This page contains up-to-date information on our 2020-21 Strategic Objective 'Training and Education'. Find out the project leads, how to contact us, and get progress updates and more below.

This objective will introduce a 3 year training and learning strategy for Criminal Justice Social Work, Police Scotland, MAPPA Chairs and Parole Board Scotland.

We will identify and address current training needs to improve knowledge and understanding, improving risk assessment and management. We will adapt existing training packages and produce additional resources including targeted workshops and digital training.

Project Leads

This objective is led by our Head of Effective Practice and Effective Practice Lead. Find out more about us, and how you can get in touch below.

Lesley Weber (Head of Effective Practice)

Lesley is a qualified social worker, spending the last 13 years in London specialising in domestic abuse, the wider violence against women and girls (VAWG) agenda, and public protection.

Lesley has held specialist operational and strategic managerial roles in statutory children and families services, the family courts and the domestic abuse sector.  A key focus of Lesley’s has been to implement evidence-based practice, ensuring consistency in the use of risk assessment and risk management tools.  This has involved supporting professionals and agencies to take a more triangulated approach to domestic abuse/VAWG through taking into account the children, victim and perpetrator when assessing and planning.  Lesley has practiced as an expert risk and vulnerability assessor for the family courts in cases where domestic abuse is a concern.

@LesleyWeber79     #RMAEffective

Contact Lesley

Ian McIntosh (Effective Practice Lead)

Ian joined the Risk Management Authority’s Development Team in 2011 and has lead responsibility for the development and delivery of initiatives to support services in the implementation of risk assessment and management practice.  A large part of this role involves supporting practitioners and services in the use of the LS/CMI method and system.

Ian has been co-delivering the Risk Practice training course since 2015, Ian reports he has been mightily impressed by the dedication, knowledge and skills of a great number of delegates who come on to this course.

@RMA_AyeMac     #RMAEffective

Contact Ian

Project Plan and Timeline

This project has multiple phases of development.

  • Redesign of Social Work Risk Practice Course – January 2021
  • Police Scotland Training redesign to online delivery – January-April 2021
  • Parole Board Scotland – Training Needs Analysis – April-June 2021
  • Police Scotland online pilot course – May 2021
  • Police Scotland monthly online training – July-September 2021
  • Training Strategy Development – July-December 2021
  • Delivering social work risk practice course – August 2021 and February 2021
  • Training Needs Analysis MAPPA Chairs – August 2021
  • Training Development MAPPA Chairs –September-October 2021
  • MAPPA Chairs Training – Early 2022
  • Training Strategy Publication – January 2022

Partners and Working Groups

For this project we are working with a range of external stakeholders. Partners include:

  • Scottish Government: Public Protection; MAPPA; Professional Justice Social Work
  • Police Scotland
  • Social Work Scotland Standing Committee
  • Parole Board
  • MAPPA Coordinators Group
  • MAPPA Development Group
  • Community Justice Scotland

Evidence Base

All research for this project is drawn from RMA evaluations of existing training, plus our training needs analysis.

Progress Updates

The team have completed the redevelopment of the Police Scotland Risk Practice Training Course to a one-day Awareness Course for online delivery via MS Teams. We delivered an internal pilot to RMA staff, followed by the delivery of the pilot with Police Scotland at the end of April. Julie Webber, our Effective Practice Officer, wrote all about her experience of online delivery in our July blog – Training in this Brave New Virtual World.

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