Members of the public are being invited to play a part in the arrangements established to manage sexual, violent and other serious offenders in the community.
Derbyshire Constabulary, Derbyshire Probation Trust and the Prison Service, who together form the responsible body for Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Derbyshire, are looking for one new lay adviser to join the strategic management board which oversees the arrangements.
The board has recently welcomed a new lay member, Liz Ramsay, and is now looking for a second.
As volunteers, advisers are asked to give around eight hours of their time each month to the board. They are not expected to be experts on the arrangements and no formal qualifications are necessary. Training will be provided to help those appointed to become familiar with the role. As informed observers, lay advisers reflect the community interest by asking questions about how! public protection work is carried out by the agencies.
Mrs Ramsay has experience of working in the voluntary sector. She has recently worked for a youth volunteering project based at Community Action Derby, which encouraged young people to carry out voluntary work.
She said: “I have worked at a women’s refuge with victims of domestic violence and also at a hostel with former offenders. I felt that becoming a lay adviser on the MAPPA board would give me the opportunity put this experience to good use.
“I raised my five children in Derbyshire so I have strong ties to the county. As a lay adviser, I hope to give something back to the community.”
Assistant Chief Constable Alec Wood, who chairs the management board, said: “We all recognise the importance of public protection and lay advisers bring a valuable viewpoint from the communities in which they live and work.
“They make an important contribution to the safety of our! communities.”
More information about MAPPA can be found at
www.derbyshire.police.uk/Safety-advice/Personal-Safety/MAPPA.aspx
Anyone interested in applying for the role should visit the Police Staff Vacancies section of the Derbyshire Constabulary website
www.derbyshire.police.uk/Careers/Police-Staff-Vacancies/PoliceStaffVacancies.aspx