James Maybee (Highland Council and Social
Work Scotland): That would be done by the electronic monitoring
provider, which is currently
G4S. Its staff are the people who go into the
house and fit the box. Where there is a supervisory element, I
would expect the criminal justice social worker to be part of the
discussion.
James Blair (Community Justice Scotland):To
reiterate, we are supportive of Families Outside and what it said
in its submission. I am sure its representatives will have more
to say later.
On the G4S technology, we have come on a long
way, but we live in Scotland, and the geography and topography
mean that it is not always accurate. The technology is moving
on, but there are parts of Scotland where there is no GPS
coverage. That applies to inner cities, too. At the point of
assessment of what is available, we need to consider whether
GPS is appropriate, now and in the future. There are some
concerns about that...
James
Maybee (Highland Council and Social Work
Scotland): Another key point is that the links
between the provider of the electronic monitoring service,
whoever that is—it is currently G4S—and criminal justice social work must be
excellent. There has to be a synergy and a working together to
achieve a shared goal or a shared aim, with a real
understanding of what the different partners bring to the table
by way of support, technology and the crossover. Criminal
justice social work should understand the limitations of the
technology and what will work and will not work in the
landscape, especially in the island authority areas or in other
remote rural communities such as those in Highland, where
monitoring will be problematic. There has to be really good
consistency and a joining together.
In my experience, G4S provides an excellent service, and
I can confidently say that that is a reflection of Social Work
Scotland’s view. I hope that that continues beyond the life of
the contract, regardless of whatever comes next. We have to get
it right in the future. If we do not, we risk undermining what
we are trying to achieve with electronic monitoring...
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