OFFENDING BEHAVIOUR Probation

PROGRAMMES: COGNITIVE
SKILLS BOOSTER AND CALM Circular
PROGRAMMES REFERENCE NO:
05/2004
PURPOSE
To provide information about the Cognitive Skills Booster and CALM ISSUE DATE:
programmes, and to announce plans for their further implementation. 19 January 2004

ACTION IMPLEMENTATION DATE:

• Existing CSB areas are requested to note plans for training the trainers Immediate
and for trainers’ subsequent involvement in tutor training.
• Areas that have not yet implemented the CSB are requested to indicate EXPIRY DATE:
on the attached form by 13 February 2004 their preferred timescale for
January 2008
implementing the programme, and how many staff they would wish to
send for training.
TO:
• Areas in the North West, North East, Yorkshire & Humberside, Wales,
Chairs of Probation Boards
East Midlands and West Midlands regions that have not yet implemented
CALM are requested to indicate on the attached form by 13 February Chief Officers of Probation
2004 their preferred timescale for implementing the programme, and how Secretaries of Probation Boards
many staff they would wish to send for training.
CC:
SUMMARY Board Treasurers
The Cognitive Skills Booster (CSB) programme has been implemented in 14 Regional Managers
areas to date.
The CALM (Controlling Anger and Learning to Manage it) programme is AUTHORISED BY:
currently being implemented in seven areas. Meg Blumsom, Head of OBPT

RELEVANT PREVIOUS PROBATION CIRCULARS ATTACHED:

None Appendix A: Cognitive Skills
Booster (CSB) Programme form
CONTACT FOR ENQUIRIES Appendix B: Calm (Controlling
Jim Cowley, OBPT, Room 223, Horseferry House Anger and Learning to Manage it)
020 7217 8814 jim.cowley@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk Programme form

National Probation Directorate

Horseferry House, Dean Ryle Street, London, SW1P 2AW General Enquiries: 020 7217 0659 Fax: 020 7217 0660

Enforcement, rehabilitation and public protection

COGNITIVE SKILLS BOOSTER PROGRAMME (CSB)

Implementation of the CSB began in mid-2003. Staff from the following areas have been trained:

North East: Durham, Northumbria, Teesside

North West: Cheshire, Greater Manchester
Yorkshire & Humberside: Humberside, South Yorkshire
Wales: South Wales
East Midlands: Leicestershire & Rutland, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire
East of England: Essex, Norfolk
South East: Kent

Further tutor training is being provided to these areas in order to restore tutor capacity. Information about this training has
already been provided.

Offenders eligible for the CSB include those on a current order who have completed a general offending behaviour
programme (GOBP) during their current order, a previous order, a previous sentence or a previous licence; and those on
a current licence who have completed a GOBP during their current licence, their current sentence, a previous sentence, a
previous licence or a previous order. Before placing completers of the One-to-One programme on the CSB, their
suitability for a group programme should be assessed.

The programme is designed to sustain and enhance the benefits of the GOBPs by providing a structured intervention in
which offenders refresh and practise the skills taught on the earlier programme. In particular, they apply the skills to real-
life issues and problems. This latter opportunity is provided to each group member in an exercise known as an individual
challenge, which uses the resources of the whole group as well as the two tutors.

Although the programme is short (maximum 12 sessions; an optimum group of eight will do ten sessions), it requires
tutors to have particular competencies over and above those required to run the GOBPs. Their ability to target cognitive
deficits and distortions in individuals, to plan the programme at a detailed level, to be flexible in running the challenges,
and to be adaptable in responding to a group of completers from the different GOBPs are all important to the success of
the programme. Candidates for CSB tutor training will be experienced GOBP groupwork tutors: because CSB tutor
training builds on training and experience in delivery of a groupwork GOBP, One-to-One tutors are not eligible.
Candidates who are ETS and R&R tutors will be accredited, and those who are Think First tutors will be eligible for
accreditation.

Arrangements for training in the CSB are managed by the South East Training Consortium. A ‘train the trainers’ event is
scheduled for the week commencing 26 April 2004 and will target tutors from the initial areas. A second event will be
arranged within the following few months. NPS trainers will each be expected to co-train up to two tutor training events
during the remainder of the financial year 2004/5 as part of the national implementation of the programme; they will
normally be deployed in their own region or a neighbouring region. Areas will be reimbursed for the cost of releasing them
to deliver this national training. Following a maximum of two events funded by NPD they will remain available as a
regional resource. CSB treatment managers and tutors will be expected to train case managers and PSR authors in their
own areas.

Areas that have not yet implemented the programme are asked to inform Michael Smith
mike.smith@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk when they would prefer to send their first candidates for tutor training - the options
are 2004/5, 2005/6, or beyond 2005/6 – and how many staff they would wish to send. This information will be used to
schedule the further rollout of the programme. A further announcement will then be made to confirm arrangements for
training, as will a request for implementation plans.

PC05/2004 – Offending Behaviour Programmes: Cognitive Skills Booster and CALM Programmes 2
CALM (CONTROLLING ANGER AND LEARNING TO MANAGE IT)

Implementation of CALM began in late 2003. Staff from the following areas have been trained:

North West: Greater Manchester

Wales: North Wales
East Midlands: Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland, Lincolnshire
West Midlands: Warwickshire, West Midlands

It will be made available to all areas in the above regions and in the North East and Yorkshire & Humberside regions.
The 24-session programme is designed for male offenders who have offended through anger or other loss of emotional
control. Most offenders on the programme are likely to be violent offenders; however, non-violent offenders who offend
through uncontrolled anger or other emotions are also eligible. The programme does not address instrumental violence;
other programmes are more suitable for addressing domestic violence or sexual violence. Candidates for CALM training
will be experienced GOBP groupwork tutors. CALM treatment managers and tutors will be expected to train case
managers and PSR authors in their own areas.

Tutor events to date have been led by the Canadian authors of the programme, who will in due course provide training for
trainers to enable NPS to be self-sufficient in training capacity. Areas will be expected to release experienced tutors to be
trained as trainers and to train colleagues in order to complete the rollout of the programme and meet future training
needs. Full-time trainer secondments are not anticipated at present: a regional model is planned.

Arrangements for training in CALM are managed by the Yorkshire & Humberside Training Consortium. Tutor training
events will be planned for the next financial year. In order to begin scheduling the events, areas in the above six regions
are asked to inform Michael Smith mike.smith@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk when they would prefer to send their first
candidates for tutor training – the options are 2004/5 (first half), 2004/5 (second half), or 2005/6 – and approximately how
many staff they would wish to send. This information will be used to plan the further implementation of the programme. A
further announcement will then be made to confirm arrangements for training, as will a request for implementation plans.

PC05/2004 – Offending Behaviour Programmes: Cognitive Skills Booster and CALM Programmes 3