1. Diversion: developing a gold standard?
Dr Graham Durcan – Associate Director

2. First diversion service 1989
Basics
What is ‘diversion’?
First diversion service 1989
N=195 services in 1997
Now?......n=107
Not part of last 10 years of reform
Huge variability
Limited coverage
approx 330 magistrates courts & 600 police custody suites

3. Criminal justice and young black men (Riley et al 2009)
The BME challenge (1)
Criminal justice and young black men (Riley et al 2009)
2.2% of general population
13.1% stop and search
7.4% arrests
10.6 prison receptions
…young Asian men – some evidence of over-representation
Mental health care and BME groups
Harsher end: detained care/restraints/secure

4. The BME challenge (2) This is not news Policy Practice -
Breaking the Circles of Fear 2002
Frank Keating 2009 – little has changed
Policy
Criminal Justice – more research
Bradley review – lack of data
Mental health strategy – drivers for change
Practice -
Diversion: Ltd data – poor monitoring

5. Challenging assumption that services are equitable
The BME challenge (3)
Practice
Mental health case loads – under-representation
Count Me In (prison pilots)
Challenging assumption that services are equitable
Good practice example
HMP & YOI Ashfield
Diversion = multiple need = personalised care. Case management / brokerage

6. Gold Standard When? Screening/assessment An all stages system
Prevention & early years
Working with communities and community policing
Point of arrest
Courts
Alternatives to custody
During custody
Re-entry
Ongoing support
Mental health state
Substance use (incl’ alcohol)
Learning disability & difficulty
Speech/communication issues
Acquired head injury
Personality traits/disorder
Social & relational circumstances
Risk (to others & self-harm) / resilience

7. Gold Standard- for whom? & What’s happening?
Women, BME, foreign nationals, children & young people, personality disorder, learning disability/borderline/autistic spectrum, others
…and combinations of any of the above
Coalition policy
National Diversion Pathfinder programme And combinations of any of the above
Centre for Mental Health’s job?

8. Thank you