Policy
Revolving Doors Agency has a strong track record in demonstrating unmet need among the 'revolving door group' in order to press for changes in government policy and commissioning.
Recent achievements include:
- featuring as an example of positive practice in the Government's Social Exclusion Action Plan, 'Reaching Out'
- providing evidence to two Parliamentary Committees on the needs of our client group; and
- leading the Department of Health's Early Intervention Work Stream to develop a guide to early interventions for people with mental health problems in the criminal justice system.
Revolving Doors has identified five areas that capture the organisation's learning to date and plans to develop and communicate them. The five areas are:
- Early help can prevent the cycle of crisis and crime
- People change through choice
- Prison shouldn't be a social dustbin
- More problems shouldn't result in less help
- Tackling poverty cuts mental illness and crime
Revolving Doors Agency's policy work is supported by City Parochial Foundation.
Current Projects
Transition to Adulthood: Young Adults with Multiple Needs in the Criminal Justice System
With support from the Barrow Cadbury Trust, Revolving Doors Agency is establishing and facilitating a service improvement team, with representation from across national and local government, service providers and service users. The service improvement team will work with Revolving Doors' Policy Team in order to:
- develop a commissioning framework for young adults with mental health and substance use problems and a history of offending; and
- formulate principles of best practice for working with this group
Anti-Social Behaviour
In partnership with the Elmore Team in Oxford, Revolving Doors Agency will extract learning from Elmore's pilot project for people with mental health problems who are in contact with the Anti-Social Behaviour Team. This learning will be applied to formulate recommendations for policy reform.
National Service User Panel
With Support from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Revolving Doors Agency is developing and facilitating a national service user panel for people with personal experience of both mental illness and the criminal justice system in order to steer that organisation's policy work.
The Cycle of Financial Crisis, Crime and Mental Illness
With support from the Friends Provident Foundation, Revolving Doors Agency is researching the impact of financial exclusion on the 'revolving door' cycle of crisis, crime and mental illness. This project will be delivered in partnership with Citizen's Advice Bureau and P3.
Policy Publications
Revolving Doors Agency submitted this report as evidence for the Select Committee’s inquiry on justice reinvestment. It highlights our most recent analysis of justice reinvestment and its potential application to the UK context.
In March 2008, Revolving Doors Agency, P3 and the Elmore Team submitted a joint response to the Government's consultation document, Improving Health, Supporting Justice. The response reflects the views of three specialist mental health and criminal justice charities, working across England and Wales. It covers issues relating to the needs of people with common mental health and multiple needs at all points of the criminal justice system and addresses the resultant impact of failing to address these needs on the wider social inclusion of this group.
If you would like to get in touch with our Policy team, please contact:
Kevin Ireland
Tel: 020 7553 6060
Sentencing Guidelines Council Response