From design to reality: setting up a community service for MAPPA offenders with personality disorders

1. From design to reality: setting up a community service for MAPPA offenders with personality disorders Vikki Baker Associate Director (Mental Health) Sandra Oluonye Associate Director (Criminal Justice)

2. Aims • To introduce Resettle • To increase awareness of the challenges faced by personality disordered men in prison and following release • To share our experiences of developing a service to help men to meet these challenges

3. Our challenges How to develop a therapeutic service which engages previously difficult to engage men whilst also addressing the needs of: • MAPPA, the parole board, probation and other CJS agencies • The wider community • Staff in local agencies and within the project • Existing and developing pathways from prison via Resettle and into mainstream services

4. What are the particular requirements and challenges of this work? • Split into two groups: 15 Mins • Group one What are the challenges faced by personality disordered men in prison? What are the pros and cons of prison for this group? Group two What challenges might be faced in designing a service to meet the needs of these men when they are released from prison?

5. 3 main challenges • Engagement • Achieving joined- up multi agency and multi disciplinary work • Working within the wider context

6. Challenge 1: How to foster engagement • Inreach work • Developing a non-threatening therapeutic milieu • Addressing core needs: money, shelter, food, emotional warmth and care • Structured individual and group work • Individual pathways through the project • Overcoming stigma and facilitating social inclusion

7. Fostering engagement 2 • Developing and sharing formulations: how I got here, understanding and anticipating difficulties, seeing the whole person • Where I want to be- realistic goal setting (good lives) • Transparency (e.g. re licence conditions, shared expectations) • Noticing and building on strengths and positives

8. Challenges to engagement • Previous experience of services • Research process • Access to prisoners • Timeliness of referrals (relationship with referrers) • Non supportive prison environment • Managing behaviour that invites rejection safely “Stick with you service”

9. Challenge 2: achieving joined up multi agency working • Joint training (block and ongoing) • Supervision • Acknowledging and valuing difference • Supporting each other • Acknowledging and understanding different agendas/ priorities • Developing a non blaming culture of enquiry • Acknowledge that non of us are experts!

10. Joined up working 2 • Acknowledging, understanding and surviving difficulties: Challenges to professional roles and identities Avoiding competition between models/ priorities (e.g. risk/therapy dichotomy) Clarity re policies and protocols (e.g. information sharing) Eliciting support from the board and other stakeholders Evaluate, review, learn, develop

11. Challenge 3: working within the wider context

12. The community • Finding a property (location, creating the right environment) • Pro-active approach- e.g. with police, KIN networks • Local media • Links with accommodation providers, employers, gyms, sports activities, health provision, social networks

13. Any thoughts or comments?

14. Contact Details • vikki.baker@merseyside.probation.gsi.gov.uk • sandra.oluonye@merseyside.probation.gsi.gov.uk