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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Iain McKinnonORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
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 United Kingdom. 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 using Chi square. Thematic analysis of free text survey responses was used to understand the challenges of providing community forensic mental health services for this group. Results 49 of 78 (62.8%) eligible health Trusts/Boards responded of which (n=25, 51.0%) 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 (X2 15.1002, p<0.005) and care plan co-production (X2 7.8726, p=0.005). Respondents reported a wide variation in availability, expertise, and quality of community services. The availability of inpatient 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 specialist community forensic teams are associated with improved care processes, but further work is needed to establish their longer-term outcomes and the optimal model of care.
Author(s): McKinnon I, Whitehouse E, Harris M, Ciausu V, McCarthy J, Sheehan R
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: BJPsych Open
Year: 2024
Volume: 10
Issue: 5
Online publication date: 20/08/2024
Acceptance date: 31/05/2024
Date deposited: 20/08/2024
ISSN (electronic): 2056-4724
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
URL: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2024.734
DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2024.734
Data Access Statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from iain.mckinnon@newcastle.ac.uk on reasonable request.
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