The Community Advice and Support Service (CASS) operates at local magistrates courts in Devon and Cornwall.
It was first introduced at Bodmin in October 2005, then at Plymouth in May 2006, Truro in September 2011 and most recently Newton Abbot in 2018. CASS provides assistance to low level/low risk offenders and their families by taking referrals from court teams, eg solicitors, probation, magistrates, legal advisers, etc. (and in some cases from external agencies). The aim of CASS is to identify issues that are underlying the offender's behaviour and therefore bringing them to Court. This may involve family issues, housing/homelessness, health/mental health, debt/benefits, drugs/alcohol and employment/education. As a courts based service, CASS provide early intervention to this low level/first time group of offenders and their families. At this point of crisis they are most likely to engage with support services. CASS has developed strong links with agencies to enable strong referral systems CASS deals with and supports clients who are often socially excluded by external services, not least because they are seen to be 'difficult', e.g. mental health or substance mis-users. CASS is able to provide on-going advocacy to help clients to engage fully with appropriate support and is often used as the 'middle ground' in the multi-agency approach that needs to be adopted for this particularly vulnerable group. The ultimate aim of the service is to help reduce the risk of re-offending, though this data is difficult to measure with this very transient group of offenders. In any case, there is strong anecdotal evidence, available through case studies, that reflect real improvement in peoples' lives following contact with CASS.
See CASS for further information.
Plymouth:
Telephone: (01752) 601 153 & 206 187
Mobile: 07949 455 158
E: plymouth@CASSplus.org
Bodmin:
Telephone: (01208) 78003
Mobile: 07949 455 443
E: bodmin@CASSplus.org
Truro:
E: truro@CASSplus.org
Telephone: (01872) 274 104
Mobile: 07949 455 443
Newton Abbot:
Telephone: (01626) 337214
Mobile: 07539 837 104
E: newtonabbot@cassplus.org
W: http://www.cassplus.org/
