Moving Forward Making Changes (MF:MC)
The Moving Forward Making Changes (MF:MC) programme is a treatment programme aimed at male adults convicted of sexual offences across the Scottish prison service and the community.
Men access the programme as part of their court order or post custody licence.
It is designed to provide treatment for people who commit sexual offences or offences with a sexual element. MFMC is designed to help participants lead a satisfying life which does not involve harming others. The programme is delivered in modules and tailored to meet participants' treatment needs. All participants are assessed to ensure the programme is suitable for them.
The programme benefits are:
- To reduce offending
- To increase self-confidence and self-esteem
- To improve relationships
- To identify positive goals and the steps to achieve them.
Assessment
Where a person has been convicted of a sexual offence and the Court defers sentence for a Justice Social Work Report, eligibility for the programme will be assessed and included in the report based on their age, their patterns of offending and their assessed level of risk.
If someone is subject to a Community Payback Order or post custody licence the person is assessed on an on-going basis by a Justice Social Worker in consultation with the MFMC Treatment Manager in relation to suitability for progression onto the MFMC groupwork programme.
This assessment will again take into account areas such as patterns of offending, risk of harm/re-offending and motivation to change.
The programme
The assessment will determine the level of risk and need of the person thus determining which modules they will be required to complete. There is no set start date and end date for the programme - each participant works at their own pace supported by facilitators and existing participants (albeit within the duration of their statutory Order or Licence). In addition to the programme, the participant may also have appointments with other professionals such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, mental health or addictions. Justice Services work alongside agencies where specialist services are provided.
MF2C
From 2026 a revised version of Moving Forward Making Changes called Moving Forward to Change will be rolled across Ayrshire, this programme is based on updated literature and research into what factors contribute to offending and how best to support change and desistance from offending. It will continue to be delivered in a mix of individual and group work sessions and will form part of a Community Payback Order or post custodial licence.
More information on this programme can be found on the Scottish Government website:
