Welsh Context
Welsh legislation is informing the future direction of IOM in Wales, by challenging us all to think about the well-being of future generations. This must include the management of offenders, as crime and justice both directly and indirectly impact on the well-being of individuals living across Wales, whether as a victim, perpetrator, family member or a member of the wider community, as well as impacting on a wide range of services.
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015)
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015) requires public bodies to work together and with the wider community to consider the long-term impact of key policy/decision making processes on the people of Wales and to take a more joined-up approach to preventing problems. The Act established Public Services Boards (PSBs) which have been tasked with improving the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of areas, with local well-being assessments providing the evidence for which PSBs plan and prioritise their activity.
Whilst crime, criminal justice and youth justice are not devolved to Welsh Government, we operate in a devolved environment and many of the levers for preventing crime and improving rehabilitation are currently devolved (e.g. healthcare, help to overcome substance misuse, housing, education). To be effective IOM Cymru needs to be part of a joined-up public service environment as envisaged in the Future Generations Act.
As such, the IOM Cymru partnership has a line of accountability from its Local Steering Groups to the local Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs), where it feeds into the CSP’s local Community Safety Plans (particularly in relation to prevention and the effective management of offenders in the local community), which in turn inform the PSBs’ local well-being assessments. In this way IOM Cymru is supporting PSBs to take a holistic, joined up approach to tackling the key challenges that face Wales and its communities.
Please visit the links below for further information on the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015):
https://futuregenerations.wales/
http://gov.wales/topics/people-and-communities/people/future-generations-act/?lang=en
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic experiences that occur before the age of 18 and are remembered throughout adulthood. These experiences range from suffering verbal, mental, sexual and physical abuse, to being raised in a household where domestic violence, alcohol abuse, parental separation or drug abuse is present.
There is a growing body of evidence indicating that experiences during childhood can affect development and health throughout the life course of an individual. National and international research suggests that children who experience ACEs are more likely to adopt health-harming behaviours which can lead to mental health illnesses and chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Research has also associated ACEs with poor educational outcomes and increased risk of criminal behaviours with research published by Public Health Wales indicating that adults who experienced more than 4 Adverse Childhood Experiences compared with people with no Adverse Childhood Experiences, were up to:
- 14 times more likely to have been a victim of violence over the last 12 months;
- 15 times more likely to have committed violence against another person in the last 12 months; and
- 20 times more likely to have been incarcerated at any point in their lifetime.
It is recognised that the prevalence of ACEs is likely to be particularly high amongst the offender population, however ACEs may be prevented through enhanced professional awareness, evidence-informed interventions, effective pathways into additional support and monitoring of intervention coverage and content. Addressing ACEs is therefore a theme that cuts across each of the priority groups in the new Framework to Support Positive Change for those at Risk of Offending in Wales as well as the IOM Cymru workstreams. This reflects the need for a joined up approach across partners, which aligns with the position of the national Wales ACEs Support Hub, in order to effectively mitigate the impact of trauma for those who have experienced ACEs and to break the cycle of ACEs for future generations.
Please visit the following link for more information on the work around ACEs:
