Team Leader, Glasgow Health & Social Care Partnership, Tomorrow’s Women
The Women’s Problem-Solving Court started on Monday 23/01/2023 and deals with both solemn (more serious cases heard by a jury) and summary cases (less serious and can be heard without a jury). It initially sat every 4 weeks, but due to demand has increased to an extra sitting every month.
Recent Research has shown that women are less likely to pose a serious risk to the public. It is hoped that by using Structured Deferred Sentence (which is utilised to provide social work support to individuals who may need a short-term intervention to address needs) women would be diverted from more punitive disposals. This court has a trauma informed ethos that understands the different offender profile of women from men, and the different reasons they can find themselves in the criminal justice system. The Women’s Problem-Solving Court aims to address their complex needs with community disposals with intensive flexible support packages tailored to their needs and risks with a view to admonishment should they show good progress.
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Every woman subject to an Structured Deferred Sentence is met by a Tomorrow’s Woman Glasgow worker at Court and offered an appointment at Tomorrow’s Women to assess her needs before being allocated a worker. Tomorrow’s Women workers provide updates for Court Reviews to Structured Deferred Sentence workers who continue to carry the Order. Women being referred to this court are likely to have experienced significant trauma in their lives, have complex needs and a history of offending behaviour. Tomorrow’s Women workers are key to supporting the women going through this process.
A Tomorrow’s Women, a staff worker – who attends every Women’s Problem-Solving Court has noted that:
“Since its launch the Women’s court appears to be running well. Tomorrow’s Women workers have built up good relationships with the Sheriff and court staff and are invited by the Sheriff to speak about the individual cases appearing that day. This month we had 30 women appearing (a mix of new cases and reviews) and the volume of referrals has meant the court has expanded to run across two days per month. The women have fed-back that they like the format of the court, particularly being allowed the opportunity to speak directly to the Sherriff. We have formed a good relationship with the Sherriff, the Structured Deferred Sentence team, and the women we are supporting through their order. The focus of the court on community disposals, and the regularity of reviews, appears to be working well with regards to linking some of the most chaotic women in with relevant and effective community supports”.
It is early days, but we hope to see improved outcomes for the women we work with and reduce the risk that they will re-offend by helping them to find the support to address the trauma and drivers that bring them to commit crimes in the first instance.
CASE STUDY – One service user coming through the women’s court acknowledged that she had found the format of the court and the support from Tomorrow’s Women extremely beneficial. At the point of referral, she explained experiencing extreme anxiety and trauma from a domestically abusive relationship, which had led her to both use alcohol problematically, exhibit self-harming behaviours, and limit her social engagement.
Since working with the service, she has been supported by Tomorrow’s Women’s resident mental health practitioners with safety and stabilisation and self-esteem work. This has allowed her to develop more positive coping mechanisms and has led to a natural decline in her alcohol use. This work, along with support from social care workers to join the Victim Notification Scheme, has helped to dispel some of her anxieties which has allowed her to feel safer and has resulted in her participating in more social activities and developing positive relationships.
She has recently been supported to move out of emergency accommodation where she had been residing for over twelve months and secure her own permanent tenancy near to her family support network. She continues to receive support with building a home where she feels safe and has committed no further offences.
She notes that being allowed direct contact with the Sheriff where her efforts to make positive changes have been recognised and praised, have been motivating and given her a sense of pride over her achievements.
She also notes that the continuation of service provision from Tomorrow’s Women when her Structured Deferred Sentence comes to an end is a comfort to her, as this will ensure she continues to be supported with managing positive changes.
