How is the Welsh Government addressing the gap in continuity of care for prison leavers with severe mental health conditions, given that only a small percentage remain in contact with community mental health services six months post-release, according to findings from the University of Manchester?
The operational running of the custodial estate is the responsibility of the UK Government. This includes effective release planning, collaborating with staff in areas such as health, substance misuse, accommodation and learning and skills.
The Welsh Government works closely with HM Prison and Probation Service and the Youth Custody Service to promote better outcomes for children and adults in custody, including in areas linked to release planning.
The Partnership Agreement for Prison Health sets out agreed priorities between the Welsh Government, health boards, Public Health Wales and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) in Wales to improve the health and wellbeing of men in prison. One of the priorities is to develop new standards for mental health services.
The new standards for mental health services in prisons in Wales have been adapted from the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the College Centre for Quality Improvement (CCQI) Quality Network for Prison Mental Health Services (QNPMHS) standards. They provide a framework by which to assess the quality of prison mental health services via a process of self and peer review. CCQI, supported by the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee, is currently carrying out baseline work with the prisons.
Although the standards do not specifically include a focus on critical time intervention for prison leavers with severe mental health issues in Wales, they do include a wider range of standards from initial assessment and treatment through to discharge and transfers. The new standards are helping to provide a person-centred response to the mental health needs of people in prison in Wales, including a focus on continuity of care from the prison to the community, workforce training and development, and a joined-up approach to provide support.
The Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010 ensures all individuals in contact with secondary care mental health services have a care and treatment plan and a care co-ordinator, which includes people in the secure estate in Wales. Care and treatment plans cover eight areas of a person’s life including accommodation, finances, social care and treatment.
The Welsh Government has provided £1.2m a year to public sector prisons in Wales since 2019 to support the implementation of the Partnership Agreement for Prison Health. Responsibility for health services in public sector prisons in Wales sits with the appropriate health board and we expect them to plan services to meet the needs of their local population.
Infection prevention and control is the responsibility of the relevant health board where the custodial facility is located. Measures put in place must ensure the safety of both those detained and those working there. Working with the newly established Healthcare Associated Infection and Infection Prevention and Control Delivery Group (HCAI/IPC), we will ensure that best practice is shared and implemented.