with local authority boundaries, there is no custody centre or ancillary centre in East Dunbartonshire. 

The use of email-based arrest referral pathways is intended to mitigate this and allows for people to have a direct pathway to a support service in the local authority where they live. The figures provided are taken from the number of Support Service Arrest Referral forms shared with the National Healthcare and Interventions team within Police Scotland. Some of the support service data returns covers more than one local authority and the data cannot be separated into each local authority. This is an improvement that is being progressed. A few local authorities have a nil return, but residents from within that local authority may have been referred to a national level Support Service. These have been included in the Scotland level figure rather than the local authority figure.

At present these figures do not include referrals made by healthcare staff, or those referrals made directly between the support service link worker and the person in custody.

The geography is at local authority level where this is possible. This has been identified by using the postal town of the person being referred supplied on the referral form. There will be some slight under coverage in local authority returns for example, if the person is referred to a national level Support Service.

What partnership activity took place in 2024-25 towards this priority?

In the 2024-25 Local Delivery Plan addressing priority areas in the Community Justice Outcome Improvement Plan (CJOIP), the partnership committed to:

• Develop and maintain effective information flow between Community Justice Partners, Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP), and police custody centres for the residents of East Dunbartonshire 
• Ensure that there are effective referral pathways and support in place from police custody centres for residents of East Dunbartonshire in relation to substance use, mental health and other health and social needs.

This is an area that has seen some progress during the reporting year. As there are no police custody centres in East Dunbartonshire there has been difficulty in engaging with Police Scotland Criminal Justice Services Division Custody Healthcare and Interventions on this matter. 

• The East Dunbartonshire ADP, CJP, Alcohol and Drugs Service, Justice Service and Police and Prison Custody Health Care are represented on the MAT Standards Justice Forum ensuring collaboration and strategic planning for the delivery of the MAT standards across justice, prison, custody and community
• We continue to develop and build upon the positive relationships with partners across both ADP and police custody. This has been supported by the following actions
• The NHSGGC Community Justice Health Improvement Strategic Group (CJHISG) provides the lead function to support collaborative planning across six local authorities, three policing divisions and custody (police and prison). This group has representation by all key partners across the board wide area including health improvement, prison, police, police custody health care, ADP’s and CJP’s and collaboration with the Public Health Intelligence and Research Division
• We do not have data regarding referrals to local services. This is a national outcome indicator and await data from the national team
• A facilitated discussion was held nationally on arrest referral which was facilitated by CJS and the Community Justice Coordinator Peer Network
• Further action is being progressed under Priority 2 National Strategy Delivery Plan (Actions 4,5,6,7) to support implementation to improve the identification of underlying needs and the delivery of support following arrest in police custody. This is being taken forward by the Police Custody Health Care Intervention Team
• This is an area of significant development, and we will continue to connect locally/nationally to develop the response as appropriate.

CJED Outcome Assessment: The number of referrals from police custody shows no emerging pattern due to insufficient data. The desired direction is to increase.

Priority 3 - Support the use of robust alternatives to remand by ensuring high quality bail services are consistently available across Scotland

What does this mean?

The bail supervision scheme is designed to minimise the numbers of accused people held on remand in custody where appropriate. This could be prior to trial / conviction or following conviction where the Court are waiting on reports. It can be used where a level of supervision, monitoring and support may help someone to adhere to bail. It involves:

• Monitoring – There will be a minimum number of times a person must see their Bail Supervision Officer, or another worker outlined in their plan.
• Support / Advice – The Bail Supervision Officer will offer support and advice and refer into partner agencies where needed (e.g. substance use and housing).
• Reporting – Information will be provided to the Court on the person's compliance with the conditions of Supervised Bail. Non-compliance will result in warnings being issued immediately followed by a breach report being submitted to Police Scotland swiftly.

What partnership activity took place in 2024-25 towards this priority?

In the 2024/25 Local Delivery Plan addressing priority areas in the Community Justice Outcome Improvement Plan (CJOIP), the partnership committed to continue to:

• Carry out review of the Bail process
• Ensure appropriate information is received timeously from PSoS and COPFS
• Organise multi agency awareness sessions on EM with G4S
• Organise EM awareness session for JSW with G4S
• Electronic Monitoring and Bail Supervision was launched in May 2023 and is available to any resident of East Dunbartonshire appearing in court, contingent upon request and assessment
• As East Dunbartonshire does not have a court, part of the initial work included the development of in-depth local Practice Guidance, outlining the process when a Bail Assessment request or Bail Opposed Notification is received from one of the numerous courts, all with differing processes, to advise the JSW duty worker how to adjust practice to interview the client, dependent on the requesting Court, and complete the assessment within the short timeframe
• Justice Social Work Services work closely with colleagues in Courts, Social Work, ADRS, alongside a range of statutory and voluntary services, to ensure a robust plan to manage risks and needs in the community can be formulated
• In delivering these services, we successfully provide a direct alternative to custodial remand for those assessed as suitable, enabling a reduction in prison numbers and avoiding detrimental impact to housing, employability and relationships. 

National Outcome: More people are assessed for and successfully complete bail supervision

National Indicators- Number of:

• Assessment reports for bail suitability
• Bail supervision cases commenced
• Bail supervision cases completed 

During the reporting year 32 Bail Suitability Assessments were carried out. This resulted in 5 Bail Supervision cases commencing. Of those cases commenced, 3 were completed.

CJED Outcome Assessment: 

The number of suitability assessments shows an emerging pattern of increase in line with the desired direction.

The number of commencements shows an emerging pattern of increase in line with the desired direction.

The number of completions shows no emerging pattern where the desired direction is to increase.

Priority 4 - Strengthen options for safe and supported management in the community by increasing and widening the use of electronic monitoring technologies

What does this mean?

Electronic monitoring (also known as tagging) is a system that uses technology to monitor curfews and conditions of an order or licence from a court or the prison service. Monitoring assists with ensuring a person remains in a specific place for a particular time, be excluded from a specific location, or expected to attend a specific location within a timeframe. Electronic monitoring can be tailored to specific conditions related to the person (e.g. restrictions only at evenings / weekends or to avoid people / places which may be detrimental to them). It can be imposed as a standalone option of Bail or as an addition to Bail Supervision. 

What partnership activity took place in 2024-25 towards this priority?

In the 2024/25 Local Delivery Plan addressing priority areas in the Community Justice Outcome Improvement Plan (CJOIP), the partnership committed to continue to:

• Organise multi agency awareness sessions on EM with G4S
• Organise EM awareness session for JSW with G4S.

During the reporting year there were two people in East Dunbartonshire, one male and one female, who had Electronic Monitoring as part of their Bail Supervision. 

Six people were released on Home Detention Curfew (HDC) to East Dunbartonshire, by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS).

During the reporting year, a number of meetings were held between CJED and G4S monitoring services, now known as ‘Allied Universal (AU)’ to establish communication pathways regarding numbers on EM/HDC in the community and reporting potential risk factors to G4S for installation staff, 70% of whom are lone female workers.

AU have delivered EM awareness sessions to the CJ partnership, with discussions ongoing to include in JSW team meeting rota.

An AU representative attends the CJ Partnership giving regular updates.

The CJ Coordinator and JSW Treatment Manager are EM Champions for East Dunbartonshire.

Priority 5 - Ensure that those given community sentences are supervised and supported appropriately to protect the public, promote desistence from offending and enable rehabilitation by delivering high quality, consistently available, trauma-informed services and programmes.

What does this mean?

We know from evidence and research that community interventions are more effective than short prison sentences. After a person is convicted of an offence, one of the options available to the court is to impose a Community Payback Order (CPO). Using a CPO where appropriate, allows a person to serve their sentence in the community rather than in prison. A CPO will contain one or more of 10 requirements including unpaid work, alcohol / drug treatment and supervision, delivered by JSW. Unpaid work provides people with a constructive means to repair harm caused by their involvement in offending. It involves 'making good' to the victim and / or the community via engagement in rehabilitative work. Reparation via unpaid work supports the strengthening of relationships with others in the community, improves employability where appropriate, and supports the development of a new pro-social identity.

Nationally determined outcome: More people access services to support desistence and successfully complete community sentences

National indicator, Percentage of:

• Community payback orders successfully completed
• Drug treatment and testing orders successfully completed.

In 2024/25 there were 151 Community Payback Orders commenced, a rate of 21 orders per 10k population. More men (85%) had a CPO imposed this year as opposed to women (15%). Of all CPOs imposed, the majority were for adults aged 31-40 years of age (25%) and over 40 years of age (40%).

The percentage of community payback orders successfully completed has fluctuated over the time period. There has been a increase of 2% compared to last year. The source of this data is justice social work. The percentage of successfully completed orders is calculated as: (Number of orders completed successfully plus those subject to early discharge in the financial year) DIVIDED BY (Number of orders terminated in financial year minus Number of orders terminated in the financial year due to being transferred to another area).

The number of Drug Treatment and Testing orders have always been low in East Dunbartonshire with a maximum of two orders in any given year over the timeframe. There were no DTTOs during the reporting year.

Individual suitability and local use of DTTO is nuanced and complex. The prevalence of DTTOs can be displaced by the use of Structured Deferred Sentences with a total of 15 during the reporting year. 
There were also 17 CPOs with conduct requirements that stipulated engagement with treatment to address addiction issues.

CJED Outcome Assessment: 

The percentage of CPO completions shows an emerging pattern of increase in line with the desired direction.

The small numbers of DTTOs means that the percentage of completions is not statistically valid.

What partnership activity took place in 2024-25 towards this priority?

In the 2024/25 Local Delivery Plan addressing priority areas in the Community Justice Out-come Improvement Plan (CJOIP), the partnership committed to continue to:

• Deliver programmes such as MFMC; Up2U domestic abuse programme
• Maintain or establish referral pathways to key partner agencies for all community-based orders
• Gather, analyse, and produce reports based on information from order completion ques-tionnaires
• Establish a justice service user group
• Engage with TIP coordinator
• Ensure TIP training is rolled out across partners services.

Deliver programmes such as MFMC; Up2U domestic abuse programme.

• Having successfully completed the pilot, Moving Forward Two Change (MF2C) Programme was rolled out in East Dunbartonshire for all service users convicted of sexual offences who have a programme requirement stipulated by the court
• This evidenced based programme was designed to replace the Moving Forward Making Changes (MFMC) Programme, for men convicted of sexual offences
• The MF2C programme aims to reduce the risk of sexual recidivism and promote desistance by utilising evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) based approaches informed by additional therapies and techniques such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) and Mindfulness. Positive approaches are further incorporated (Good Lives Model, Desistance, and Life Course) to target criminogenic needs in a strengths-based and trauma informed framework
• The programme is delivered twice per week, one daytime and one evening session delivered by trained JSW and sessional SPS staff
• MFMC continues to be delivered by trained JSW group facilitators on a 1-1 or 2-1 basis
• During the reporting year nine clients attended MFMC/MF2C as part of a programme requirement
• We do not have funding to support the implementation of the Caledonian Programme. To support desistance from the perpetration of Domestic Abuse, East Dunbartonshire JSW introduced and deliver the Up2U Creating Healthy Relationships perpetrator programme
• The programme is for men who use domestically abusive behaviours in their intimate partner relationships.  It is suitable for men age 16+ and for people in same sex relationships – who are subject to a standard supervision requirement within a Community Payback Order or licence condition. The programme has been delivered since 2019 and can be delivered on a group or 1-to-1 basis
• During the reporting year, eight clients attended and completed the Up2U Creating Healthy Relationships perpetrator programme.

Maintain or establish referral pathways to key partner agencies for all community-based orders.

• Referral pathways are in place for all relevant key partner agencies to support the com-plex needs of people in contact with the justice system whether it is housing, addiction, mental health or other issues. This will be further evidenced through the end of order questionnaire comments below
• An initiative that was introduced in 2024-25 was a collaboration with services in East Dunbartonshire to create and develop a One-Stop-Shop for people in contact with Jus-tice Services. The logic behind the initiative was to enable people to access support services when attending the Justice Office for either unpaid work or supervision, thus relieving the stress of attending appointments at other locations, which historically we know hardly happen
• Eight support service providers agreed to participate in the initiative, which is still in its infancy. These are Housing and Homelessness Services; Citizens Advice; Men Matters; Glasgow Council on Alcohol; With You; GRACE; The Foundry (SAMH); Venture Trust
• The services attend the Justice Office on a Wednesday morning on a timetabled basis. Each with a one-hour slot with 4x15 minute appointments. The appointments are made by supervising social workers on behalf of the person. To promote the initiative and ser-vices further, a mini meet the services event is being organised in the group room in Justice Services. This will allow people to talk directly with services and find out how they can support them in aspects of their lives that can break the cycle of offending
• Since the inception of the one stop shop, 40 people have made appointments with the services.

Gather, analyse, and produce reports based on information from order completion questionnaires.

Order completion questionnaires continue to be collated and analysed. These are used in reports produced for CJS and SG to demonstrate outcomes. During the reporting year 16 people who were subject to supervision through a CPO or licence completed an end of order questionnaire. The questions used are outlined below with examples of comments made by people. 

During the reporting period 23 people who were subject to Unpaid Work (UPW) as part of a CPO completed an end of order questionnaire. The questions used are outlined below with examples of comments made by people.

• Clients’ comments are taken onboard in order to improve the service
• The Justice Social Work Team hold regular practice development sessions as part of the ongoing self-evaluation and quality assurance of the service.

Establish a justice service user group
Engage with TIP coordinator
Ensure TIP training is rolled out across partners services.

The Peer Navigator in collaboration with the JSW student during this year has reestablished the Service User Group.

The TIP Coordinator has been invited to be a member of the CJ partnership

Multi agency Transforming Connections all day sessions are delivered monthly by the trauma training team.  A Trauma Informed package has been developed, and bespoke sessions are delivered to other teams.

Priority 6 - Ensure restorative justice is available across Scotland to all those who wish to access it by promoting and supporting the appropriate and safe provision of available services

No nationally determined outcome or Indicators

What does this mean?

Restorative justice brings those harmed by crime or conflict and those responsible for the harm into communication, enabling everyone affected by a particular incident to play a part in repairing the harm and finding a positive way forward.

Restorative justice has many, evidence-based benefits for those who experience harm and those who cause harm, their families and communities. This includes choice, empowerment, voice, recovery, improved wellbeing and desistance from causing further harm.

What partnership activity took place in 2024-25 towards this priority?

This priority action was identified by Scottish Government as requiring nationally-driven actions as set out by the community justice strategy delivery plan. Given this is a developing area that does not have a national outcome, as a partnership we are awaiting guidance from the national implementation team before discussing and deciding which partner/s would be best placed to develop and introduce a service in East Dunbartonshire, over the lifespan of this CJOIP. CJS do not expect many local areas to have undertaken significant activity in relation to this area.

As a partnership we will ensure:

• We take cognisance of the National Action Plan.
• Engage with the RJ Implementation Team
• Develop an RJ service as and when appropriate to do so.

Priority 7 - Enhance individuals' access to health and social care and continuity of care following release from prison by improving the sharing of information and partnership-working between relevant partners

What does this mean?

There are many complex needs for which individuals require person-centred support on entering and leaving custody. Collaborative working across multi-agency partnerships is required to ensure that both relevant information is made available on admission to support the healthcare needs of individuals while they are in custody, and that transition from custody to community is seamless, with health needs supported to ensure successful reintegration where people do not experience stigma and discrimination upon accessing services. An example of this is working to ensure all people released from prison are registered with a GP in their local area and helping to facilitate this if necessary.

What partnership activity took place in 2024-25 towards this priority?

The 2023/24 Local Delivery Plan committed the partnership to:

‘Ensure that people’s needs are addressed prior to release from a custodial sentence’

‘Ensure that people in East Dunbartonshire have greater access to co-ordinated support where appropriate on release’.

‘Continue to case manage people’s needs through the Reintegration Group’

‘’Ensure Community Justice Services are responsive to the specific needs of women.’

• The Multi Agency Reintegration group, which is a multi-agency forum that case manages residents returning to the community following a custodial sentence, ensures all supports are in place as well as any victim safety issues. The group meets every 6 weeks and ensures that all aspects required to support the person on release are set up and in place prior to their release
• Voluntary Throughcare letters offering support and a list of available services in East Dunbartonshire are sent to all people being released from a custodial sentence who are not open to JSW on a statutory basis 
• The group case managed 38 people between April 2024 and March 2025 and achieved 60% engagement of individuals referred through the group to alcohol and drug recovery services, and a positive outcome for 75% of the individuals referred through the group to the Housing and Homelessness Service. Only 13% compared to 18% in 2023-24 of released residents had a statutory Justice social work intervention. 24% of the people discussed were returning to another local authority on release. Of the 38 releases two were female and their needs were managed appropriately due to their vulnerability and potential risks on release
• As part of the ongoing development of the group, during 2024/25, potential releases on parole were introduced for discussion to ensure all supports and services are in place prior to the parole board decision to release allowing partner agencies to be timeously aware of the pending release.

Nationally determined outcome: More people have access to, and continuity of, health and social care following release from a prison sentence

National indicator: Number of transfers in drug/alcohol treatments from custody to community. 

There is currently no up to date trend data for this indicator.

Priority 8 - Ensure that the housing needs of individuals in prison are addressed consistently and at an early stage by fully implementing and embedding the Sustainable Housing on Release for Everyone (SHORE) standards across all local authority areas

What does this mean?

We know that people who have access to stable housing are less likely to offend, and that people who are leaving prison are often without a permanent address and in need of support from local housing services to find accommodation. The SHORE standards were developed to ensure that everyone has access to sustainable housing when they are released which will in turn reduce homelessness and re-offending rates.

What partnership activity took place in 2024-25 towards this priority?

The 2024/25 Local Delivery Plan set out that the partnership would commit to:

‘Ensure that people’s needs are addressed prior to release from a custodial sentence’

‘Ensure that people in East Dunbartonshire have greater access to co-ordinated support where appropriate on release’.

‘Continue to case manage people’s needs through the Reintegration Group’

‘Ensure Community Justice Services are responsive to the specific needs of women.’

The Housing representative who attends the Reintegration subgroup is the Homelessness SHORE standards officer who has a wealth of experience supporting people returning to East Dunbartonshire after serving a custodial sentence. As reported above there was a positive outcome for 75% of the individuals referred through the Reintegration Group to the Housing and Homelessness Service.

The biggest challenge remains that night shelter/hostel and Rapid Access are deemed suitable as per housing/homelessness legislation. However, some applicants are not suitable for this type of accommodation due to type of crime committed and other risk concerns. This has caused concerns with other partners that work to different legislation.

During 2024/25 the Homelessness and Prevention Team supported people leaving prison.

• Eight homeless applications were taken from applicants leaving prison
• Six of these applicants were provided with temporary accommodation
• One has been rehoused permanently, housing support was provided to enable him to sustain the tenancy
• One applicant discontinued contact
• One has returned to prison and 
• Five are awaiting permanent accommodation

The Homelessness and Prevention Team has a dedicated Officer to assist with enquiries from the SPS and link in with applicants/tenants as/when required, ensuring that advice/support is given prerelease.
 
Due to the continued increase in homelessness across Scotland and high demand for temporary accommodation in the area where applicants don’t engage during pre-release timescales it is difficult for the Council to offer self-contained accommodation.  As a result, some applicants have been offered Rapid Access Accommodation and/or hostel/night shelter.
 
National Outcome:
More people have access to suitable accommodation following release from a prison sentence

National Indicator:
Number of homelessness applications where prison was the property the main applicant became homeless from was eight.

This indicator measures the number of homelessness applications made to East Dunbartonshire by people on release from prison. We are aiming to decrease this number by ensuring people leave prison with suitable accommodation to return to as outlined above.

In East Dunbartonshire, over the last eight years, annual figures have fluctuated year on year. It should be noted that figures are rounded to the nearest 5 for disclosure control purposes.

CJED Outcome Assessment: 

The number of homelessness applications where prison was the property the main applicant became homeless from, shows no emerging pattern where the desired direction is to de-crease.

Priority 9 - Enhance individual's life skills and readiness for employment by ensuring increased access to employability support through effective education, learning, training, career services and relevant benefit services

What does this mean?

Having a job has been shown to reduce someone’s likelihood of offending. Therefore, supporting individuals to undertake training and education pathways with a view to accessing, retaining and sustaining employment before, during and after they are involved in the justice system is critical.

What partnership activity took place in 2024-25 towards this priority?

The 2024/25 Local Delivery Plan set out that the partnership would commit to:

‘Work in collaboration with the local employability partnership (LEP) to ensure the employment readiness needs of people in contact with the Justice system are met.’

There is an effective link between the Local Employability Partnership (LEP) and the Community Justice Partnership which resulted in the introduction and funding of the ‘Make it Work’ initiative. Due to the successful operation and outcomes of the project, the ‘Make it Work’ initiative funding was continued into 2024/25 by the Local Employability Partnership (LEP) through the No One Left Behind (NOLB) fund.

The programme has gone from strength to strength and has embedded successfully into the local employability landscape.

An employment advisor is co-located within Justice Services and takes referrals from Justice Social Workers (JSW) for clients on Community Payback Orders as well as supporting clients on DfP, and on release from custody as a member of the Reintegration Group.

The employment advisor attends supervision appointments with Community Justice Social Workers to encourage engagements and to ensure referral process is efficient.

The advisor works with clients to: 

• Support to help increase confidence and personal motivation
• Source work placements/work trials and volunteering opportunities
• Explore training and education opportunities
• Help build their CV
• Give job searching and application support
• Prepare you for Interviews
• Offer employer guidance and in-work support.

There is an effective link between the Local Employability Partnership (LEP) and the Community Justice Partnership which resulted in the introduction and funding of the ‘Make it Work’ initiative. There is cross representation on both partnerships, this includes Skills Development Scotland and the CJ Coordinator. This relationship continues to flourish.
 
Nationally determined outcome: 
More people with convictions access support to enhance their readiness for Em-ployment

National indicator
Percentage of those in No One Left Behind (NOLB) employability services with convictions

As can be seen on the chart below, there were 39 starts on the ‘Make it Work’ programme, funded by the Local Employability Partnership through the NOLB fund, in the reporting year. Of those, 18 achieved qualifications and 13 went on to start in employment.

The number of NOLB participants with the 'Make it Work' Justice Programme:

• Job starts 13
• Qualifications 18
• Number of starts 39

CJED Outcome Assessment: 
The percentage of people referred to NOLB employability programmes with a criminal record shows an emerging pattern where the desired direction is to increase.

Priority 10 - Enhance community integration and support by increasing and promoting greater use of voluntary throughcare and third sector services

What does this mean?

Throughcare support exists to help people re-engage with communities and public services they may have disconnected from while in prison. Throughcare is delivered on either a statutory basis (people who have served a long term (4+ years) prison sentence or were convicted of a sexual offence must work with throughcare services, usually delivered by Local Authority Justice Services) or a voluntary basis (people who have served a sentence under 4 years are eligible to receive voluntary support from JSW or from third sector organisations).

What partnership activity took place in 2024-25 towards this priority?

The 2024/25 Local Delivery Plan set out that the partnership would continue to:

‘Ensure Voluntary Throughcare is offered to all releases not on Statutory Throughcare.’

‘Continue to maintain information flow regarding the commissioning of the National Voluntary Throughcare and Mentoring service.’

• There are a range of support options available at liberation including voluntary through-care support provided by justice social work, national throughcare and mentoring ser-vices, and local services provided by third sector organisations
• National voluntary throughcare and mentoring provision has been recommissioned by Scottish Government. This process is being led by Community Justice Scotland
• The partnership has received updates by CJS on this work. The new service is being expanded and enhanced to ensure greater and equitable coverage and will provide im-proved access to a range of services for people leaving prison following a short-term prison service and people on remand
• The new National VT and mentoring service will come into force on 1.4.25. Sacro were successful in winning the contract as lead organisation
• The Sacro representative who sits on the partnership provided regular updates
• As a partnership we continue to work together with all our partners to ensure that effec-tive throughcare support services are in place and consistently offered
• We will ensure that robust co-ordination and planning processes are in place with the new national VT and mentoring service
• Voluntary Throughcare letters are sent to all residents, who are not open to Justice So-cial Work on a statutory order, prior to release from a custodial sentence along with a list of key support services. Of the 38 people who were released from a custodial sentence from April 2024 to March 2025, 19 were offered voluntary throughcare, 1(5%) took up the offer and engaged on a voluntary basis on release
• Four people signed up with and engaged with the New Routes service on release from a custodial sentence and was supported by a peer mentor
• This has enabled people to get further ongoing support with specific issues and referrals to other specialist agencies. 

Nationally determined outcome: 
More people access voluntary throughcare following a short-term prison sentence

National indicator: 
Number of voluntary throughcare cases commenced was 1.

CJED Outcome Assessment: 
The number of voluntary throughcare cases commenced shows no emerging pattern where the desired direction is to increase.

Priority 11 - Deliver improved community justice outcomes by ensuring that effective leadership and governance arrangements are in place and working well, collaborating with partners and planning strategically

What does this mean?

The Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 names a range of statutory services who are responsible for progressing local efforts towards the national aims. The outcomes which the National Strategy for Community Justice is aiming for can only be achieved by these services working together. Strong, inclusive and innovative leadership is required, at both local and national level, with effective accountability and communication mechanisms between national organisations and their representatives driving community justice partnership activity locally, in addition to collective local partnership accountability arrangements.

What partnership activity took place in 2024-25 towards this priority?

The 2024/25 Local Delivery Plan set out that the partnership would commit to continue to:

‘Deliver improved community justice outcomes by ensuring that effective leadership and governance arrangements are in place and working well.’

‘Implement the Community Justice Performance Framework & Improvement Tool and use this evidence to review and prioritise outcomes and actions annually.’

• Mechanisms are in place to deliver improved community justice outcomes by ensuring that effective leadership and governance arrangements are in place and working well, collaborating with partners and planning strategically
• The 2023-26 Community Justice Outcome Improvement Plan (CJOIP) has been devel-oped, agreed and published
• Identified areas were prioritised across the lifespan of the CJOIP, with an annual deliv-ery plan for 2024-25 focussing on actions to work towards the priority areas identified for Year 2-3
• The CJOIP includes a participation statement that was shared by Community Justice Scotland as an example of good practice
• There are seven representatives from non-statutory third sector organisations that at-tend the Community Justice Partnership. The Third Sector Interface also attends the partnership representing the voluntary organisations in East Dunbartonshire
• Other non-statutory partners are represented on both the Reintegration and Prevention Intervention and Diversion subgroups
• The current partnership arrangements support and enable strategic and collaborative service planning and delivery to support desistance, reduce offending and promote in-tegration
• This includes representation across a number of key strategic groups including the COPFS Sheriffdom Group for both North Strathclyde and Glasgow, HSCP Strategic Planning Group, VAWG Partnership, ADP, Local Employability Partnership, East Dun-bartonshire ACEs and Trauma Collaborative and Community Justice Health Improve-ment Strategic Group
• At all partnership meetings there are targeted presentations based on the local out-comes from key stakeholders and national partners to support the CJOIP and delivery plan. this has included specific presentations on electronic monitoring, diversion from prosecution, restorative justice, trauma informed practice, the Community Justice land-scape, whole family wellbeing.

The 2024/25 Local Delivery Plan also set out that the partnership would continue to:

‘Use the Care Inspectorate self-evaluation guide to support quality improvement with a focus on Leadership and Direction.’

• At the latter end of the 2023/24 reporting year Community Justice East Dunbartonshire embarked on a self-evaluation of the partnership focussing initially on quality indicators 6 through 9 from the Care Inspectorate CJSE tool
• The initial step was in the distribution of a questionnaire focussed on Key area 6. The responses were collated into a report for the partnership and circulated for discussion
• During 2024/25 this process was repeated for Key areas 8 and 9 using the Care Inspectorate Staged Approach
• A facilitated in person session was organised and facilitated by the Senior Organisation-al Development Advisor for the Health and Social Care Partnership in collaboration with the partnership.

Priority 12 - Enhance partnership planning and implementation by ensuring the voices of victims of crime, survivors, those with lived experience and their families are effectively incorporated and embedded

What does this mean?

It is vitally important that the services delivering community justice are planned with the thoughts and experiences of the people impacted by crime. To understand what is important to our communities and to promote inclusivity, community justice partners should ensure that those with lived experience of the justice system, including victims of crime, have the opportunity to appropriately and effectively participate. Their experience should be represented to help inform policy development, implementation, and the design and delivery of services.

What partnership activity took place in 2024-25 towards this priority?

CJED has strong relationships and representation with the local third sector interface and with a range of third sector and victim organisations.

Resources are collectively shared to improve outcomes for all victims and individuals engaged in and affected by the justice system.

The 2024/25 Local Delivery Plan set out that the partnership would: 

‘Ensure Community Justice Services are responsive to the specific needs of women.’

• During the reporting year, JSW partners have continued to commission a women’s sup-port worker from SACRO. The role supports the women who are on statutory orders and Diversion from Prosecution
• In partnership with the Lennox Partnership, the women’s support worker continues to facilitate a women’s peer support group.

‘Explore options to improve outcomes for women whose lives are affected by all forms of gen-der-based violence’

• There remains a strong relationship between CJED and East Dunbartonshire Women’s Aid (EDWA)
• There is an EDWA representative on the partnership with good engagement and rela-tionships
• All DA issues raised through the Reintegration Group are communicated with EDWA for victim/survivor safety via the Police LALO
• There is a strong working relationship between CJED and the VAWG partnership result-ing in shared understanding of the impact that the justice system has on vic-tims/survivors
• The CJ coordinator has chaired the Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership (Empowered) meetings and currently acts as Vice Chair of the partnership whilst also attending the National VAWG network
• Domestic abuse training delivered by EDWA, continued to be offered to the workforce via the joint training calendar this included attendance by partner agencies
• The partnership continues to support the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) for high-risk domestic abuse victims
• Comprehensive training has been rolled out for staff to identify risk and refer to the ap-propriate support
• Safe and Together, was introduced in 2021 in East Dunbartonshire and aims to better identify domestic abuse; increase survivor safety and support; keep children with nonof-fending parents whenever possible and avoid re-traumatisation. CJED has continued to support the implementation and roll out of training
• The Safe and Together Lead Officer attends CJED and provides regular updates
• All Justice Staff will be trained in Safe and Together.

 ‘Include the voices of women in this process by meeting with, and engaging with, survivors of domestic and sexual abuse’

• This is an area that has progressed in partnership with East Dunbartonshire Women’s Aid. EDWA facilitate peer support groups for women affected by domestic abuse. Feed-back and case studies will be collected from survivors, during their peer support groups, telling the story of how they were treated by the justice system
• There is also cross representation on the Community Justice Partnership and the Vio-lence Against Women and Girls Partnership. This will continue to be the case moving forward to ensure that victim safety is a priority across all partner agencies. 

‘Work with Victim organisations to empower people affected by crime.’

• All victim issues are taken into consideration by JSW partners when compiling reports and working with clients
• Known victim issues are taken into account by the Reintegration Group when discuss-ing scheduled releases
• Victim Support Scotland and the third sector interface are represented on CJED
• We collectively share resource to improve outcomes for all victims and individuals en-gaged in justice
• A developing focus on the needs of victims, and recent legislative change that results in new rights for victims in the parole process has led to the need to create a new Victims Team in Parole Board Scotland
• This team is dedicated to improving the service received for victims across Scotland and ensure they have a voice in the Parole Process
• SFRS have worked in partnership with this team on the ‘Safe Space Initiative’ which has allowed the Victims Team to safely facilitate victim interviews and observations. SFRS has facilitated 13 observations to date.

Priority 13 - Support integration and reduce stigma by ensuring the community and workforce have an improved understanding of and confidence in community justice

What does this mean?

Despite around 1 in 5 adults in Scotland having a criminal conviction, people involved in the justice system can experience significant levels of stigma, particularly if they have been in prison. This stigma can adversely impact someone’s employability, social ties, housing stability etc. By increasing the knowledge of the effectiveness of community justice, and the various underlying needs which can impact someone’s criminal behaviour, we can reduce stigma and make it easier for people to re-integrate with communities.

What partnership activity took place in 2024-25 towards this priority?

The 2024/25 Local Delivery Plan set out that the partnership would: 

‘Work in collaboration with the ADP to embed Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards in Community Justice.’

• Continue the work of the joint implementation group established with ADP Coordinator GGC MAT standards project manager and CJ Coordinator to ensure that MAT 1-5 are embedded in JSW and Community Justice partner settings. This work continues to be ongoing
• There is cross representation on both CJED and the ADP partnerships 
• There is representation from CJED on the various ADP working groups e.g. The sub-stance use prevention group, the suicide prevention group where we work in partner-ship to reduce stigma
• CJED continues through the current arrangements to enable strategic and collaborative planning and delivery to support desistance, reduce offending, promote integration and reduce stigma
• High levels of engagement, cross representation and co-ordination across all strategic multi agency partnerships resulting in effective and efficient use of shared resource
• Representatives from both CJED and the Community Safety Partnership work in collab-oration towards the Outcomes in the Local Outcome Improvement Plan
• CJED partners attend the Promise steering group and the Safe and Together steering group as well as the Child Protection Committee and the Adult Protection Committee meetings
• Partners also attend the Public Protection leadership group meetings
• Community Justice is directly represented on the East Dunbartonshire ACEs and Trau-ma Collaborative (EDACT) enabling contribution and supporting co-ordination of the im-plementation plan
• The CJ Coordinator is a member of the Trauma Trainers Group working closely with the Trauma Informed Practice coordinator and other trainers to deliver Trauma Informed Practice Level 1 and 2 training
• 318 members of the East Dunbartonshire Workforce across both statutory and non-statutory organisations have been trained in Transforming Connections Trauma, (Trau-ma Skilled) up to April 2025
• 63 members of the workforce have been trained in bespoke Trauma Informed Level 1
• There is good uptake for the 2025 programme of training
• Work is ongoing to provide Level 3 training to relevant members of the workforce.

Nationally determined outcome: 
More people across the workforce and in the community understand, and have confidence in, community justice

National indicator: 
Percentage of people who agree that people should help their community as part of a community sentence rather than spend a few months in prison for a minor offence

This data is currently only available at national level and is taken from the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey - a large-scale social survey which asks people about their experiences and perceptions of crime in Scotland. There is a time lag with this information as it is from a large survey, but it gives a very important national picture of the public confidence in this area.

CJED Outcome Assessment: 
There has been no significant change in this indicator across Scotland.