Health and Social Care in Criminal Justice Key Objectives

Programme The key objectives of the Health and Social Care in Criminal Justice
Programme are to:
“Improving the Health of Offenders
Supporting Crime Reduction, Help to improve the quality of life for people of all ages who
experience mental or physical distress or learning disability across
Building Safer Communities” the criminal justice system, by developing partnership working with
local organisations and communities.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY To work with health, social care and criminal justice agencies to
develop an integrated, comprehensive, and sustainable Health
Health and Social Care in Criminal Justice (HSCCJ) initiative is Services both within in prisons and community offender care
intended to widen health involvement with the offender management services within the East Midlands working across non-traditional
system. It seeks to ensure that as partners, health and social care boundaries and monitor progress in service development, targets
services play their roles effectively at all stages of the offender and milestones, whilst ensuring that policy development is informed
pathway. This includes working with police, court services,
communities, prisons and probation services, service users, non- To promote and improve the physical, mental health and social well-
statutory organisations and other relevant agencies. being offenders by reducing social exclusion in order to help reduce
re- offending which promotes safe communities.
The HSCCJ programme builds on the work already achieved by the
Department of Health and the Home Office to modernise and To support PCTs, NHS Mental Health Trusts, DAATs responsible for
mainstream prison health care into the wider NHS. The National commissioning and providing primary care, substance misuse
Offender Management Service (NOMS) and the Care Services services and mental healthcare services for prisoners.
Directorate of the Department of Health are working in partnership
to, “Improve health, address health inequalities and reduce crime by To improve access to health services for offenders with mental,
maximising the opportunities provided by better integration of health, physical or a Learning disability To support the implementation of
social care and criminal justice systems”. the NSF’s, the NHS Plan, the Social Exclusion Unit report and other
related policy guidance within the context of the criminal justice
This national policy initiative and major work programme within the system.
Department of Health aims at widening health and social care
services at a local level in their involvement in offender
management, supporting the policy to reduce re-offending and
promote safer communities.

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Strategic Plan Vulnerable Groups and those from BME backgrounds. A number
of groups of offenders are identified as vulnerable within the system.
The role of the team is to support local organisations to achieve the In addition 25% of all prisoners are from BME communities and for
objectives within the Health and Social Care in Criminal Justice many their needs are not effectively met or account taken of their
Programme and meet national policy expectations. A Regional culture and beliefs. The programme aims to help address this issue.
Programme Board that brings stakeholders together has been Cross Cutting programmes, Children and Families. The priority is to
formed to take this forward. It has a dual reporting reflecting a improve the life chances of children, particularly those in care or who
coming together at regional level of this programme and the health are socially disadvantaged, linking to the key themes of the
and substance misuse components of the National Offender Outcomes Framework for Every Child Matters.
Management Services Regional Reducing Re-offending Strategy • Be healthy
• Enjoy and achieve
The plan is divided into a number of key areas. • Stay safe
• Make a positive contribution
To promote a regional and local network to assist PCTs and social • Achieve economic well-being
care partner organisations to develop an integrated approach with
statutory and non statutory agencies to develop joint approaches Diversion and Liaison Schemes. Best practice will be identified to
and services to meet the local Health and Social care needs of enable health to be an effective partner to Offender Management
offenders within the Criminal Justice system. and a credible option for sentences to ensure appropriate treatment
for individual offenders.
Work areas
Workforce. As services modernise and change, to be increasingly
Mental Health Prison and community services. Work to date has effective workforce issues and training and development needs must
focused on offenders in custody. As the programme progresses be addressed to ensure the skills, competencies and capacity to
emphasis will also be placed on access to community services for deliver these changing services.
offenders ensuring continuity of care between custodial and Identified Resources Available
community settings.

Primary Care. Much effort has already been put into this area
within custody. Primary Care Trusts will need to work more closely
with partners to ensure offenders continuity of care and access to
primary care once they return to community settings.
Public Health. Key targets areas are management of long term
conditions, sexual health, communicable diseases, and substance
misuse. The wider agenda of Choosing Health needs to be made
relevant to the criminal justice system.

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The HSCCJ Team • To support the implementation of the local offender
healthcare groups by supporting health and social care
To support this initiative funding has been made available from the organisations in developing local strategies and agreements
Department of health to support this programme; the team in improving closer working practices and relationships in the
objectives and structure is explained treatment of individuals who are in contact with the criminal
The HSCCJ team’s objectives are broadly justice system
• To support the development of the Integrated Drug
• Support the EM HSCCJ Group and local offender Treatment System within Prisons
healthcare and Prison Broad groups • Lead and support the continual development of all healthcare
• Lead the EM HSCCJ programme services in Prisons and for community offenders
• Support the development of Performance indicators for use
by PCT/Prison partnerships
• To give input, as required, into the health-related aspects The Prison Primary Health Lead
of estates provision (e.g. new build)
• Maintaining an effective network of health care managers, This role has a key responsibility in supporting PCTs and Prison
clinical staff, PCT leads and links to outside agencies services colleagues in the delivery of healthcare within custodial
• Facilitating good practice eg pathways, health promoting settings. To support PCTs to deliver on the improvement of service
prisons, SUI procedures and death in custody provision offered to offenders is of the same standard as expected to
investigations find in community. To support the and monitor the implantation of
• Advise and support HMPS Area Office and SHA, on prison the Prison Health Performance Indicators.
health related to national and local performance standards
• Advising the central team on priorities within the Region The Prison Mental health development manager
• Support health, social care and criminal justice agencies to
work together to produce effective joint working practices The main role is to assist in mainstreaming all aspects of Prison
that improve better health outcomes for offenders Mental Health into the general modernisation of mental health
services across the east midlands.

The team consists of the following To develop training strategies for staff working within Prisons the
Police service and wider criminal justice service The current
The HSSCJ Programme Lead prevalence of prisoners who have mental health problems is very
clear and the level of self-harm and suicide attempts is well is well
The main tasks of this role will be: documented.

• To support the implementation of HSCCJ strategy and to act

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The Health and Social care in criminal justice Community
development worker

To support the programme lead to improve the service provision of

Action Plan

An Action plan has been produced in the main document.

Further information

Further copies of the full Strategic Plan can be gained from the East
Midlands Development Centre:

Carl Finch
Health & Social Care in Criminal Justice Programme Lead
Pleasley Vale Business Park
Mill 3
Outgang Lane
Pleasley
Mansfield
Notts,
NG19 8RL