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Joint Public Protection Information Unit

This unit, which was previously the Criminality Information Unit (CIU), was established in August 2008 to help improve the way public protection information is managed and used across public sector organisations and international boundaries.

Latest News

The Home Secretary has appointed an independent advisor for criminality information management. Read the press notice (new window).

Sunita Mason has begun her independent review of the policy on retaining and disclosing records held on the police national computer. These are the terms of reference for the review, which she has agreed with the Home Secretary.

Purpose

The Joint Public Protection Information Unit works with a wide range of organisations collectively referred to as the public protection network (PPN). This network extends beyond the criminal justice system to include health, education, care, immigration and other professionals. Central to this is the development of public protection information policy and implementation of Sir Ian Magee's recommendations following his independent review. These include outstanding recommendations from the Bichard Inquiry report. 

Vision

The vision is of an environment in which those making decisions relevant to public protection have access to the information they need, when they need it, from both home and abroad, and in the appropriate form. In such an environment, access will be straightforward, effective, secure and available in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Proportionate and timely sharing of information will be the foundation for an effective set of systems to deliver public protection information across the PPN and international boundaries.

The Magee recommendations

Published in July 2008, the 31 Magee recommendations followed a widespread consultation across the organisations involved in public protection including staff at the front line. 

The focus is on giving front line professionals access to the information they need to reduce risks to public safety, across organisational and sometimes national, boundaries. This will be achieved through closer collaboration on investment, technology, risk and risk management. 

Key to making it happen will be a national strategy, leadership collaboration between organisations, and Ministerial oversight from the National Criminal Justice Board (new window) with the support of an independent advisor. A number of immediate actions (now in progress) were also suggested.

Bichard Inquiry recommendations

Twenty two of the 31 recommendations made following the 2004 Bichard Inquiry have been implemented. Development and implementation of the larger, more complex programmes is continuing and the Home Secretary, on behalf of government, remains committed to the full implementation of the outstanding recommendations. 

Progress includes:

  • the IMPACT programme, led by the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) (new window), is delivering a Police National Database (PND), which will provide an extensive store of police intelligence and other operational information, containing and linking locally held data with those currently held on the Police National Computer (PNC) and other national systems when deployment commences in 2010. It is also supporting police forces in their implementation of the statutory code of practice on the management of police information (MoPI), by the target date of 2010. 
  • the national deployment of IT-enabled procedures by HM Courts Service to transfer court results automatically to the Police National Computer (PNC). Eight out of ten results should be automatically updated when these developments are fully deployed during 2009
  • a vetting and barring scheme to be launched by in October 2009 by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) (new window). Registration with the scheme will be compulsory for specified groups, preventing those who are considered unsuitable from working with children and vulnerable adults or from gaining access to them through work, whether paid or voluntary
  • the Home Office is leading project work to explore access to international conviction data to improve checks on workers from overseas in the UK. The Home Office Identity Management Scheme will also inform the Criminal Records Bureau’s (CRB) (new window) delivery of improved identity checking for vetting purposes.

Home Office websites