PORSCH SUPPORTED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
PORSCH does not carry out projects itself but works with partners to identify research and development needs and match these with project teams. PORSCH's Research Co-ordinators of these projects are Dr Wendy Dyer and Dr Jon Carey of Northumbria University. If you wish to find out more about these projects please contact PORSCH using the Contact page.
Current PORSCH Supported Projects
Evaluation of Enhanced Reconnect services for prison leavers (University of Plymouth and University of Northumbria), funded by NIHR and NHS England. April 2024-September 2025.
People need support when they leave prison with things like housing, drug and alcohol and support, and help with accessing health services. The Reconnect programme helps vulnerable prison-leavers link into services. An Enhanced Reconnect (ER) service is being tested for people with more complex needs who may have an increased risk of harm to themselves or others.
This project is co-lead by Dr Wendy Dyer, and aims to understand the value and impact of the ER service in achieving intended outcomes across the four pilot sites; explore individual and organisational-level facilitators and barriers of ER delivery and implementation (e.g. service configuration and partnership arrangements across sites); and identify infrastructural supports needed for successful ER implementation and delivery (e.g. support, policy, finance, training, supervision, standard operation procedures, equipment).
An Evaluation of Secondary Care Mental Health Treatment Requirements (University of Manchester, University of Northumbria, University of Northampton, UCL, and Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust), funded by NIHR. January 2024-December 2025
Many people who attend court have severe and complex mental health problems. They often find it difficult to access treatment. They can face stigma, homelessness, financial and substance problems. A prison sentence can make these problems worse and does not help their mental health. A Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR) can be given instead of a short prison sentence by courts in England and Wales if the person agrees. It means that they must attend for treatment of their mental health problem as part of a community sentence. Secondary MHTRs are for people who need specialist mental health care. Until now, courts have ordered very few Secondary MHTRs. The NHS has given money to three courts in England, called ‘proof-of-concept’ sites, to investigate whether more people could benefit from secondary MHTRs. They think that this could improve their mental health and reduce the number of people with severe mental health problems going to prison. The NHS would like to see an increase in Secondary MHTRs across the country and needs to learn the best way to go about this. There is no research evidence about how to increase use of Secondary MHTRs. We also do not know if they affect health, or if they can work for different people and in different places.
Dr Wendy Dyer is a part of the research team which aims to examine how people use Secondary MHTRs at the proof-of-concept sites and at a Welsh site. We want to know if Secondary MHTRs are working, who for, how and why. This will let us tell the NHS the best way to introduce them across the country. We also aim to develop a way to measure their effect on health and on NHS costs across the country in future.
Supporting Health and Justice Staff: a Research and Service Development Programme to Meet Staff Needs and Build their Resilience in the Criminal Justice System
A series of workshops with Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust and partners (see Events) has scoped a research and development programme to:
1. enhance the mental and physical wellbeing of health and justice staff including their sense of competence and worth, and thereby support their recruitment, attendance at work, and retention of skills and experience to enhance the quality of services that they provide for clients
2. identify the pressures on staff, why they arise, and how can they be ameliorated and negated
3. provide a timely and feasible pilot research and service development project (within one year) by limiting its scope to health and justice staff in prisons and other secure settings in the North of England.
A Programme Steering Group comprising stakeholders oversees the programme and its resources. Three projects are planned to answer three questions: 1. What do we currently know? 2. What do health and justice staff identify as their needs and support requirements? and 3. What do support services and interventions contribute to meeting health and justice staff needs?
Project 1 - What do we currently know? - was completed at the end of 2022.
Project 2 - What do health and justice staff identify as their needs and support requirements? The specification has just been announced with applications to conduct this Project due by 15th December 2023. If you wish to receive a copy please use the contact page.
Divided Households: impact of prison visiting on children and young people
Project by Newcastle and Oxford Universities, NEPACS and Families Outside (led by Dr Steph Scott, Newcastle University). PORSCH is represented on the Steering Group.
Understanding the Scale and Nature of Avoidable Harm in Prison Healthcare
Project (since 2019) by Manchester, Cardiff and Nottingham Universities led by Prof Jenny Shaw. PORSCH Network Chair, Prof Andrew Gray, is chair of the Stakeholder Advisory Group.
PROSPECT: Prevention of Suicide in Prisons: Enhancing Access to Therapy
Project (2019-23) by Manchester and York Universities led by Dr Daniel Pratt. PORSCH Network Chair, Professor Andrew Gray, is Chair of the Project Steering Committee.
Access Assessments for Admission to Adult Medium and Low Secure Services
Project by Manchester University, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS FT, Lancashire Care NHS FT, and Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS FT (led by Dr Sarah Leonard). Dr Jon Carey, PORSCH Co-Research Co-ordinator, is a member of the research team.
Completed Projects
The Mental Health Integrated Support Unit at HMP Durham
Dr Wendy Dyer (PORSCH Research Co-ordinator) and colleagues are assisting the development and evaluation of the establishment and operation of the new Mental Health Unit provided by Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust at HMP Durham as part of its re-designation as a remand prison. Phase 1 has been completed and Phase 2 of the project evaluates the work of the Unit, is underway to identify a core model that can be used in different contexts
Prevention of Self-inflicted Death in Prison
Project by Prof Graham Towl Durham University (supported by Prof Andrew Gray for PORSCH) on preventing self-inflicted death in HMP Durham has included a report for the prison after a walk through of the reception pathway from van to settlement on I wing and has included suicide training for staff.
Forensic Aspects of Sleep
Project by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (Dr Anne Aboaja, Dr Jon Carey) and York University (Prof Amanda Perry) and supported by PORSCH that has secured seed corn funding to work up a full application for funding.
Screening for the Risk of Self Harm
Dr Wendy Dyer (PORSCH Research Co-ordinator) and a team of clinicians and researchers facilitated by PORSCH analysed screening instruments for the risk of self harm in an adult offender population, funded by the National Institute for Health Research – Health Technology Assessment. It reported at a PORSCH workshop in September 2014. A new project is currently on hold pending the broadening of the team and identification of a principal investigator.
Prisoner engagement and health-related behaviour change in the NHS Health and Justice ‘Health Trainers and Lay-Practitioners’ Initiative
This project was a Northumbria University Collaborative PhD (2014-17) with NHS England Health and Justice (Cumbria and North East). The research was conducted by Kara Danks and supervised by Dr Wendy Dyer with Dr Michael Smith of Northumbria University, with Prof Andrew Gray representing PORSCH on the project Steering Group. The research aimed to contribute to the evidence and theory of lay-led models of promoting lifestyle change within prisons, to provide specifically an evidence base for Health Trainer service models to be developed and delivered within North East prisons and to evaluate the impact of their use on prisoner knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. PORSCH hopes to include this project in a conference on the use of peer mentoring in offender health and wellbeing initiatives.
Sex Offender Suicide Prevention Pilot Project
Dr Wendy Dyer (PORSCH Research Co-ordinator) evaluated this service provided by County Durham Constabulary with assessment by Tees Esk and Wear Valleys Diversion Team.
Staff Resilience in Offender Health Services
Dr Wendy Dyer (PORSCH Research Co-ordinator) investigated staff resilience for the Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (completed in 2017).
The Use of Prison as a Place of Safety for Women with Complex Mental Health Needs
PORSCH supported a project by Tamara Pattinson (when Head of Reducing Reoffending at HMP Low Newton). The project was been funded by the Griffins Society and reported in 2016.
Street Triage for Mental Health and Personality Disorders
Paul Biddle (Northumbria University and PORSCH member) and Dr Wendy Dyer conducted an evaluation of the Cleveland Street Triage for Mental Health and Personality Disorders. This was reported at an Economic and Social Research Council Festival of Social Science Event in November 2015 on 'Using Street Triage to Reduce Inappropriate Use of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act'.
Information Sharing in Services for Military Personnel in Transition to Civilian Life
Prof Andrew Gray (PORSCH chair) was a member of a team funded by the Forces in Mind Trust that explored practices and challenges in information sharing in services for military personnel in transition to civilian life. The team was based at Newcastle University's Centre for Knowledge, Innovation, Technology and Enterprise and was led by Prof Rob Wilson. It reported to the Forces in Mind Trust in 2015. Many of the identified practices and challenges appear similar to those for offenders in transition from prison.
Diversion and Liaison Services
PORSCH was involved with the North East’s commissioned diversion and liaison services that began in 2010. What is now NHS England Health and Justice (Cumbria and North East) launched the Big Diversion Project that year with Prof Andrew Gray (PORSCH Network Chair) as its Advisor and Dr Wendy Dyer (PORSCH Research Coordinator) providing research and evaluation reports. From 2013, provision was further supported through NHS national funding for trial sites in Sunderland and Middlesbrough. PORSCH continued to support these initiatives and their Commissioners.