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Community Safety and Mental Health Conference
On Tuesday 22 November, we partnered with the Local Government Association (LGA) to run the Community Safety and Mental Health conference. The event was designed to improve the knowledge of mental health issues among community safety practitioners, and to demonstrate the far reaching benefits of addressing mental health needs within strategic planning. Attended by over 100 community safety practitioners, the early feedback from delegates of the lessons they would take away from the day has been very encouraging.
We would like to extend our thanks to the keynote speakers, who included the senior adviser on Community Safety at the LGA, Chris Williams, the Rt Hon Lord Bradley, and the director of Offender Health, Richard Bradshaw. Thanks also to Inspector Siobhan Barber of Leicestershire Constabulary, who stepped in for Chief Constable Simon Cole on the day. Also a big round of applause to Councillor Les Lawrence of Birmingham City Council and vice chair of LGA’s Stronger Communities Programme Board for his expert chairing of the event.
With an improved understanding of the what, where, when, who and how of criminal activity achieved over the last twenty years, Chris Williams, senior adviser on Community Safety to the LGA, opened the conference by highlighting the missing ingredient in further reducing crime and disorder – an understanding of the why. Looking to the statistics of the high prevalence of mental health problems within the prison population, Chris spoke of the importance of an increased awareness and improved responses at the community safety level in addressing unmet mental health needs in order to achieve better outcomes for communities. You can listen to a recording of Chris William's presentation below.
For those not familiar with the findings from his landmark 2009 review of people with mental health and learning disabilities in the criminal justice system, Lord Bradley provided an engaging introduction and summary of his key recommendations. Alongside the need for earlier identification and assessment within criminal justice pathways, Lord Bradley underlined how improved partnership working and information sharing between agencies can facilitate more efficient and joined-up service delivery. You can download Lord Bradley’s full presentation here and listen to a recording of the presentation below.
Drawing on data from the Leicestershire Constabulary, Inspector Siobhan Barber, standing in for Chief Constable of the Leicestershire Constabulary and the ACPO mental health lead, Simon Cole, revealed the prevalence of mental health issues within police statistics – among both victims and offenders. In asking the audience to consider their own provision, the challenges of how to recognise, respond and refer in addressing mental health issues within policing and community safety were discussed in greater detail. Simon Cole’s original presentation can be downloaded here and an audio delivery by Inspector Siobhan Barber below.
Within the fast changing landscape of healthcare commissioning, director of Offender Health, Richard Bradshaw, spoke of the impact these changes would have on the commissioning of services for those in custody and other secure locations. The benefits in terms of reductions in first time offending and in reoffending rates that can be achieved through improving health outcomes, was a key message of his presentation. The central role that the new Health and Well Being Boards will play in bringing together local authorities, the NHS, communities and criminal justice partners was also raised, and subsequently debated throughout the day. The full presentation can be viewed here and an audio version is available below.
The introduction to mental health issues began with a presentation by Revolving Door’s Director of Partnerships and Development, Catherine Hennessey, who provided an overview of the mental health needs of offenders, and a background to the revolving doors group. Catherine’s presentation can be viewed here and the recording from the day below.
This learning was continued throughout the morning and afternoon workshops. Dr Nick McGuire presented on understanding complex trauma and personality disorder; Zoe Lodrick on post-traumatic stress disorder and victimisation and Dr Philip Timms on understanding severe mental health problems.
The afternoon workshops provided delegates with the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of working with mental health providers. Insights were provided by Charlotte Buckingham, Neil Dickson and Joe Bailey of the Elmore Anti-Social Behaviour and Mental Health Service; Sean Wimhurst and Jennifer Devlin of the Milton Keynes Link Service and Linda Bryant and Fionnuala O’Brien of Together for mental wellbeing and their work in court diversion in London.
