Local Justice Awards 2008
Over 70 members of staff who work in the Criminal Justice System attended a local Justice Awards ceremony held by the Cheshire Criminal Justice Board to recognise their hard work, dedication and efforts.
The event, held at Portal Premiership golf club, involved staff from Cheshire that had been nominated for the National Justice Awards to recognise teams and individuals across the Criminal Justice System who have gone the extra mile to deliver justice.
Throughout Cheshire 19 nominations including teams and individuals covering around 160 members of staff were put forward this year and representatives of these teams attended Portal to receive certificates from Ian Rushton, Chair of the Board and Chief Crown Prosecutor of CPS Cheshire; and Board members Steve Collett, Chief Officer of Cheshire Probation Service, Carolyn Schofield, Legal Services Commission, Geoffrey Appleton acting Area Director of Her Majesty’s Courts Service, Cheshire and Merseyside; Andrew Dickinson, acting Governor of HM Prison Risley; DSI Peter Rigby of the Administration of Justice Department of Cheshire Police.
The nominees from the Police, CPS, Her Majesty’s Courts Service, Probation, Witness Care Units, Prison Service, Youth Offending Teams as well as the fire service and local authorities were named for efforts ranging from caring for witnesses, working with offenders, engaging communities, voluntary work, working with youths and long service.
1. Congleton Neighbourhood Policing Unit
The team has had significant arrests for drug supply and are responsible for the current imprisonment of ten of the borough’s most prolific and persistent offenders. Significant work has also been undertaken by members of the team to engage with all sections of the community, especially young people establishing several youth diversion activities including a boxing club, basketball sessions, football competitions and a series of rock concerts in Alsager Park.
2. Warrington East Neighbourhood Policing Unit
The Warrington East Neighbourhood policing team was nominated thanks to its work with the community and reduction in crime. The policing team has reduced all crime in its area by 22% during an 18 month period. The catalyst for this was a policing strategy that placed community engagement and involvement at the core of its operations. The team use directed intelligence led briefings to target priority offenders and identify vulnerable locations, families and individuals in need of support. Schemes involving education, diversionary tactics and enforcement are being rolled out throughout the Warrington East area with the community member's central to their delivery.
3. Thorn Cross High Intensity Training Unit
The High Intensity Training Unit is a 72 bed residential unit housing 18-21 year old prisoners serving the final 26 weeks of their sentence. The programme consists of a 2 week induction period where the young adult's risks and needs are measured and an intensive 16 week intervention programme is put in place to address these needs. The final 8 weeks of the young adults time in custody is spent in the independent living unit that allows the trainee to prepare for release in a less supervised environment. The programme involves different factors that are designed to address offending behaviour. The next of kin are invited to the unit in the induction period to strengthen family links. The trainees attend a Duke of Edinburgh programme that has a community service element to help repair some of the damage crime has on society. Young people on the unit are also expected to take part in military style drill and inspection on a daily basis in order to raise self discipline and esteem.
4. Sue Gibson, HM Prison Risley
Sue has been delivering a sex offender treatment programme for over 14 years at Risley Prison in Cheshire assisting sex offenders to address their offending behaviour and construct relapse prevention plans to prevent them from re-offending in the future, reducing the risk of creating future victims.
5. Cheshire LCJB/Priority Young Offender (PYOs) group
A concerted effort by the multi agency group of staff from the Police, Courts, CPS and Youth Offending Teams to review, enhance and speed up the Criminal Justice response to these offenders who can blight individuals and communities with their activities, has seen the average time taken to finalise cases involving persistent young offenders has halved.
6. Cheshire Youth Offending Team Offender Behaviour Programme Team
Offending Behaviour Workers deliver offending behaviour programmes on both a 1-1 and group work basis. They work to improve recidivism rates in the county; Work with those identified as the highest risk of reoffending; Provide programmes which engage young people and help them to make changes. The number of offences during the year has reduced.
7. Western Rural Community Action Team
The Western Rural Neighbourhood Policing Team have targetted youth diversion as their main priority to reduce the numbers of youths committing crime by offering diversionary activities to steer them away from crime and drugs.
8. Criminal Records Staff, Cheshire Police
The team ensure that results, such as decisions made at court, arrests or summonses are entered on the Police National Computer – information that is vital in assisting custody officers and magistrates in making decisions regarding a defendants bail at court. They have met challenging targets, improved performance and their efforts and hard work ensure that the information is timely and accurate.
9. Tony Clarke, Magistrate – Chairman Warrington Bench
Tony has been involved in raising awareness of who magistrates are and what they do arranging presentations, court visits, talks to community groups and arranging mock trial competitions. His programme of work plays a major part in educating both individuals and the local community in the work and importance of the magistracy in the local delivery of the Criminal Justice system and consequent confidence in it.
10. Operation Raddish Witness Care Officers
Operation Raddish was the investigation into the Murder of Neil Vickers who was burnt alive when his caravan was deliberately set fire to with him inside. The team were recognised for their outstanding achievement in caring for witnesses.
11. Michelle Brown –Anti Social Behaviour co-ordinator Crime Disorder Reduction Partnership
Michelle has been responsible for setting up joint agency groups which share information on a monthly basis about youths in the community both to provide a service to those youths and their families most in need and to identify those engaged in anti social behaviour. Her work has significantly contributed to a 21% reduction in nuisance youth incidents in the last year.
12. Cheshire and Merseyside Independent Sexual Violence Advisor Support
There are three ISVAs in Cheshire covering Halton, Warrington and Cheshire County. The ISVA's provide advice, information and support to people who have been affected by sexual violence. Last year they supported 378 women and men who had been subject to sexual violence. The team provides a vital first point of contact for people, especially for those whose case is going through the criminal justice system.
13. East Cheshire Prolific and Priority Offender Unit (PPO)
The Unit of Police, Probation, health and CDRP staff create multi-agency plans to change behaviour and develop the Prolific and Priority Offenders (the minority that have been identified as causing the majority of crime) into a crime/drug free, useful member of society. This work will often start whilst a PPO is still within the prison system, with the identification of the required ‘pathways to success’. The pathways often include Accommodation, Education/Training/Employment, Drug/Alcohol abuse, and social/ relationship skills. The multi-agency action plan is implemented and monitored regularly.
14. DC Neil Burdekin, Cheshire Police
DC Neil Burdekin a key member of the small Halton Prolific and Priority Offender (PPO) team provides dedicated management to the top offenders identified as being a criminal risk to Halton. Having helped set up the team 4 years ago, Neil has been central in the development of effective processes for identifying and intensively supporting the PPOs.
15. Atlas Team
The Atlas initiative will greatly benefit residents of Cheshire who wish to see the prosecution team operating as efficiently and effectively as possible. The scheme harnesses modern technology to reduce duplication and delay and enables the swift transfer of vital information from one agency to another, thereby eliminating delay and reducing costs. The teams work will free up staff to pursue other duties and enhances relationships between the CPS and the police as a consequence.
16. Operation Rampart Team
The murder of Garry Newlove in Warrington in August 2007, was one of the most high profile cases in the country last year. The police investigation team, the Family Liaison Officers and CPS prosecution team have been recognised for their efforts to bring the offenders to justice.
17. Witness Care Units
Cheshire’s Police and CPS staffed Witness Care Units were formed in January 2005. The Units, of which there are three, in Crewe, Warrington and Chester have developed into a public facing department who manage and support the needs of victims and witnesses within the Cheshire LCJB area.
18. DS Dave Briscoe, Cheshire Police
DS Briscoe is being recognised for his continued commitment and dedication for his contribution to the improved performance around Priority Young Offenders, implementation of initiatives to improve the efficiency of the Criminal Justice System and roll out of Police training, and his involvement in hosts of community engagement events to help raise the public’s confidence and knowledge of the CJS.