Accredited Sexual Offending Programmesin Custody and the Community
Programme / Core Sexual Offending Treatment Programme (Core SOTP)Programme Summary / Core SOTP is a cognitive-behavioural intervention for men aged 18 or over who must be serving a sentence of 12 months or more. Core SOTP is suitable for any offender with a current or previous conviction for a sexual offence, or another offence which has an identifiable sexual element (e.g. sexual murder). Core SOTP may also be suitable for offenders who have committed behaviours in prison that would normally result in a sexual offence conviction were they committed in the community (e.g. an offender with proven adjudications for indecent exposure to prison staff).
The Core SOTP is about 90 sessions and so takes about 6 months. There are between 3 and 5 sessions each week. In the Core SOTP, people complete treatment as part of a group. The programme is a fixed programme so that all group members begin and end the programme at the same time.
Programme / Extended Sexual Offending Treatment Programme (EP SOTP)
Programme Summary / EP SOTP is a cognitive-behavioural intervention for men aged 18 or over who must be serving a sentence of 12 months or more. EP SOTP is suitable for any offender with a current or previous conviction for a sexual offence, or another offence which has an identifiable sexual element (e.g. sexual murder).
The EP SOTP is approximately 66 and 86 sessions, which are run between 2 and 4 sessions per week. In the EP SOTP, individuals complete treatment as part of a group. The programme is a fixed programme so that all group members begin and end the programme at the same time.
The EP SOTP is specifically designed for high and very high risk offenders. Some clinical override is possible if deemed appropriate, for example an offender who is medium static risk but who has a high level of dynamic risk and particular treatment needs that would be met by the EP SOTP. In relation to readiness, an individual must have completed the Core Programme successfully i.e. have relatively good insight into their offending and their treatment needs. Upon completion of the EP SOTP other work may be recommended if deemed appropriate for example, the Healthy Sexual Functioning Programme.
The EP SOTP aims to help participants to develop an awareness of unhelpful thinking patterns and deeper level distortions. It also aims to help participants unpick and challenge this type of thinking and replace it with alternative healthier thinking. The EP SOTP also helps participants to manage their emotions more effectively, develop an awareness of dysfunctional attachment styles, develop skills to help to work towards more healthy intimacy and understanding the role of offence related sexual interests in their sexual offending. It encourages group members to find better ways to cope with life’s problems, recognise risk factors and generate strategies for living happier, more successful lives in the future without offending.
Programme / Healthy Sexual Functioning Programme (HSFP) (currently under revision and due to be replaced by the Healthy Sex Programme – HSP from April 2013)
Programme Summary / The Healthy Sexual Functioning Programme (HSFP) is a cognitive-behavioural intervention for men aged 18 or over who must be serving a sentence of 12 months or more. It is specifically targeted for offenders who have outstanding treatment needs in relation to offence related sexual interests. The HSFP is usually recommended for offenders with a current or previous conviction for a sexual offence, or another offence which has an identifiable sexual element, however in exceptional circumstances the HSFP may also be suitable for offenders who have committed behaviours in prison that would normally result in a sexual offence conviction were they committed in the community (e.g. an offender with proven adjudications for indecent exposure to prison staff), and where there is evidence of an offence related sexual interest.
The HSFP is a one-to-one programme. It lasts between 12 and 20 sessions (each lasting for between 1 and 1.5 hours) and takes about 3 to 4 months to complete. The programme is delivered at a rate of between 1 and 2 sessions each week.
The HSFP can be recommended for offenders of any level of static risk where there is a clear treatment need in relation to offence related sexual interests. Where places are limited, treatment should be prioritised for those who are high or very high risk (as determined by Risk Matrix 2000/s).
Those completing the HSFP will usually undertake it after completing a primary treatment programme such as the Rolling or Core SOTP, and where the need is present the Extended SOTP as well. In a small number of cases, offenders might be recommended to complete the HSFP before they have completed primary sexual offending treatment programmes. This is usually in cases where there is insufficient time to complete both primary SOTPs and the HSFP and the latter is deemed to be the priority, or where the offender is struggling to engage in group based treatment due to the strength of their offence related sexual interests.
The HSFP aims to help participants to develop strategies for living with and managing their sexual interest/s so that they can lead an offence free life. It does this in the context of exploring a number of other areas including: the development of sexual interests, healthy sexuality, patterns in sexual thinking and arousal, intimacy and the role of sex in intimate relationships.
Programme / Rolling Sexual Offending Treatment Programme (Rolling SOTP)
Programme Summary / Rolling SOTP is a cognitive-behavioural intervention for men aged 18 or over who must be serving a sentence of 12 months or more. Rolling SOTP is suitable for any offender with a current or previous conviction for a sexual offence, or another offence which has an identifiable sexual element. Rolling SOTP may also be suitable for offenders who have committed behaviours in prison that would normally result in a sexual offence conviction were they committed in the community (e.g. an offender with proven adjudications for indecent exposure to prison staff).
The Rolling SOTP lasts between 35 and 45 sessions and takes about 3 to 4 months to complete. The programme is delivered at a rate of between 2 and 5 sessions each week. In the Rolling SOTP, people complete treatment as part of a group. The programme is delivered in a rolling format. This means it runs continuously with new group members joining as others complete treatment and leave. This means that each group member is at a different stage in treatment and sessions can be tailored to individual treatment needs.
The Rolling SOTP is predominantly for low risk offenders, as determined by Risk Matrix 2000/s. It can also be recommended for men who are medium static risk (as determined by Risk Matrix 2000/s) but who have a low dynamic treatment need (as determined by their Treatment Needs Analysis assessment). The Rolling SOTP is also recommended for low, medium and high risk offenders (as determined by Risk Matrix 2000/s) whose only convictions relate to the downloading and/or possession of indecent images of children (referred to as internet-only offenders).
Those completing the Rolling SOTP will undertake it before any other programme. In exceptional circumstances, they might then be recommended to go on and do other programmes afterwards. However, for the majority of offenders completing the Rolling SOTP, this will be the only accredited sexual offending programme that is recommended for them.
The Rolling programme aims to help participants to understand both their strengths and the factors that contributed to their offending. It them aims to help offenders to make changes in these areas, and to practice new skills in order to manage relevant risk factors, to build on existing strengths and to lead an happy and successful offence free life. In particular, the programme focuses on strengthening coping strategies, improving problem solving skills, addressing intimacy and attachment deficits, challenging offence supportive attitudes, improving emotional recognition and emotional expression and strengthening support networks.
The Suite of Adapted Sex Offender Treatment Programmes
Programme / Becoming New Me Adapted Sexual Offending Treatment Programme (BNM) 2009 and 2011 versionsProgramme / New Me Coping Adapted Sexual Offending Treatment Programme (NMC)
Programme Summary / The New Me Coping (NMC) Adapted Sex offender treatment programme is a cognitive-behavioural intervention for intellectually disabled sexual offenders aged 18 or over who must be serving a sentence of 12 months or more. It has been designed for men who are lower risk (RM2000/s) with a current or previous conviction for a sexual offence. NMC may also be suitable for offenders who have committed behaviours that would normally result in a sexual offence conviction were they committed in the community (e.g. an offender with proven adjudications for indecent exposure to prison staff).
Programme / Living as New Me Adapted Sexual Offending Treatment Programme (LNM)
Programme Summary / The Living as New Me (LNM) Adapted Sex offender treatment programme is a cognitive-behavioural maintenance intervention for intellectually disabled sexual offenders aged 18 or over who must be serving a sentence of 12 months or more.
It is aimed at men who have completed BNM (2011 version). Achieving and maintaining change can be challenging for us all; for intellectually disabled men the ability to maintain change is often harder as it can take longer to embed change, requiring manageable change steps, regular reinforcement, practice and the recognition of success. The transferability of New Me skills can be challenged when faced with unfamiliar problems, changes in circumstances and relationships to deal with. A maintenance programme provides a safe, familiar, and rewarding environment to review prior learning, practise skills and apply them to current problems and situations.
IDSOs are often socially isolated with limited life opportunities and lacking in intimate relationships. Loneliness and negative mood states are common and are often a contributory factor to offending. A maintenance programme provides a degree of informal and formal social support within a structured framework.
Referrals for LNM could come from a variety of sources; self, prison, police, probation, social services, other agencies depending upon where the man is located and whether he has statutory or voluntary contact. A 3 month minimum period is recommended between the end of BNM and starting on LNM. This is to allow time for group members to consolidate their learning and apply their skills. It is important that they have an opportunity to experience what it is like not to be on a group. Under certain circumstances this may be reviewed. We know, for example, that certain flashpoints (transition into the community, transition between custodial establishments) are significant for sexual offenders, and that these can be associated with reoffending. We also know that significant life events are likely to lead to significant feelings of stress and that these may be contributory factors to offending – under these circumstances a group member may consider joining LNM.
LNM involves between 20 and 36 hours of treatment. The recommended dose for medium risk men is 20 hours. The recommended dose for high and very high risk men is 36 hours. LNM is an open ended programme; some men may wish/ need to return to LNM on more than one occasion. In the community, the programme should be delivered fortnightly / monthly. In custody, LNM should be delivered weekly or fortnightly. LNM is a group work intervention for 4 – 8 men. Recommended group size 6 – 8. The programme is a rolling programme. That is men join and leave treatment at different times.
A group member follows an individual pathway of attending between a minimum of 20 to a maximum of 36 hours over a period of 18 months if the programme is delivered on a monthly basis. The individual pathway requires each man, having attended for a pre-group assessment interview, to start L.N.M. by attending a minimum of four out of the first five sessions followed by a minimum of a further six sessions within an 18-month period (based on sessions being delivered monthly, adjust accordingly if frequency of delivery is different). A LNM completion will be achieved when a group member has attended a minimum of ten sessions.
The LNM has been specifically developed for this client group and as such it incorporates a multimodal treatment approaches which have been specifically designed to engage those who are intellectually disabled. The programme heavily emphasises skills practice. A skills practice exercise involves one or more group members developing a particular skill or a combination of skills through role-play.
Programme / Adapted Better Lives Booster Sexual Offender Treatment Programme (ABLB)
Programme Summary / The ABLB is a cognitive-behavioural intervention for intellectually disabled sexual offenders aged 18 or over who must be serving a sentence of 12 months or more. It is a booster approach for men who have completed BNM (2009 version).
ABLB provides approximately 95 hours of treatment. It is only available in custody settings. It is available in two versions; high intensity and low intensity. The high intensity version should be delivered 2 – 3 sessions per week. The high intensity version should be delivered within the final 12 months of a sentence, as it aims to prepare the offender for release. The low intensity version is intended to act as a top up treatment approach for men who are on long sentences. The low intensity version should be delivered twice per week. ABLB is a group work intervention for 8 men. The programme is a fixed programme; group members start and finish treatment at the same time.
The ABLB has been specifically developed for this client group and as such it incorporates a multimodal treatment approaches which have been specifically designed to engage those who are intellectually disabled. The programme heavily emphasises skills practice. A skills practice exercise involves one or more group members developing a particular skill or a combination of skills through role-play.
Programme / Better Lives Booster Sexual Offender Treatment Programme (BLB)Programme Summary / The BLB is a cognitive-behavioural intervention for sexual offenders aged 18 or over who must be serving a sentence of 12 months or more. It is a booster approach for men who have previously completed SOTP (Core programme, Extended or HSF).
BLB provides approximately 80 hours of treatment. It is only available in custody settings. It is available in two versions; high intensity and low intensity. The high intensity version should be delivered 2 – 3 sessions per week. The high intensity version should be delivered within the final 12 months of a sentence, as it aims to prepare the offender for release. The low intensity version is intended to act as a top up treatment approach for men who are on long sentences. The low intensity version should be delivered once per week. BLB is a group work intervention for 8 men. The programme is a fixed programme; group members start and finish treatment at the same time.
The New Suite of Adapted Sex Offender Treatment Programmes
Programme / Becoming New Me Adapted Sexual Offending Treatment Programme (BNM) 2009 and 2011 versionsProgramme Summary / The Becoming New Me (BNM) Adapted Sex offender treatment programme is a cognitive-behavioural intervention for intellectually disabled sexual offenders aged 18 or over who must be serving a sentence of 12 months or more. It is suitable for men who are medium, high or very high risk with a current or previous conviction for a sexual offence, or another offence which has an identifiable sexual element (e.g. sexual murder). BNM may also be suitable for offenders who have committed behaviours that would normally result in a sexual offence conviction were they committed in the community (e.g. an offender with proven adjudications for indecent exposure to prison staff).
BNM involves 165 hours of treatment. In the community, the programme should be delivered twice per week. In custody, up to 5 sessions each week can be delivered. BNM is a group work intervention for between 4 – 8 men. The recommended minimum group size is 6 - 8. The programme is a fixed programme; all group members begin and end the programme at the same time.
The BNM has been specifically developed for this client group and as such it incorporates a multimodal treatment approaches which have been specifically designed to engage those who are intellectually disabled. The programme heavily emphasises skills practice. A skills practice exercise involves one or more group members developing a particular skill or a combination of skills through role-play.
High risk men who have current offence related sexual thinking may benefit from attending the healthy sex programme (HSP). A pilot version of HSP will be available in selected sites during 2013/14.Some men (those who are currently sexually preoccupied) may benefit from pharmacological treatment in addition to BNM or HSP.
Programme / New Me Coping Adapted Sexual Offending Treatment Programme (NMC)
Programme Summary / The New Me Coping (NMC) Adapted Sex offender treatment programme is a cognitive-behavioural intervention for intellectually disabled sexual offenders aged 18 or over who must be serving a sentence of 12 months or more. It has been designed for men who are lower risk (RM2000/s) with a current or previous conviction for a sexual offence. NMC may also be suitable for offenders who have committed behaviours that would normally result in a sexual offence conviction were they committed in the community (e.g. an offender with proven adjudications for indecent exposure to prison staff).