Transcript Introduction to Working with Sexual Abuse

New Directions in
Sex Offender Practice
Centre for Forensic and Criminological
Psychology
20th April 2015
Midlands Circles of Support
& Accountability Project
Staffordshire
West
Midlands
West
Mercia
Central England
Quakers
Warwickshire
The Lucy Faithfull
Foundation
Heantun
Housing
Circles of Support and
Accountability
The Lucy Faithfull Foundation is a child protection
charity which works with child sexual abusers,
abused adults, children and their families, and also
trains child protection professionals.
Until its closure it ran the Wolvercote Clinic which
was the only dedicated residential treatment centre
for sex offenders in the UK.
Circles were initially set up to help its clients resettle
into the community following treatment.
Circles UK is a new national charity set up to
encourage the development of Circles and to
ensure consistent quality standards and safety
in this work. Circles UK is run by a small team
based in Reading, Berkshire. It delivers
training and information to support the
development and management of Circles
within an agreed code of practice, thus
providing the quality assurance which allows
statutory agencies to make referrals to Circles
with confidence.
Circles of Support & Accountability
Circles started in Hamilton, Ontario. The thinking
was simple
“We wanted to say, very simply, your name is not
“unwanted, unloved, your not an outsider”. We
want to call you “one of us, friend, neighbour””
Harry Nigh, Welcome In Community Church,
Hamilton, Ontario
Circles of Support and Accountability
The Three Key Principles
Support
Monitor
Maintenance
Reduce Reoffending
Saunders & Wilson 2002; Circles UK Code of Practice
support
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Reduce isolation and emotional loneliness
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Model appropriate relationships
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Demonstrate humanity and care
monitor
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Public protection
Support statutory agencies, police, probation,
MAPPA
Safer communities
maintain
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Hold core member accountable
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Relationship of trust
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Maintain treatment objectives
Why are Circles important?
Listening to the stories told by the victims of sexual
abuse is only half the battle.
Being willing to listen to the stories of offenders can help
us win the war.
Pamela Schultz (2005) Not Monsters.
Rowman & Littlefield
You feel absolute stark
terror. You’re coming out
into a society that you
know hates you, that
treats you with loathing
and contempt. You
expect abuse, you expect
to be ostracised at best,
beaten up at worst. And
you’re terrified of
yourself…….
(A sex offender quoted by Libby
Brooks The Guardian 21st June
1999 © The Guardian)
Sexual offence (s) committed against children
Higher risk of reoffending
Perceived high level of need
Socially and emotionally isolated
Limited support network
Ideally, but not essential, completed a treatment programme (SOTP, CSOGP,
ISOTP, Better Lives)
Motivated to stop reoffending; has relapse prevention strategies in place
Monitored under local MAPPA (any level) risk-need is the key element.
Ideally coming towards the end of supervision
Self-motivated to be part of COSA-understands benefits.
Circles of Support and Accountability
What does a Circle look like?
The Circle is set up at the request of the Core
Member,who wants to stop offending. They are
generally socially isolated and have little or no support
networks.
The Circle relates to others such as family members,
police, treatment professionals, probation service,
church leaders, educators and self -help groups (e.g.
alcoholics anonymous)
Circles of Support and Accountability
What does a Circle look like?
A Circle of Support and Accountability is a group of
volunteers drawn from the community.
The ideal size for a Circle is 4 to 6 members - small
enough to optimise trust and communication among
Circle members, and large enough to share
responsibility for the Core Member’s (offender’s)
support needs.
Circles of Support & Accountability
Professionals
Core member
Volunteers
The Circle comprises volunteers from the community
who are supported by professional staff
Circles of Support and
Accountability
Training programme
Background and purpose of Circles
Criminal justice system as it applies to sex offenders
Understanding sexual offending
Sex offender treatment including relapse
prevention strategies and plans
Building a Circle of Support and Accountability
Setting up the Circle
LIFE
Healthy Living &
Functioning
RELATEDNESS
including intimate
romantic and
familial
relationships
Inner Peace /
Freedom from
emotional
Turmoil and
stress
Excellence in work
including mastery
experiences
Excellence in play
hobbies interests
A
Excellence in agency
autonomy
‘Good Life’
power
self-diretedness
SPIRITUALITY
in the broad sense
of finding meaning
and purpose in life
PLEASURE
feeling good in
the here and
now
COMMUNITY
connection to wider
social groups
CREATIVITY
KNOWLEDGE
expressing oneself
through alternative
forms
how well informed
one feels
Adapted from Tony Ward
Circles of Support and
Accountability
Is About:
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Helping an offender to reintegrate into the
community.
Enhancing public safety when there is a
perceived element of risk.
Acting as a support and as a safety
mechanism.
Circles of Support and
Accountability
Is not about:
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
Being a therapist
Evangelism/A religious conversion, The offender
may have no Faith
Looking for thanks or gratitude.
Each Circle of Support and
Accountability has
A written contract between all Circle
members
Looking at the following
 Commitment and attendance
 Confidentiality
 Boundaries
 Special needs
 Relapse prevention plan
Circles of Support and
Accountability
Aims of a Circle

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To help an offender settle in the community
To support his efforts to lead an offence free life
To hold him accountable for his risky behaviour
To provide a point of contact when needed.
Circles of Support and
Accountability
For whom is a Circle suitable?
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Ideally for sex offenders who have completed a
treatment programme
For those who can be relied on to attend regularly
For offenders who are isolated/emotionally lonely
For offenders who still pose a risk but want to
manage it.
Circles of Support and Accountability
VOLUNTEERS-WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR
-People of maturity
-No previous experience necessary
-Representing regular community
- Gender and age balance
- Diverse background and interests
- One year initial commitment
-Supported by professional staff
-Selected if possible to meet the
needs of the Core Member
Circles of Support and
Accountability
The VOLUNTEER process
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Briefing
Application
References
Police checks
Training
Interview
Commence Circle
Circles of Support and Accountability
SO WHY CIRCLES?
NO MORE VICTIMS
Circles of Support and Accountability
The Three Key Principles
Support
Monitor
Maintenance
Reduce Reoffending
Saunders & Wilson 2002; Circles UK Code of Practice
Assessing Desistance in Child Molesters
(Farmer, Beech & Ward, 2011)

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Compared child molesters who were desisting
from offending to potentially active offenders
Desisting group
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optimistic for the future, reported an enhanced
sense of personal agency, internal locus of
control and identified treatment as a turning
point in their lives
Had found a place within a social group or
network.
Active group

pessimistic, blaming of external events or
situations for their problems, socially isolated and
alienated
Restorative justice (from McCartan et
al., 2014)
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Restorative justice is concerned with offender remorse,
repair and reconciliation
Whilst CoSA does not involve the victim and offender
directly in a restorative process, the combination of the
local community’s disapproval of offending, finding a
positive way forward for the offender, as well as holding
the Core Member to account are key to CoSA
In this sense, CoSA can be understood as a restorative
intervention, with a focus on offender accountability and
support, safe community reintegration, and where
possible behaviour change.
Results
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From the study analysis, the average cost of a “Circle”
was estimated to be £11,303 per annum
And appears to produce a 50% reduction in
reoffending (sexual and nonsexual), as the estimated
cost of reoffending was estimated to be £147,161 per
offender, per annum
Based on a hypothetical cohort of 100 offenders—50
of whom receive CoSA and 50 of whom do not—
investment in CoSA appears to provide a cost saving
of £23,494
Accounting for estimates the full extent of the cost to
society may be 5 to 10 times the tangible costs
substantially increases estimated cost savings related
to CoSA.
Circles of Support and Accountability
BENFITS
NO MORE VICTIMS
Core Member
Volunteers
Community
Professional Agencies
Circles of Support and Accountability
Where are Circles set up?
Wherever the offender intends to live
We have set up Circles in:Leamington Spa
Nuneaton
Warwick
Birminghamx5
West Bromwich
Stourbridge
Wolverhampton
Droitwich
Shrewsburyx2
Cannock
Stoke on Trent
Circles of Support and Accountability
We are currently working on Circles in the
following areas
West Midlands
West Mercia
Warwicksire
Staffordshire
The Midlands COSA Project
Steve Davies
Project Manager
[email protected]
07943 805263
01372 847160-Epsom
01527 591924-Alvechurch