Crime and intelligence - Intensive supervision and surveillance: standard operating procedure (N02a)

1. Summary of Changes

1.1 This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been reviewed in December 2023 – Terminology changes have been made and clarification of coordination function.

2. What this Procedure is About

2.1 Intensive Supervision and Surveillance (ISS) is available as:
• a condition of Court bail where the young person is at risk of remand into custody;
• a requirement attached to a Youth Rehabilitation Order (YRO) following conviction;
• a condition of a Notice of Supervision on release from custody in high risk cases.

2.2. Albeit the primary responsibilities to manage ISS lie with the local authority Youth Offending Teams (YOTs), this procedure explains the role that Kent Police will undertake to support our partners and optimise opportunities:
• to detect unsolved crimes;
• to bring young offenders to justice;
• to support YOT to manage young offenders in the community;
• To gather intelligence.
Compliance with this SOP and any governing policy is mandatory.

3. Detail the Procedure

3.1. Role of the Youth Justice Supervisor

3.1.1 The Kent Police Youth Justice Team Supervisor will:

• Maintain regular contact with the local Youth Justice Services in Kent and Medway YOT therefore ensuring any young person being placed on, or considered for, ISS is identified at the earliest opportunity.
• Liaise with the district CCP Supervisor as soon as they are informed that a young person is to be assessed for ISS.
• Once they have been placed on ISS, submit a 5x5x5 (eFive) intelligence report(s) detailing the exact nature of their ISS status (bail, YRO or DTO), along with a list of their conditions. Request that the conditions be recorded on Athena, along with the ISS warning marker and the relevant Interested Party marker for the YOT.
• Liaise with the CCPT or CSU lead officer and submit further intelligence reports as necessary, detailing any changes to the young person circumstances, including variations to bail conditions and dates for Court appearances, etc.
• Monitor, on a daily basis, the account containing the e-mail notifications resulting from the ISS Warning and Interested Party Marker. Act accordingly based on the information contained within the notifications.

3.2 Role of the Community Safety Units and Child Centred Policing Officers

3.2.1. Whilst it is proposed that the principal officer at practitioner level on Division would be undertaken from the Child Centred Policing Teams, it is recognised that the reduction in numbers operating in specialist roles, abstractions and / or sickness may not make this possible. If this is the case the Community Safety Unit (CSU) Supervisor will nominate an appropriate alternative through Beat Teams.

3.2.2 The nominated CCP officer (or other nominated officer) will;

• Meet with the Unit lead from the local Youth Justice Services and discuss the needs around local police involvement (ideally the CCP PS and PC would attend the first meeting to agree involvement). This may involve regular surveillance and information sharing, and could also involve joint working at appointments, planning meetings or home visits.
• Explain to the young person that they will be actively engaged in their supervision and surveillance. (If the young person declines to co-operate and work with the CCPT they are to ensure that this is reported, via the pre-sentence report, to the Magistrate. This should exclude the young person from ISS).
• Submit intelligence to the Kent Police Youth Justice Team.
• Conduct weekly home visits or face-to-face contacts with the young person and their parent/careers in line with the plan agreed with the Unit Lead and CCP PS. Where professional judgement suggests that there is a need to maintain a high level of contact then this should continue but as the ISS intensity reduces if it is felt that there can be flexibility in contacts the officer may reduce the frequency following consultation and agreement with the Unit Lead.

o These contacts should be of value but also balanced. It is important to cover their behaviour, whereabouts, acquaintances seen with, interventions etc., but also to provide or positive feedback where possible.
o These home visits and/or face-to-face contacts can be conducted in uniform or plain clothes. Indeed it is recommended that the officer use their judgement as to the best form of dress code to suit the circumstances. However it is important that the officer engage with the young person, whilst in uniform, wherever possible.

3.3. Role of Strategic Prevention Command (Youth Justice Team)

3.3.1. Young people subject to ISS will form a part of the offender management list.

3.3.2. The Youth Justice Team, supported by the central Child Centred Policing Team will:
• assume overall responsibility of these young people ensuring that relevant information is recorded in line with procedures;

3.3.3. The Youth Justice Supervisor and/or CCP Co-ordinator, from SPC, will undertake County level management, offering professional support and guidance to Divisional staff.

3.3.4. The Youth Justice Supervisor will also:

• Maintain appropriate dialogue with YOT;
• Provide feedback to Local Youth Justice Services and Unit Leads;
• Ensure that where Section 9 statements of breaches are handed to the police and Youth Justice Team that these are dealt with expeditiously, therefore reinforcing partnership working and that the young person's behaviour is unacceptable.
• Represent force at County ISS Management Meetings;
• Provide relevant information to partners for Youth Justice Board (YJB)/Home Office reporting purposes;
• Support partners during inspection.

4. Equality Impact Assessment

4.1. This policy has been assessed with regard to its relevance to race and diversity equality. As a result of this assessment the policy has been graded as having a medium potential impact. Attached is the latest equality impact assessment that forms part of the policy review process.

5. Risk Assessment

5.1. This policy has been assessed as low risk.

6. Consultation

o Kent and Medway Youth Offending Teams
o Kent Early Help and Preventative Services
o Offender Management Unit / Community Safety Unit Project Lead
o Human Resources
o Information Management
o Health and Safety
o Legal
o Freedom of Information
o Finance
o Estates

7. Monitoring and Review

7.1. The CCP Insp and Youth Justice Manager for the Force will maintain contact with ISS Management Team. Reviews will be undertaken as per the review schedule. Additional reviews will be undertaken if and when there are changes to; the funding of this service, the service provider, internal changes to those deemed to be responsible for providing the Police aspect of ISS and changes within legislation.

7.2 This SOP is scheduled for review in December 2025.

8. Security

8.1. Kent Police have measures in place to protect the security of your data in accordance with our Information Management Policy (Policy W1000 - Information Management).

9. Retention and Disposal of Records

9.1 Kent Police will hold data in accordance with our Records Review, Retention and Disposal Policy (Policy W1012 - Records Review, Retention and Disposal).