Community Sentence Treatment Requirement Multisite Report July 2020 – December 2024

The aim of the report is to provide a high-level overview across the participating sites, to complement local analysis provided to each local CSTR programme Board to support local programme development

Mental Health Outcomes for those who have Offended and have been given a Mental Health Treatment Requirement as part of a Community Order in England and Wales

Background: Growing evidence of mental disorders among people going through the criminal justice system suggests the potential benefit of courts adding a Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR) when sentencing an offender to a Community Order (sentence) in England and Wales. Although available since 2003, MHTRs have not been widely used, and there is little evidence on outcomes. Aim: To conduct the first large‐scale evaluation of mental health outcomes of people with an MHTR as part of their community sentence across multiple sites in England and Wales. Methods: Data were collected from 14 sites in England and Wales about individuals who were given an MHTR as part of a community sentence. They were assessed before and after this. During the MHTR, they received a psychotherapeutic intervention by assistant psychologists in a primary care framework. Measures of psychological distress (Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation—Outcome Measure), anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder‐7) and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire) were completed before the MHTR was implemented and after completion. Results: Where paired sample t‐tests and Wilcoxon signed ranked tests were used, with samples ranging between 309 and 447 individuals, clinically significant changes were obtained for all measures. Most individuals (63%) were identified as experiencing a reliable change in at least two out of the three scales. Finally, a negative linear relationship, between measures at the start of the intervention and reliable change, was identified with higher pre‐measures, indicating that more initial distress, anxiety and/or depression were associated with more sizeable changes. Conclusions: This paper provides the first substantial evidence in support of the MHTR within a primary mental healthcare framework as an effective pathway to reduce mental health problems among individuals under probation supervision as part of a sentence after conviction for a criminal offence. This supports the expansion of the provision across England and Wales. Future research should take account of the non‐completers and explore the relationship between the MHTR, mental health improvements and reoffending

Community Sentence Treatment Requirement Multisite Report July 2020 – June 2024

The aim of the report is to provide a high-level overview across the participating sites, to complement local reports provided to each local CSTR programme Board to support local programme development

Community Sentence Treatment Requirement Multisite Report July 2020 – December 2024

The aim of the report is to provide a high-level overview across the participating sites, to complement local analysis provided to each local CSTR programme Board to support local programme development

Reduction and Prevention of Serious Violence and Knife Crime amongst Young People:A Participatory Project

This project is a collaboration between the University of Northampton (UON) and the Chiltern Learning Trust and was funded by the UON Public and Community Engagement & Participatory Research grants fund, which supports University staff to deliver innovative research that is co-created to deliver wider benefits to the public and communities that UON engage with. This project had two key aims: (1) The first aim of the project was to gain a better understanding of young people’s perceptions of knife crime and serious violence in Bedfordshire and what can be done to address it, particularly by schools. (2) The second aim of the project was to collaboratively develop techniques and expertise in coproduced participatory research with young people that can be applied in other settings. The project involved an Advisory Group of young people. The research took a mixed method approach, which included a survey with year 9-11 students (13–16year-olds) and workshops with year 9 and 10 students (13–15-year-olds). The survey was completed by 1,158 students from 12 schools across Luton and Bedfordshire. In addition to the survey three workshops were held in one of the schools, which 26 students participated in. The design and interpretation of the research was aided by an Advisory Group of nine students from years 9 and 10. Outlined below are some of the key findings from the survey and workshops

Reduction and Prevention of Serious Violence and Knife Crime amongst Young People:A Participatory Project

This project is a collaboration between the University of Northampton (UON) and the Chiltern Learning Trust and was funded by the UON Public and Community Engagement & Participatory Research grants fund, which supports University staff to deliver innovative research that is co-created to deliver wider benefits to the public and communities that UON engage with. This project had two key aims: (1) The first aim of the project was to gain a better understanding of young people’s perceptions of knife crime and serious violence in Bedfordshire and what can be done to address it, particularly by schools. (2) The second aim of the project was to collaboratively develop techniques and expertise in coproduced participatory research with young people that can be applied in other settings. The project involved an Advisory Group of young people. The research took a mixed method approach, which included a survey with year 9-11 students (13–16year-olds) and workshops with year 9 and 10 students (13–15-year-olds). The survey was completed by 1,158 students from 12 schools across Luton and Bedfordshire. In addition to the survey three workshops were held in one of the schools, which 26 students participated in. The design and interpretation of the research was aided by an Advisory Group of nine students from years 9 and 10. Outlined below are some of the key findings from the survey and workshops