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Criminal Justice
Social Work
Reports
Criminal Justice Social Work Service
Woodhill House
Westburn Road
Aberdeen
AB16 5GB
What happens when the report
is completed?
We will make every effort to give you the opportunity to read the report before it is submitted and we encourage you to do so. Should you disagree with any of the information let us know. The Procurator Fiscal and your solicitor will receive copies.
You should attend Court on the date requested when you will be sentenced for the offence(s) you have been convicted of.
Should a community based disposal be imposed e.g. Community Payback Order this will involve you working further with Criminal Justice Social Work.
You should speak to the Court Social Worker before leaving the Court and they will provide you with further information about the sentence.
Produced by Aberdeenshire
council
nov 2013 - G
dT
What is a Criminal Justice
Social Work Report?
Criminal Justice Social Work Reports are requested by the Court following conviction and prior to sentencing. The purpose of the report is to assist the Court in making a decision about how to deal with the case, including which sentence to impose.
A Social Worker will prepare the report. It will focus on the circumstances of the offence but will also include more general information e.g.
- employment - health - finances - family situation - hobbies/interests - drug/alcohol use - previous offences
It will also include an assessment as to the risk of further offending and suitability for various sentences. It may make certain recommendations to the Court but it is important to remember that the decision on sentencing is made solely by the Sheriff or Judge.
What will be expected of me? You will be sent a letter to your home address with an appointment to attend your local social work office for interview.
If you are unable to attend the interview that has been scheduled you should contact the social work office immediately. We will do our best to arrange a suitable alternative.
Should you fail to attend the interview this will be reported back to the Court and you should be aware that there may be serious consequences.
If you have been remanded in custody then a social worker will visit you in prison for the interview.
Your consent may be requested for information to be gathered from members of your family, employer, doctor, or any other relevant person. This helps with a fuller assessment and allows us to confirm to the Court we have verified key information.
All information will be processed in line with the Data Protection Act 1998. It will be treated confidentially but you should be aware that there are some limited circumstances where information may be shared with others, particularly to prevent risk of harm to others.
You can refuse to provide any of the above information but you should be aware that there may be consequences in doing so and we would suggest this be discussed with your solicitor.
