Greater Manchester Probation Trust

Programmes

One of the most effective ways to bring about change is for an offender to undergo a comprehensive treatment programme. Research shows that these tried and tested programmes help reduce re-offending.

Persistent offenders often lack any understanding of the devastating effect of their crimes on the victims, and can only begin the slow process of reform when they are forced to confront the damage and distress they have caused. Others lack any capacity for self-help, and can only look forward to a crime-free future when they have been made to deal with the problems and chaos in their own lives

Greater Manchester Probation Trust delivers nationally accredited programmes which are designed to stop offenders committing further crimes by challenging and changing their attitudes and behaviour.

Offenders are assessed by probation staff for their suitability to undertake a specific programme. Programmes are mostly run as group sessions and Probation Programme leaders work with a group of offenders in a course of regular sessions (at least two hours each session). Each offender also has individual work before starting the course and afterwards in order to assess progress in changing attitude and behaviour.

In Greater Manchester Probation Trust  we run the following group work programmes:

• Thinking Skills Programme (TSP)– a thinking skills group programme designed to change thoughts, attitudes and values behind criminal behaviour.
• Addressing Substance Related Offences (ASRO) – a behaviour programme which looks at reducing substance abuse and preventing re-offending.
• Drink Impaired Drivers Programme (DID) – for offences of driving or linked offences.
• Sex Offender Groupwork Programme (SOGP) – for adult male offenders whose victims are children. Specialist assessment is required for this intensive programme.
• Internet Sex Offender Treatment Programme (I-SOTP) – for male offenders with convictions for internet only sex offences.  It is designed to reduce the risk of future internet offending and progression to contact sex offending.
• Controlling Anger and Learning to Manage it (CALM) – a programme for male offenders to reduce aggressive and offending behaviour.
• Control of Violence for Angry Impulsive Drinkers - primarily for young men who are binge drinkers and who get into trouble when drinking socially
• Intensive Domestic Abuse Programme (IDAP) – to reduce the risk of re-offending of male domestic violence offenders.
• Women’s Programme  - specifically for women offenders, to build their skills and their ability to appreciate their own potential
• Cognitive Skills Booster Programme -  for offenders who have completed a general offending behaviour programme. This aims to consolidate and practice skills learned in the earlier programmes in order to increase their ability to avoid further offending.