Mr. Michael FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how ongoing support and supervision will be arranged for personality disordered offenders discharged into the community and managed primarily by health services. [59015]
§ Jacqui SmithThe care programme approach will be the key method for providing support for personality disordered offenders discharged into the community. The care plan is managed by multi-disciplinary teams lead by health professionals.
There will still be a requirement for probation officers to follow up offenders. No one will be discharged without full support and unless assessed to be at low risk of causing harm to others.
Mr. Michael FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what requirement there will be on those in the health service providing supervision and treatment to personality disordered offenders in the community to collaborate with other statutory and voluntary agencies in the provision of services and sharing of information. [59016]
§ Jacqui SmithThe White Paper "Reforming the Mental Health Act" says that in new mental health legislation "there will be a new duty covering the disclosure of information about patients suffering from mental disorder between health and social services agencies and other agencies, for example housing agencies or criminal justice agencies."
The personality disorder strategy forensic group commissioned by the Department is collating examples of effective multi agency protocols for information sharing, in order to produce guidance on minimum standards for all multi agency public protection panels (MAPPPs). The draft strategy is likely to include guidance to mental health trusts for a requirement that senior clinicians sit on MAPPPs. A draft strategy will be available for consultation in October 2002.
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Mr. Michael FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that chartered psychologists are able to make a leading contribution to(a) the development of services for personality disordered offenders and (b) future revisions of mental health legislation. [59014]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Department conducts regular meetings with key stakeholders like the British Psychological Society who will continue to be involved at key stages of the development of policy in this area.
Included in the expert group commissioned by the Department to produce a strategy on services for people with personality disorder (PD), are four chartered psychologists. This will ensure that psychologists can take a leading role in development of the strategy.