Policy Officer, Community Justice
When the Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 was implemented, more local authority areas employed a Co-ordinator for their local Community Justice Partnership. Many of these were stand-alone posts and so a national network was developed with the aim of providing a place to share best practice and to support Community Justice Co-ordinators in their role in implementing the community justice agenda at a local level.
In addition to the local co-ordinators, representatives from Community Justice Scotland (CJS), the Scottish Government (Justice Division), representatives from national community justice partners (such as Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Prison Service, NHS, Police Scotland and others) COSLA are also members of the Community Justice Network. The network is currently chaired by the Co-ordinator form Dumfries and Galloway Community Justice Partnership, who is the single point of contact for the network. Community Justice Ayrshire have also provided administrative support for the group. Community Justice Scotland previously co-chaired the group, providing a partnership approach, however this level of involvement is no longer possible for CJS, and so the group is in discussion with other national partners to appoint a new co-chair.
The group formed a terms of reference which outlines its purpose as:
- To support Community Justice Co-ordinators to connect to each other and share information, learning and available resources.
- To act and be seen as the main forum for sharing various relevant developments, including consultations, training, policies and research and to discuss and contribute to these as appropriate – this enables CJS, Scottish Government and other national bodies to ensure Community Justice Coordinators/Managers/Leads are up to date and aware.
- Provide a forum where strategic partners are able to communicate national developments within the context of local delivery.
- Create an opportunity for Community Justice Co-ordinators/Managers/Leads to share knowledge, skills and experience and to disseminate best practice.
- Strengthen the relationship between Community Justice Co-ordinators/Managers/Leads and Scottish Government, including the Community Justice Division and other relevant Scottish Government groups through joint attendance at both the Network and the Working Group.
- Provide opportunities to link with and influence appropriate other national bodies, including Community Justice Scotland, COSLA and Social Work Scotland.
- Strengthen relationships with key national partners, the Third Sector and Public Sector agencies involved in community justice.
- Provide a collective voice on relevant issues to help inform and improve community justice at a local and national level.
- Support engagement with community planning processes and help ensure community justice is recognised as a strategic priority.
The group meets regularly, with around 3 meetings each year (although this has increased during lockdown, with more frequent but shorter virtual meetings), providing a forum for workshops, presentations and discussion on topics of importance to community justice partnerships. National partners are asked to provide an update report in advance of meetings, to allow partnerships to share this information with their partners, and provide questions in advance to allow responses to be prepared. It also provides a welcome opportunity for national partners to meet with all partnerships at the same time. It has evolved to meet specific needs over time, and there is now a closed peer-support session specifically for Co-ordinator’s providing a safe space to discuss pertinent issues, seek support, and agree a way forward when needed.
A smaller working group also administer the meetings, seeking relevant agenda items and contacting potential contributors, and manage actions, to ensure the smooth running of the meetings.
Over the year 2020-21 this network has been a much needed opportunity to keep in touch with peers and find out about developments at a national level, such as Recover, Renew, Transform (RRT) Programme – Scottish Governments vision and priorities, data that Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service publish, and their COVID recovery plans. There were also sessions carried out to inform the Community Justice Scotland Strategic Needs and Strengths Assessment guidance.