A UK-wide survey of community forensic services for adults with intellectual disability and/or autism
Background Specialist forensic community teams for people with intellectual disability and/or autism have been developed, but little is known about their extent and delivery. Aims To describe specialist forensic community teams for people with intellectual disability and/or autism across the UK. M...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2024-09-01
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| Series: | BJPsych Open |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472424007348/type/journal_article |
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| author | Iain McKinnon Ellen Whitehouse Melissa Harris Vlad Ciausu Jane McCarthy Rory Sheehan |
| author_facet | Iain McKinnon Ellen Whitehouse Melissa Harris Vlad Ciausu Jane McCarthy Rory Sheehan |
| author_sort | Iain McKinnon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background
Specialist forensic community teams for people with intellectual disability and/or autism have been developed, but little is known about their extent and delivery.
Aims
To describe specialist forensic community teams for people with intellectual disability and/or autism across the UK.
Method
An online survey was sent to representatives of each UK Trust/Health Board providing adult mental health and/or intellectual disability services. Questions covered the availability, structure and activities of specialist community forensic services. Quantitative data were summarised and associations between access to specialist forensic teams and care were tested with Chi-squared tests. Thematic analysis of free-text survey responses was used to understand the challenges of providing community forensic mental health services for this group.
Results
A total of 49 out of 78 (63%) eligible Trusts/Health Boards responded, of which 25 (51%) had access to a specialist forensic community team. Teams operated either as part of a single Trust/Board (n = 13) or over a larger regional footprint (n = 12). The availability of specialist forensic community teams was associated with better access to offence-related interventions (χ2 = 15.1002, P < 0.005) and co-production of patient care plans (χ2 = 7.8726, P = 0.005). Respondents reported a wide variation in availability, expertise and perceived quality of community services. The availability of secure and generic in-patient beds, commissioning and legal barriers were also significant challenges in providing appropriate care.
Conclusions
Coverage of specialist community forensic teams is not universal. There are indications that such teams are associated with improved care processes, but further work is needed to establish longer-term outcomes and the optimal model of care.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e7795fc1ab8e447b8de487454456216f |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2056-4724 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BJPsych Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-e7795fc1ab8e447b8de487454456216f2025-08-20T03:01:07ZengCambridge University PressBJPsych Open2056-47242024-09-011010.1192/bjo.2024.734A UK-wide survey of community forensic services for adults with intellectual disability and/or autismIain McKinnon0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5760-9824Ellen Whitehouse1Melissa Harris2Vlad Ciausu3Jane McCarthy4Rory Sheehan5Secure Services, Cumbria Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; and Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, UKSchool of Psychology, Newcastle University, UKSecure Services, Cumbria Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UKSecure Services, Cumbria Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UKLearning Disability Service, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Worthing, UK; and Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UKDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; and Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, Dartford, UKBackground Specialist forensic community teams for people with intellectual disability and/or autism have been developed, but little is known about their extent and delivery. Aims To describe specialist forensic community teams for people with intellectual disability and/or autism across the UK. Method An online survey was sent to representatives of each UK Trust/Health Board providing adult mental health and/or intellectual disability services. Questions covered the availability, structure and activities of specialist community forensic services. Quantitative data were summarised and associations between access to specialist forensic teams and care were tested with Chi-squared tests. Thematic analysis of free-text survey responses was used to understand the challenges of providing community forensic mental health services for this group. Results A total of 49 out of 78 (63%) eligible Trusts/Health Boards responded, of which 25 (51%) had access to a specialist forensic community team. Teams operated either as part of a single Trust/Board (n = 13) or over a larger regional footprint (n = 12). The availability of specialist forensic community teams was associated with better access to offence-related interventions (χ2 = 15.1002, P < 0.005) and co-production of patient care plans (χ2 = 7.8726, P = 0.005). Respondents reported a wide variation in availability, expertise and perceived quality of community services. The availability of secure and generic in-patient beds, commissioning and legal barriers were also significant challenges in providing appropriate care. Conclusions Coverage of specialist community forensic teams is not universal. There are indications that such teams are associated with improved care processes, but further work is needed to establish longer-term outcomes and the optimal model of care. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472424007348/type/journal_articlePsychiatry and lawneurodevelopmental disordersintellectual disabilityautism spectrum disorderscriminal justice system |
| spellingShingle | Iain McKinnon Ellen Whitehouse Melissa Harris Vlad Ciausu Jane McCarthy Rory Sheehan A UK-wide survey of community forensic services for adults with intellectual disability and/or autism BJPsych Open Psychiatry and law neurodevelopmental disorders intellectual disability autism spectrum disorders criminal justice system |
| title | A UK-wide survey of community forensic services for adults with intellectual disability and/or autism |
| title_full | A UK-wide survey of community forensic services for adults with intellectual disability and/or autism |
| title_fullStr | A UK-wide survey of community forensic services for adults with intellectual disability and/or autism |
| title_full_unstemmed | A UK-wide survey of community forensic services for adults with intellectual disability and/or autism |
| title_short | A UK-wide survey of community forensic services for adults with intellectual disability and/or autism |
| title_sort | uk wide survey of community forensic services for adults with intellectual disability and or autism |
| topic | Psychiatry and law neurodevelopmental disorders intellectual disability autism spectrum disorders criminal justice system |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472424007348/type/journal_article |
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