ViSOR is designed to facilitate the work of Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by assisting co-operative working between the three "Responsible Authorities" (police, probation and prison services) in their joint management of individuals posing a risk of serious harm.

The system is very secure - rated at CONFIDENTIAL level in the Government Protective Marking Scheme - to ensure that details of both offenders and those contributing intelligence to the system are kept safe. It is used by specially-trained and security-cleared public protection professionals.

Who uses it ?

ViSOR is currently used by all police forces, in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, along with HM Forces and other specialist police units.

The full list of users is as follows:

• 43 forces in England and Wales
• Police Service of Northern Ireland
• 8 Scottish forces
• Serious Crime Analysis Section (SCAS)
• Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre
• Joint Border Operations Centre (JBOC)
• British Transport Police (BTP)
• HM Forces Service Police Crime Bureau
• Scottish Criminal Justice Social Work Organisations
• All Probation Service areas in England and Wales
• All Private and Public Sector Prisons in England and Wales
• Scottish Prison Service (SPS) Intelligence Bureau

Key features

• UK-wide coverage
• Multi-agency collaboration and information sharing
• Allows instant transfer of records UK-wide
• Searchable across the UK
• Used jointly by police, probation and prison staff
• A secure, confidential environment
• Designed to enhance protection of the public and reduce risk of serious harm
• Standardises management of public protection information