Community Justice Outcomes & Improvement Plan
Version Control
| Version | Approved by | Approved Date | Amendment Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Version 1 | Community Justice Partnership | Updated iteration | |
| Version 2 | Community Justice Partnership | Updated iteration | |
| CJOIP 2025-2030 | Community Justice Partnership | 4th December 2025 | Updated iteration |
Orkney CJOIP: 2025-2030
IMAGE: The cover shows the title “Community Justice Outcomes & Improvement Plan”, the Orkney Health and Care logo, an aerial coastal view of Orkney, the text “Orkney CJOIP: 2025-2030”, and the version-control table.
Our Partners
IMAGE: A page headed “Our Partners” displays the logos of Orkney Islands Council, NHS Orkney, Police Scotland, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Prison Service, Orkney Alcohol and Drugs Partnership, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Orkney Health and Care, and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.
Forward
Stephen Brown Chief Officer & Chair of Community Justice Partnership
As Chair of the Orkney Community Justice Partnership (OCJP), it is my pleasure to present the third Community Justice Outcomes Improvement Plan (CJOIP) for Orkney, which builds upon the two previous iterations. This new plan takes cognisance of wider community planning, which is underway and links to relevant plans, namely the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP).
In addition, this CJOIP has been written to reflect the publication of the Strategy for Community Justice (2022).
The report fulfils a duty to the Scottish Government and Community Justice Scotland to report on how community justice will be implemented in Orkney.
The purpose of the plan is to bring statutory and non-statutory partners, to work collectively and creatively with people and communities to improve the lives of everyone affected by offending behaviour by addressing their identified needs and helping to create safer communities.
Offending and reoffending are complex issues that can have a major impact on communities, victims of crime, people with convictions and their families. Achieving a reduction in offending behaviour is undeniably challenging, nevertheless, the likelihood of success increases when a range of common issues: substance misuse, insecure accommodation, financial insecurity, relationship breakdown is effectively addressed.
The CJOIP identifies the local priority themes that will help us achieve this and most importantly, the arrangements we are going to introduce or develop to deliver these whilst continuing to build on the firm base that we have established over the last 6 years since the inception of the new model for Community Justice.
IMAGE: A portrait of Stephen Brown, Chief Officer and Chair of the Community Justice Partnership, accompanies the Forward.
Contents
- Our Partners — 1
- Forward — 2
- Our Shared vision — 4
- Our Shared Priorities — 4
- Orkney Community Justice Plan — 5
- The Orkney Community Justice Partnership — 5
- Developing the Plan — 5
- Justice System — 7
- Impacts & Experiences — 9
- Improvement & Partnership — 11
- Delivering the Orkney Community Justice Plan — 12
- Delivery Approach — 12
- Monitoring and Assessing Impact — 12
- Governance & Accountability — 12
- Partners’ Strategic Plans — 12
- Appendix 1 – The Community Justice Partnership — 13
- Community Justice — 13
- National Strategy — 14
- The Scottish Government’s Vision for Community Justice — 14
- Priorities — 14
- Principles — 14
- Linking to National Outcomes — 16
- Linking with National Outcomes Continued — 17
- Linking with National Outcomes Continued — 18
- Community Planning — 19
- Public Health and Community Justice — 19
- Appendix 1: Our Partnership Structure — 17
- Appendix 2 – Participation Statement — 22
Our Shared vision
“Justice Services, supporting early intervention and expanding potential by reducing inequalities and offending. We create holistic reintegration within our communities, supporting all to live safely, justly, maximising support and life opportunities”
Our Shared Priorities
Justice System
Developing a responsive approach to emerging needs within the justice system
Impacts & Experiences
Addressing the impacts of offending and common experiences of those affected by the justice system
Improvement & Partnership
Improving partnerships, working with communities, other agencies and the internal operations of Orkney Community Justice Partnership
IMAGE: A graphic presents the shared vision and three priorities: Justice System, represented by scales; Impacts & Experiences, represented by a hand supporting a heart; and Improvement & Partnership, represented by interlocking coloured figures.
Orkney Community Justice Plan
The Orkney Community Justice Plan identifies a shared vision and priorities to work towards reducing offending and reoffending, supporting offenders to reintegrate within their communities, improving outcomes for those who have been affected by the justice system.
Orkney Community Justice Partnership want to ensure outcomes for people with convictions, victims and witnesses, families and communities have the best possible outcomes, ensuring growth and development for an inclusive and safe community. Safe, effective and supportive management is essential to support those who have committed offences to reintegrate within their communities whilst realising and achieving their potential for the benefits of everyone.
This plan is the Community Justice Outcome Improvement Plan (CJOIP) for Orkney, and sets out how we will work together, with communities, to develop and deliver the best services, in a way which is appropriate, person centred, and evidence based, specifically for Orkney.
Local priority themes and outcomes are presented and defined in the plan. A high-level description of arrangements to be introduced or developed to deliver the priorities and achieve the best possible outcomes for our communities are provided.
The Orkney Community Justice Partnership
Community Justice is where people who have broken the law are held to account but also supported to reconnect and contribute to their communities. Community Justice is not something that one organisation can do alone. It is a collective effort between partners which brings the greatest success, this includes people with convictions, families of both those committing offences and victims and our local communities to ensure all we do is person centred and inclusive of lived experiences.
Developing the Plan
Consultation and engagement with partners and stakeholders took place during the Strategic Needs and Strengths Assessment (SNSA). This work was completed as a collective where service areas were brought together to highlight priority areas and challenges which were assessed and recorded within the Strategic Needs and Strengths Assessment. This supported us to identify our priority areas in line with other similar areas.
In addition, self-evaluation of the service was considered, with the support of the care inspectorate. Self-evaluation has become an integral part of service delivery and improvement, provided direction and focus upon the areas which will have the greatest impact to our communities. The structure of self-evaluation also supports us to ensure efficiency in any improvement activities.
The Community Justice Plan activity contributes towards achievement of wider community planning priorities of Orkney. More information regarding Community Planning Arrangements can be found in the appendices.
1. Justice System
This priority considers how we respond to emerging needs with the justice system, improving the life chances for those who have experienced the justice system. We constantly learn and improve from our interactions with stakeholders and partners; this is a continuous process.
Orkney has lower rates of crime than other areas of Scotland, we are comparable to areas such as Shetland and the Western Isles and consider ourselves one of the safest places to live in Scotland. Although, we do still experience crime which affects our communities, both victims, perpetrators and families. Orkney is a remote and rural location; this means there is a higher risk of disproportionate impact with our prison services being based in mainland Scotland. We know that reintegration within an islands community can be more challenging, as can recovering as a victim of crime. The Community Justice Partnership want help all involved with the justice system whether a victim, witness, survivor or perpetrator, to navigate the system and have the best opportunity to recover and flourish following involvement.
We should endeavour to use effective community sentences wherever possible to overcome real or perceived stigma experienced by those within our justice systems.
What will be different by 2030? Our next steps
| Outcomes | Activities |
|---|---|
| More people successfully complete diversion from prosecution | - Support the use of diversion from prosecution - Develop understanding of need, and opportunity for people to access support to address underlying needs in custody (mental health, substance use, domestic abuse/sexual violence) - Support development of community justice interventions, for example bail supervision - Build links with community organisations and identify opportunities for unpaid work - Promote appropriate and safe use of restorative justice |
| More people in police custody receive support to address their underlying needs | |
| More people are assessed for and successfully complete bail supervision | |
| More people access services to support desistence and successfully complete community sentences | |
| People have access to restorative practices should they wish to use it |
IMAGE: An infographic for the Justice System priority states that almost two thirds of prisoners in Scotland have children; 57 people were subject to a community-based sentence in 2023–24; 4,013 hours of unpaid work were completed in 2023–24; the reconviction rate was 16.3% compared with the Scottish average of 26.9%; recorded crime fell by 39% from 2012/13 to 2021/22; an average of seven people from Orkney were in prison at any given time; males represented 100% of those sentenced to custody in Orkney; the crime rate was 237 per 10,000 population compared with the Scottish rate of 550; the police detection rate was 84.3% compared with the Scottish average of 51%; 81% of offenders subject to a Community Payback Order felt the order had helped to stop or reduce reoffending; eight people received a custodial sentence in 2023/24, an increase from six in 2022/23; bail supervision and DTTOs were noted to be underused in Orkney; Families Outside supported fewer than five families in Orkney with a family member in prison; sexual crimes in Orkney increased by 213% since 2010; stable housing, employment and community cohesion all affect the chance of reoffending; and cases diverted from prosecution in Orkney occurred at a rate of seven per 10,000 population compared with the Scottish rate of six. The infographic also states that community-based sentences enable people to sustain relationships, employment and housing whilst addressing the additional needs of which crime is a symptom.
IMAGE: A Justice System outcomes-and-activities table lists five outcomes: successful completion of diversion from prosecution; support for underlying needs in police custody; assessment and successful completion of bail supervision; access to services supporting desistance and completion of community sentences; and access to restorative practices. The activities are support for diversion, development of support for underlying needs in custody, development of community justice interventions such as bail supervision, links with community organisations for unpaid work, and promotion of appropriate and safe restorative justice.
2. Impacts & Experiences
Here we focus on the experiences of those who enter the justice system, and the impact justice has had upon their lives. Reflective of the Scottish Governments Trauma Informed and Trauma Responsive workforce ambitions. Trauma Informed practice approaches ensure services recognise trauma and adversity and the impact this has upon presentation and decision making, services become aware of the prevalence of trauma and respond in ways which prevent re-traumatisation.
Orkney remains one of Scotland’s safest communities, benefiting from low levels of unemployment and homelessness. Orkney was enduring a housing crisis at the time of writing; housing shortages were a persistent message in the local media. Although low level, homelessness and the risk of homelessness is a known issue locally. Unemployment remains low but we do recognise inequalities within our communities which increase the risk of some people becoming involved in the justice system, creating the potential for some poor outcomes.
We can tackle preventable offending behaviour together, reducing the impact to victims, families and our Orkney Communities. We can support the most vulnerable by having adequate supports and linked strategies addressing poverty, disadvantage, socio-economic issues, the impact of trauma, transitioning services, mental health challenges, domestic abuse and alcohol/substance misuse.
Targeting risk factors and root causes of offending behaviour support those already within the justice system to reduce the risks of repeat offending. Doing so maximises life chances and reduces impacts upon the wider community.
What will be different by 2030? Our next steps
| Outcomes | Activities |
|---|---|
| More people have access to, and continuity of, health and social care following release from prison sentence | - Establish custody healthcare pathway following release from a prison sentence - Seek views of people with ‘lived experience’ to evaluate access to and quality of services on release from a prison sentence - Support development of initiatives aimed towards provision of trauma-informed services and programmes - Promotion of Orkney’s Employability Pathway among community justice partners - Develop methods to gather data to establish baselines and inform ongoing monitoring |
| More people have access to suitable accommodation following release from a prison sentence | |
| Services and practices are trauma-informed | |
| More people with convictions access support to enhance their readiness for employment | |
| More people access voluntary through-care and support following a short term prison sentence | |
| Improved understanding of the impact on children and families affected by the justice system |
IMAGE: An infographic for Impacts & Experiences states that people in contact with the justice system have increased rates of death, suicide, overdose, blood-borne viruses, accidents, cancer, alcohol-related liver disease, epilepsy, tooth decay and poor mental health. It describes adverse childhood experiences under abuse, neglect and household dysfunction; people with four or more adverse childhood experiences are 14 times more likely to have been a victim of violence within the past 12 months, 15 times more likely to have been a perpetrator of violence in the past 12 months, and 20 times more likely to have been incarcerated in their lives. It states that 26% of people in Orkney drink at potentially harmful levels; Victim Support Scotland supported 12 community cases through 144 sessions and 48 cases within the court system through 149 sessions; around half of female prisoners and a quarter of male prisoners report experiencing physical, emotional or sexual abuse; for people on a Community Payback Order with Supervision in Orkney in 2023–24, 31% had a challenge with alcohol, 10% had a drug addiction, 28% had challenges with both drugs and alcohol, and alcohol or drug use contributed to 70% of offending; people in the criminal justice system have higher rates of mental health problems than the general population; 34% of households in Orkney are not managing well financially compared with the Scottish rate of 36%; employment is commonly identified as an issue for justice-experienced individuals; real or perceived stigma is a consistent issue; and women in the justice system are twice as likely to have been a victim of domestic abuse than the general population.
IMAGE: An Impacts & Experiences outcomes-and-activities table lists outcomes concerning continuity of health and social care after prison, suitable accommodation after prison, trauma-informed services and practices, employment readiness, voluntary through-care after a short-term prison sentence, and understanding the impact on children and families. Activities include establishing a custody healthcare pathway, seeking views from people with lived experience, supporting trauma-informed services and programmes, promoting Orkney’s Employability Pathway, and developing data-gathering methods.
3. Improvement & Partnership
No agency can overcome all the challenges a locality faces in isolation. Together we can create a culture of continuous learning and improvement, understanding and shared purpose. As a collective we work collaboratively to address specific areas of development within our self-evaluation and needs assessments.
Orkney benefits from a wealth of experienced and knowledgeable partners whom all proactively contribute to the community justice improvement journey, to be a success momentum must be maintained with a focus on shared duty and responsibility.
Within a cost and resource reducing environment, as has been seen over the last decade, it is more important than ever to find new and creative ways to achieve our objectives, this will see a sharing of resources, skills and experiences across the partnership to create the most beneficial outcomes for our communities. The community justice partnership’s role is to provide clear and understandable leadership, ensuring the messages and embedded and staff understand the importance of the roles they have.
The wealth of agencies and expertise at the disposal of the community justice partnership should be utilised to our full potential, overcoming barriers and supporting complex cause and effect nature of crime and offending within our areas, creating a resilient community of justice.
The Priorities identified build upon the success of the past and form the framework for success in the years to come. As part of the process ongoing monitoring and continuous self-evaluation play a central role, informing decisions and measuring outcomes, ultimately ensuring we are improving, we are learning and Orkney continuous to flourish as a safe and welcoming community.
What will be different by 2030? Our next steps
| Outcomes | Activities |
|---|---|
| Effective leadership, governance arrangements, collaborative working and strategic planning, supports achievement of shared community justice outcomes | - Embed self-evaluation for improvement into annual performance framework of Community Justice Partnership - Develop more effective communication with other relevant partnerships to work better together and avoid duplication of work - Develop, implement and evaluate different approaches to ensure the voices of people with lived experience and their families are effectively incorporated and embedded - Ensure representation of the justice cohort within relevant partnerships and associated project work - Strengthen links to other partnerships to build knowledge and confidence in community justice |
| Improved engagement with other agencies and communities, including those affected by the justice system and their families, are embedded to enhance partnership planning and delivery | |
| More people across the workforce and in the community understand, and have confidence in, community justice |
IMAGE: An Improvement & Partnership infographic identifies Care Inspectorate self-evaluation improvement priorities of participation and engagement, governance and organisation, data and performance monitoring, and resource mapping and commissioning. It also identifies working towards a trauma-informed Orkney, reducing duplication, continuing strong partnership working, innovative thinking and problem solving, alignment to local plans, strengthening links to other partnerships, targeted approaches to overcoming challenges, improved resource mapping, a focus on early intervention and prevention, improved strategic participation, maintaining a timely and effective response to emerging needs within the Community Justice landscape, and developing virtual networks and relevant forums. It highlights good relationships, committed membership, valued third-sector and non-statutory partners, and stronger communities.
IMAGE: An Improvement & Partnership outcomes-and-activities table lists outcomes concerning effective leadership and governance, engagement with agencies and communities including people affected by the justice system and their families, and workforce and community understanding and confidence in community justice. Activities include embedding annual self-evaluation, improving communication with relevant partnerships, incorporating the voices of people with lived experience and their families, ensuring justice-cohort representation, and strengthening links to other partnerships.
Delivering the Orkney Community Justice Plan
Delivery Approach
This Orkney Community Justice Plan 2025-30 outlines the key areas of focus for the partnership over the next 5 years.
The Partnership and key partners have a statutory duty to produce this plan and ensure it is delivered and adequately resourced. This duty is laid out in the Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016. More information about the Orkney Community Justice Partnership can be found in the appendices.
The delivery plan aims to achieve each of the outcomes set out in this plan and will be developed as a partnership, working together with partner agencies, third sector and the community. Each “priority” will include their own associated action and with projects developed to support achievement of each outcome, these plans will include each partners agreed contribution to ensure progress.
Monitoring and Assessing Impact
The partnership will monitor progress and evaluate performance on a regular basis.
The Orkney Community Justice Partnership reports annually to Community Justice Scotland against nationally defined outcomes/indicators (further information in appendices). In additional to the national indicators, the partnership will also agree a set of local indicators as part of delivery planning.
A community facing annual report is also published each year which can be accessed on our website.
Governance & Accountability
The Orkney Community Justice Partnership is accountable to the Orkney Community Planning Partnership and Chief Officers Group and will provide regular updates and progress reports in relation to projects linked to the Orkney Community Justice Plan.
These groups are responsible for monitoring the activities of the Orkney Community Justice Partnership and ensuring progress against the outcomes and targets set. More information relating to the structure can be found on page 21.
Partners’ Strategic Plans
This plan will be delivered over 5 years to bring Community Justice planning and delivery in Orkney in line with delivery and reporting on the Orkney’s Partnership Plan. The contribution Orkney Community Justice Partnership can make to achieving shared local priorities and outcomes contained within Orkney’s Partnership plan is recognised by both partnerships.
Links to other strategically linked partnerships is also maintained via Orkney Partnership channels.
Orkney Community Justice Partnership recognise the need for island-proofing in strategic planning, and will continue to work together to ensure regard for island communities in delivery of services and to avoid disproportionate impacts on island communities.
Appendix 1 – The Community Justice Partnership
Community Justice
The Guidance for Community Justice defines Community Justice as “the collection of individuals, agencies and services that work together to support, manage and supervise people who have committed offences from the point of arrest, through prosecution, community disposal or custody and alternatives to these, until they are reintegrated into the community. Local communities and the third sector are a vital part of this process which aims to prevent and reduce further offending and the harm that it causes, promote desistance, social inclusion and citizenship”.
In Orkney, Community Justice is underpinned by the Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016. This act aims to transform the community justice landscape, providing a local perspective which places planning at a local level where decisions can be made by people who know and understand their areas best.
The national model for community justice champions a preventative approach: an approach not only to reduce crime and the number of future victims of crime, but also to help create a more just, equitable, and inclusive society where people’s life chances are improved, and public resources are utilized to their greatest potential. It has been designed to bring together individuals and organisations to deliver community solutions to achieving improved outcomes for community justice and encourages partners to take a holistic approach to helping people make positive changes in their lives, tackling underlying causes of offending.
The Act places a legal duty on a core set of partners to engage in this planning process, however, as shown in figure 1, there is a much wider range of community justice partners that play a crucial and influential role in working to improve community justice outcomes.
Statutory Partners
| Skills Development Scotland | NHS Orkney | Orkney Islands Council | Scottish Fire & Rescue |
| Police Scotland | Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service | Scottish Prison Servicer | Orkney Integrated Joint Board |
Non-Statutory Partners
| Service Users | Orkney Alcohol and Drugs Partnership | People Who Offend/ People with Convictions | Crown Officer & Procurator Fiscal Service |
| Local Employers | Communities | Employability’s Agencies | Victims of Crime |
| Victim Support Services | Community Bodies | Families | Third Sector |
National Strategy
The Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Community Justice and the Community Justice Performance Framework (CJPF) and Community Justice Improvement Tool, are developed in support of the Act providing an ambitious shared vision that supports partners and communities to work more effectively together: a vision where people are held to account for their offences but are supported to be active and responsible contributors to their communities.
This vision is founded on four priorities and four core principles that are designed to support delivery of the series of structural and person-centred outcomes set out in the performance and improvement framework.
The Scottish Government’s Vision for Community Justice
‘A just, fair resilient Scotland. Issues of Justice affect us all. Justice is the concept of fairness. We must be able to exercise our human and civic rights, in order to live in a just and fair society.
It is not only when these rights are threatened that we require robust and fair responses. Effective processes of justice provide us all with a sense of security which is fundamental to our everyday lives. We therefore must have trust and confidence that justice will be delivered in regard to all issues which can impact our lives.’
Priorities
- Optimise the use of diversion and intervention at the earliest opportunity.
- Ensure that robust and high-quality community interventions and public protection arrangements are consistently available across Scotland.
- Ensure that services are accessible and available to address the needs of individuals accused or convicted of an offence.
- Strengthen the leadership, engagement, and partnership working of local and national community justice partners.
Principles
- Founded in equality and human rights Justice services eliminate discrimination, advance equality, and foster good relations while taking a right’s-based approach, ensuring those most vulnerable and facing the biggest barriers are able to understand and realise their rights.
- Evidence-based Justice services will implement transformative actions which are informed, funded and prioritised by recognised, credible and robust evidence, and are routinely monitored, evaluated and reviewed.
- Embed person-centred and trauma-informed practices Justice Services ensure that a person’s needs and views are respected, provide clear communication and ensure understanding in areas of complexity. Individuals and their families are involved in taking decisions which affect them, with a recognition that people are the experts in their own lives. Embedding trauma-informed practice will ensure that our justice services recognise the prevalence of trauma and adversity, realise where people are affected by trauma and respond in ways that reduce re-traumatisation. Relationship-based practice that respects resilience, prevents further harm and supports recovery is intrinsic to trauma-informed practice. This is achieved when organisations:
- Have commitment from leaders to organisational change and ensure a specific focus on trauma-informed leadership.
- Focus on workforce training, development and wellbeing.
- Share power with those with lived experience of trauma, including service co-design and active participation and collaboration to Ensure policies, procedures, systems and environments are informed by an understanding of trauma and its impacts.
- Implement specific practice changes and service approaches, in response to understanding of the impacts of trauma.
- Monitor and review trauma focused data and associated outcomes.
- Collaboration and partnership Justice Services work together to ensure joined-up services and ensure person-centred outcomes, building partnerships and ensuring the system wide impact of our actions are factored into our decision making. Our workforces are supported to see their part in the bigger picture and be supported in their wellbeing.
Linking to National Outcomes
Justice System
| Priority Action | National Outcome | National Indicator & Local Baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Explore options to re-establish Court Users Group in order to promote discussions and positive relationships between relevant partners | More people successfully complete diversion from prosecution | Number of diversions from prosecution: - Assessments undertaken - Cases commenced - Cases successfully completed |
| Research options and develop approaches/pathways as appropriate | More people in police custody receive support to address their needs | Number of: - Referrals from custody centre |
| Promote bail service, describing how this could be delivered consistently and effectively for cases meeting criteria | More people are assessed for and successfully complete bail supervision | Number of: - Assessment reports for bail supervision - Bail supervision cases commenced - Bail supervision cases completed |
| Identify community groups willing to provide opportunities for the Unpaid Work Team to carry out work with them in order to build community links | More people access services to support desistence and successfully complete community sentences | Percentage of: - Community payback orders Completed - Drug treatment and testing orders successfully completed |
| Ensure restorative practices are available in Orkney to all those who wish to access it by promoting the appropriate and safe provision of available services | Local Outcome - People have access to restorative practices, should they wish to use it | Baseline to be developed through restorative justice project |
Linking with National Outcomes Continued
Impacts & Experiences
| Priority Action | National Outcome | National Indicator & Local Baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Establish clear custody healthcare pathway, including viable staffing model. | More people have access to, and continuity of, health and social care following release from prison | Number of transfers in drug/alcohol treatments from: - Custody to community |
| Seek views of people with ‘lived experience’ to evaluate access to and quality of services on release from prison | More people have access to suitable accommodation following release from a prison sentence | Number of: - Homelessness applications where prison was the property the main applicant became homeless from |
| Provide support to services to complete Trauma Informed Road Map / Lens | Local Outcome – Services and practices are trauma-informed | Baseline to be developed |
| Strengthen links to the Employability Partnership to raise awareness of Community Justice needs and priorities | More people with convictions access support to enhance their readiness for employment | Percentage of: - Those in employability services with convictions – data not gathered |
| Participate in the delivery of the Compassion Project, led by the Orkney Partnership | More people access voluntary through-care following a short-term prison sentence | Number of: - Voluntary through-care cases commenced |
| Develop, implement and evaluate different approaches to ensure the voices of people with lived experience and their families are effectively incorporated and embedded | Local Outcome – Improved understanding of the impact on children and families affected by the justice system | Baseline to be developed |
Improvement & Partnerships
| Priority Action | National Outcome | National Indicator & Local Baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Embed self-evaluation for improvement into annual performance monitoring framework of Community Justice Partnership | Local outcome – Effective leadership, governance arrangements, collaborative working and strategic planning, supports achievement of shared community justice outcomes | Baseline to be developed |
| Develop, implement and evaluate different approaches to ensure the voices of people with lived experience and their families are effectively incorporated and embedded | Local outcome – Improved engagement with other agencies and communities including those affected by the justice system and their families. Embedding input into planning. | Baseline to be developed |
| Strengthen links to other partnerships to build knowledge and confidence in community justice | More people across the workforce and in the community understand, and have confidence in, community justice | Percentage of: - Individuals who agree people should help their community as part of a community sentence rather than spend a few months in prison for a minor offence |
Community Planning
The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 creates the legislative framework for community planning in Scotland and tries to set out a much clearer focus for community planning based on strong, shared leadership and meaningful engagement with communities. As defined under this act, community planning is about how providers of public services work together and with the local community to improve outcomes for people in each local authority area, with a view to reducing inequalities.
Community Justice planning is no different, except that it has a direct focus on improving outcomes for people with community justice experience. It shares many of the community planning principles, specifically, a focus on outcomes, prevention, partnership working and tackling inequalities and faces common challenges, such as difficulties managing performance in partnership settings.
Development and delivery of the Orkney Community Justice Plan link closely to Orkney’s Partnership Plan 2023-2030, which identifies a shared vision and priorities to work towards to improve the lives of everyone in Orkney, with a focus on improving outcomes for the most vulnerable individuals and groups in our community.
The Orkney Community Justice Partnership Reports Directly to the Chief Officers Group of Orkney (A senior management team consisting of the communities most senior leadership), which has responsibility for the implementation of the improvement actions contained within this plan, in line with the national strategy and outcome, performance and improvement framework. The Local structure is outlined in the diagram below.
IMAGE: A graphic shows the Orkney Partnership logo with the wording “The Orkney Partnership” and “Working together for a better Orkney”.
IMAGE: A cover image shows the publication “Orkney Community Plan”, with the wording “Incorporating Orkney’s Local Outcomes Improvement Plan” and “2023 to 2030”.
Public Health and Community Justice
There are strong links between the development and perpetuation of offending behaviour and poor health, health inequalities, substance misuse and poor access to healthcare. By understanding and working in partnerships to address the complex issues involved in offending behaviour and crime we can affect the health and wellbeing of those directly affected and of the community as a whole.
As a partnership we must reduce barriers to accessing healthcare and other services. We will support an approach to dealing with the causes and effects which includes preventative work, addressing underlying attitudes, beliefs and stigma to promote social inclusion and community cohesion.
We must ensure that healthcare pathways and services are inclusive of those in the justice system, and nurture closer links between health and justice services to increase health input to the justice journey and increase opportunities for support.
IMAGE: A cover image shows “NHS Shetland”, “Public Health and Community Justice”, “Annual Report 2019”, and the NHS Scotland logo.
Appendix 1: Our Partnership Structure
Orkney Community Justice Outcomes Improvement Plan 2024-2029
IMAGE: A partnership-structure diagram places the Orkney Community Justice Partnership at the centre. It links to the Orkney Community Planning Partnership above, Orkney Islands Council to the upper left, Orkney Integrated Joint Board to the upper right, Orkney Local Employability Partnership to the left, Orkney Alcohol and Drugs Partnership to the right, the Chief Officers Group to the lower left, the Orkney Public Protection Committee below, and Coordinators of Partnerships to the lower right. The Public Protection Committee includes Adult and Child Protection, MAPPA, and Domestic Abuse.
Appendix 2 – Participation Statement
During formation of the Community Justice Outcome and Improvement Plan 2025-2030 the Orkney Community Justice Partnership consulted with both statutory and non-statutory partners ensuring broad consultation with all stakeholders to strengthen our considerations to this plan. This approach will be continued both as with partnership a key principle of this plan as part on ongoing and reflective self-evaluation.
Meetings with community partners were undertaken by the Community Justice Data, Information and Planning Officer. These interviews included engagement with our partners, the Care Inspectorate, other Community Justice Partnerships and our senior management. Feedback and comments were well considered and worked within the plan. A series of Improvement Actions were undertaken and recorded as part of self-evaluation processes.
Notably, the role which undertook consultation has been vacant for a considerable period which delayed the approval and authorisation of this plan. With the role no longer vacant, the plan will be progressed with further consultation and improvement planning work to be formally delivered through a structured approach which will include a further, more specific, phase of engagement and involvement.
Participation in delivery of the Orkney Community Justice Outcomes and Improvement Plan is an ongoing and continuous process requiring continued engagement with all of our partners and people within our experience of our Justice systems in Scotland (including those whit convictions and a history of offending, victims of crime and children and families affected). This participation ensures we reflect upon the issues affecting our communities, ensuring they are recognised, reflected and responded to within all future action and planning. It is our express desire to build a brighter, more inclusive community who supports those in need, enhancing our communities and strengthening our Orkney communities.
Orkney Community Justice Partnership
Orkney Islands Council, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY
Community.justice@orkney.gov.uk
01856 873535
IMAGE: The closing page displays the Orkney Community Justice Partnership contact details, including the address, email address, telephone number, and website, on a green panel with mail and telephone icons.