Transitional Care The Story so Far ………………

Transitional Care In the beginning….there were DATS.. Responsible for local arrangements in the community…… Prisons…were left to fend for themselves with their own budgets. Containing the most problematic drug users in the country. Dats could not provide services to prisons.

Transitional Care In 1998 £90 million additional money. £10 million to SPS over 3 years. SPS devised a model of Casework and Transitional Care. Going places where (almost) no service had been before. Concerns generated re integration.

The Model Casework - 50 staff in 14 prisons providing assessments, referrals and brief solution focussed work. Transitional Care – 28 staff in all areas providing a mentoring service post release.

Transitional Care Obstacles to effective Integration Poor IntroductionPoor Introduction ProfileProfile TransparencyTransparency Overt hostility and resistanceOvert hostility and resistance

Transitional Care Referrals

Transitional Care 2003 Appointments Kept

Transitional Care

Sample per Establishment Attendance at Post Release Transitional Care Appointments - October, November & December 2003 HMP Perth TotalPercentage of Attendance First Transitional Care Appointment Made99 Attended First Transitional Care Appointment5253% Second Transitional Care Appointment Made48 Attended Second Transitional Care Appointment3675% Third Transitional Care Appointment Made30 Attended Third Transitional Care Appointment2273% Fourth Transitional Care Appointment Made12 Attended Fourth Transitional Care Appointment975%

Referrals From Casework to Community (Safety Net)

More interesting Than Transitional Care Stats!!

And with his Pal

Effective Interventions Unit Evaluation of the Scottish Prison Service Transitional Care Initiative INTERIM FINDINGS - Four Month Client Interviews June 2004 A research team from the University of Stirling, TNS Social Research and the University of Kent was commissioned to evaluate the operation and effectiveness of the Transitional Care initiative. This includes an analysis of the process and outcomes of Transitional Care and the identification of potential areas where practice may be improved.

EIU Evaluation of Transitional Care Interim Report –Client Views In general, those who had attended Transitional Care appointments said that their Transitional Care worker had linked them to the services that could meet their identified needs. In addition, people also reported that when meetings with other services had been arranged, they did in fact attend those meetings and found them very helpful.

EIU Research Client Views Other Outcomes Drugs In general, there was no difference between those who had attended Transitional Care appointments and those who had not in terms of: (a) the number of days they had used drugs in the previous month, or (b) the amount they had spent on drugs. However, there did appear to be an important difference in injecting behaviour. Only two (out of 28) of those who saw a Transitional Care worker were currently injecting compared with 14 (out of 51) of those who had not. Alcohol There was a common perception amongst those who saw a Transitional Care worker that they were drinking less now than in the month before prison. This perception was less common amongst those clients who had not seen a Transitional Care worker. Offending In general, those who had attended Transitional Care appointments reported that they had not committed a crime in the previous month. This was in contrast to those who had not attended. Roughly half of these individuals said they had committed a crime in the previous month.

Where Are we Now? Significant extensive links with the community services. Services which are flexible at local level. Effective monitoring of all aspects of the services. Data which is transparent, published and audited for accuracy. End stages of EIU research re outcomes indicate positive outcomes.

The Future? Depends on the Single Agency Model. Significant threats to the voluntary sector if the English model is adopted. Enhanced Throughcare has not yet kicked in. There is an election coming on.

My Way Forward……