For this event, Kirk Turner, Linda Bolger and Sarah Skett, leaders of the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway team from NHS E and HMPPS, will be visiting Stormont to share recent developments in provision in England.

 

The “Offender Personality Disorder Pathway Programme” is a jointly commissioned, designed, delivered and co-financed programme. The programme provides a shared pathway of services for offenders who are high risk and likely to satisfy the diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’. The joint responsibility of NHS England (NHS E) and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), it cuts across boundaries between health and criminal justice, prison and community.

 

In recent years, there have been serious concerns within the Northern Ireland Criminal Justice System about how the needs can better be met of people with complex mental health problems in contact with the CJS. This has been highlighted within recent concerns about self-harm and self-inflicted deaths in prisons, but also affects resettlement and rehabilitation resources efforts, in prisons and the wider community, to engage and benefit people presenting with complex mental health needs as well as behaviour that brings them into (often back into) contact with the CJS.

 

There will be presentations on the development and implementation of the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway Programme from 10.30 to 1.00, followed by a light lunch. 
At 2.00, for those interested in a more detailed discussion, the speakers will hold a further session from providing the opportunity to reflect on their learning from these developments and to discuss the potential relevance to Northern Ireland.