3.9 The principal responsibility for protecting the public from those who have committed sexual, violent or terrorist offences rests with the criminal justice agencies. However, the effectiveness of public protection often requires more than just a criminal justice response. Other agencies, for example those providing help with employment and training, accommodation, and health care, play an important role in helping individuals to resettle and may help to reduce re-offending. The Duty to Co-operate covers all persons subject to MAPPA, including those managed at Level 1, and DTC agencies must engage with MAPPA for all MAPPA managed individuals they are involved with. DTC agencies may also be lead agencies where they have the main statutory authority and responsibility to manage MAPPA managed individuals in the community (see Chapter 2 Responsible Authority and Lead Agency).

3.10 MAPPA and the duty to co-operate enable different agencies to work together. MAPPA are not a legal entity but are a set of administrative arrangements. Authority rests with each of the agencies involved. Each agency will act in its own sphere and fulfil its own responsibilities but has a duty to share information and co-ordinate action with MAPPA partners. While consensus may be reached and joint action agreed, decisions and actions remain the responsibility of the agency carrying them out. Co-operation between agencies ensures that all agencies involved know what the others are doing, prevents decisions being made in ignorance of other agencies' actions and enables joint working. Without co-operation, there is a risk of collision - agencies unintentionally frustrating or compromising each other's work, sometimes with dangerous consequences.

3.11 Representatives from DTC agencies who are involved with a MAPPA managed individual must attend MAPPA meetings. These representatives should be in a position to make an active contribution to the discussion and be of sufficient seniority to allocate the appropriate level of resources. (Please see Chapter 13 - MAPPA Meetings for further information). Children's Services or Adult Safeguarding lead social workers might not be involved with the MAPPA managed individual but will attend the MAPPA meeting because they are involved with a child or adult at risk. In some cases, a DTC agency will submit a written report, however this will not count as attendance for the MAPPA Key Performance Indicator statistics. For more information on attending MAPPA meetings see Chapter 13 - Multi-Agency Public Protection Meetings.

3.12 It is best practice for the Strategic Management Board (SMB) to include representation at an appropriately senior level from each of the DTC agencies in the area (see Chapter 4 - Strategic Management Board).