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Training promised in response to child kidnap case
TRAINING and checks on staff will be introduced to plug gaps highlighted in a report on Gwent's multi-agency protection service, according to the area's head probation officer.
A report published yesterday by official watchdogs said Gwent Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangement (Mappa) had failed to make sufficient progress since the horrific case of a known paedophile sexually assaulting a three-year-old girl.
In December 2006, an independent report into the handling of Craig Sweeney's case highlighted a series of Mappa blunders and made recommendations for improvement.
Sweeney, who was living on Caerleon Road, Newport, abducted and sexually assaulted a three-year-old girl from Cardiff on January 2, 2006, just two days after his post-release licence ended.
In yesterday's report Chief Inspector of Probation, Andrew Bridges, concluded that "well-intentioned" activity by probation, police and others was not matched by progress on the ground.
His report found assessment and management of the risk of harm posed by offenders was unsatisfactory.
He said "knowledge, skills and confidence" of probation officers and managers were also insufficient.
But Jane Coates, Gwent's Chief Probation officer told the Argus, the report also highlighted much good practice, including big improvements in communication between probation, police and prison services, and said post-Sweeney recommendations had been introduced.
She said it was now a question of guaranteeing consistency of how those changes were put into practice.
Mrs Coates also said Mappa should be judged on its current results.
The body managed 594 offenders in 2006/7, from paedophiles to lower-level criminals deemed likely reoffend.
Since Sweeney only four indivduals under Mappa supervision have reoffended.
Those offenders were serving community sentences and the offences they committed under supervision included criminal damage and arson.
But, she acknowledged: "Gaps still exist."
She said training to boost skills and confidence among staff were planned, as well as checks to ensure new guidelines and practices were properly implemented on the ground.
She added that Gwent Probation Service hoped to see an improvement after their offender management inspection this July.
A Gwent Mappa statement said: "We will carefully consider all of the report's findings and will adopt its recommendations positively in order to ensure continuous service improvement, thereby reducing the risk of those under our supervision causing harm in our communities."
9:23pm Thursday 27th March 2008
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