Turning Standards into System Improvements
The Level of Service / Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) is a comprehensive general offending assessment and management planning method. It’s utilised via an IT system by all community and prison based justice social work services in Scotland to aid decisions on the level and focus of intervention with people (aged 16+) who have been involved in offending.
The LS/CMI IT System has recently been upgraded to Version 5, which now includes a range of updates designed to improve usability and support effective practice. We’re really pleased to have been involved in this process and to see the implementation of these changes, which reflect our ongoing commitment to supporting effective assessment, risk management planning and professional practice within the LS/CMI.
Following the publication of our updated Standards and Guidelines for Risk Management in 2025 work began to identify and to develop the changes needed to the LS/CMI system. Over the course of 2026, extensive system testing took place to make sure both the content and functionality met requirements before Version 5 was successfully launched on 12 June 2026.
The updates include:
– Improvements to the fuller risk of serious harm assessment (scrutiny of risk) and Risk Management Plan (RMP) content.
– Enhanced RMP Progress Records.
– Improved RMP date capture and additional RMP locking functionality.
– Amendments to case reporting.
– Updated guidance, including full help & on-screen support.
These changes were designed to make sure that the system reflected the updated standards and improved usability. Their layout now more closely reflects the structure and format you might be familiar with when completing risk management documentation (such as the Risk Management Plan template). The development and testing of these enhancements within Version 5 was a collaborative process involving colleagues from across the RMA, system developers and practitioners; we worked closely to review requirements, test functionality and refine content. Feedback from testing helped shape the final product and helped to make sure that the enhanced sections met both policy requirements and operational needs.
Ahead of implementation, we provided guidance and briefing materials to Justice Social Work services (including prison-based social work), to support the transition and highlight actions to consider in relation to open cases that currently have an RMP. Additional support was also made available to services seeking further discussion on the changes and their practical application. If you’ve got any questions or would like any further support with the updates, please get in touch with us: info@rma.gov.scot