AN INTENSIVE SUPPORT – ALTERNATIVE TO REMAND FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Intensive Support and Monitoring Service – Alternative to Remand Service (ISMS ATR) is wholly funded by Glasgow City Council Social Work Services and ordinarily has 4 staff members that would have run a court duty rota but have recently introduced one worker to take on responsibility for the court side and the Alternative to Remand workers will step in to assist when required. The Alternative to Remand workers hold the cases. The workers, also, hold Intensive Support and Monitoring Service cases that are identified through a Secure Screening Group.

The service is aimed at those young people:

• who have not yet reached the age of 18 years at date of offence; 
• have committed an offence whereby the Procurator Fiscal, on reviewing offence related information, has decided to oppose bail options in the community.

 Alternative to Remand staff duty role: 

• Liaison with Court Social Work Services and check Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service system daily to ascertain court demand for Alternative to Remand.
• Whilst awaiting a Procurator Fiscal decision on bail position, review all available information and consult with Area Team colleagues as to whether Alternative to Remand would be an appropriate service to offer if a report is required.
• When opposed bail is decided by the Procurator Fiscal then Alternative to Remand Service compile a report for Court offering the service. The Sheriff can then decide to include the Alternative to Remand Service as a condition of any bail option.

There are times when preparation work is done but bail is not opposed by the Procurator Fiscal and times when it is opposed by the Procurator Fiscal, a report is submitted, and the Sheriff grants bail without condition of Alternative to Remand. 

Alternative to Remand Service Delivery:

• A planning meeting held with young person.
• START AV (Short Term Assessment of Risk and Treatment. Adolescent Version) is completed and subsequently refreshed approximately every 3 months and reviewed with young person and carers.
• Case Formulation is completed at 6 weeks involving all involved professionals to devise a care plan that is focussed on the current needs of the young person.
• For young people with more complex needs, weekly support / risk management meetings are scheduled, to try to explore the root and branch of those needs and how best to assist the young person in addressing them.
• Addressing those needs involves the Alternative to Remand worker building up a relationship with the young person, family and carers; supporting the young person to adhere to any other bail conditions and in understanding and managing court processes; undertaking focussed work with the young person and with carers if required; and being the conduit to accessing other services. 
• Level of intervention is commensurate with need.

The services that may be accessed as part of the package of support can include: 

• Resource Prioritisation Group (RPG) to consider homeless young people for accommodation. 
• Intensive Support & Monitoring Service Alternative to Remand Employability worker progressing the young person towards further education, training or employment dependent on interests, skills and abilities.
• General Practitioner (Doctor) to progress/ follow up on health issues and/or medication. 
• Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (FCAMHS) advice, guidance, screening and intervention if assessed as required.
• Outdoor Resource Centre for a weekly activity if the young person has an interest. 
• Alternative to Remand will explore community opportunities for the young person and carer/ family.

Often the young people have a care experience history and continue to be supported by their staff group or are young people that have had a history of needs not being met by family and have slipped through the net of services. They are often emotionally dysregulated and misunderstood by systems around them but, if not initially, wanting to be supported.

In 2022/23 a review of Intensive Support & Monitoring Services Alternative to Remand was completed:

• 76 reports were completed for court (30 being Progress Reports on young people already known to Alternative to Remand Service) – of this 4 were remanded.
• 25 young people worked with the Alternative to Remand Service – all were male; all but 2 were 16-17 years. 
• 12 had no Compulsory Supervision Order through the Childrens’ Hearing System.
• 36% had over one year’s intervention – 16% had 18+months.
• 69% resulted in bail condition being terminated or Community Payback Order being imposed.
• Of this 9 have continued into 2023/ 24.

Case Study:

A 17 year-old young person who lived with his mum and family but had moved to live with his gran for a spell but was looking for bail to be reviewed so that he could return to live with family.  He had family support but at this point family relationships were fraught with younger sibling’s needs being secondary to managing the young person’s behaviour at home. 

He had a range of peers from a range of areas across the City – some pro-social but others equally involved in territorial violence. He was not in routine employment although he did undertake pieces of casual labour. He had interest in football in the past but at present had nothing. He described having poor eating and sleeping pattern and was diagnosed with dyslexia. 

School had been a negative experience and resulted in him opting out for the latter couple of years.

At the initial meeting he expressed that he had difficulty with his anger, usually exacerbated by his alcohol misuse, and saw himself as quick to ignite if he or family or friends had derogatory statements made towards them. His anger, alcohol use and territorial violence resulted in several charges before Court and led to Alternative to Remand Service being offered to him.

He was an engaging young man, however, it was evident that he had needs that required assessing further and addressing. Unconditional love was evident from mum, but she was drained by trying to manage his behaviour.

The Alternative to Remand worker began with building relationship with him and his mum and gathering information to inform START AV (a risk assessment). The relationship with mum was based on offering emotional and practical support- individually and in joint sessions with her son. Mum continued to transport him around the city so that he could maintain peer relations but, also, so that she knew he was back for his curfew – which was physically draining for her whilst she had other children to tend to. 

Some of this work explored the triggers for his behaviour within the family home; how family members were impacted; and how they sought to resolve these situations with lots of honesty within it. This intervention to all helped reduce the level of stress in the family home; helped the young person explore his anger; and relationships were able to be repaired.

Initially, a decision was made by the care team that services to address his alcohol misuse would be in the background and a referral would be made if this could not be managed as he was being introduced to a range of people would assess what was working and not. However, with the support of his team his substance use reduced, and he began to manage this better (weekends or social events).

After a brief assessment period it was deemed that the young person possibly had an underlying undiagnosed neurodivergent condition and a referral was made to Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (FCAMHS) for assessment, and he received ongoing treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). His medication took a while to get the right dosage that met his needs. He has continued with his contact with this service since. His medication helped with his diet and sleep.

He accessed a gym pass and began to attend gym with peers which gave him an outlet. He couldn’t return to football as his bail curfew limited his ability to do this. He undertook some sessions with the Outdoor Resource Centre doing cycling and enjoyed it while out but felt it wasn’t for him.

He was supported by an employability worker to access training and continues to be engaging in opportunities.

The young person was with Alternative to Remand Service for 10 months and engaged fully with the range of interventions offered. In addition to the Alternative to Remand Service package of support he had Supervised bail, Structured Deferred Sentence and Community Payback Unpaid Work – he cooperated with all elements. He remained an engaging young person throughout and made significant changes to sustain residing at home with family.  For information on all of these interventions you can CLICK ON THE PICTURE LINK below or SCAN THE QR CODE to read the document ‘A Summary of Community Options’.