Criminal Justice Support

Our initial development efforts at HMP Swinfen evolved  into a full suite of services at HMP Birmingham adopting a positive partnership approach:

300+ offenders supported over a 2 year period.
Measurable reductions in:

Cost Effective

• Self-Harm incidents,
• ACCT,
• Re-offending.

Our proven approach delivers specifically tailored mental health services to the HMPS environment.

Customer needs – we create services to exactly match your requirements.

• We work closely with commissioners
• All clients are fully risk assessed prior to engagement.
• We listen to and support officers and adapt our services where appropriate.
• We provide a full management reports to agreed targets.
• Our services are aligned to HMPS targets.

Client Focus – our services are structured around our mutual clients.

• Our mental health expertise allows us to work with most individuals.
• Our service is flexible and modular so we can respond quickly to changing needs.

total journey approach

• We support beyond prison and into the community.
• We sign post where necessary.

Quality – our services comply with strict quality requirements:

• We have a full set of procedures in place to match voluntary sector best practice
• Aligned to HMPS processes
• Positive feedback and increasing referral rates

Partnership working – our services integrate with existing provision

• We foster working partnerships with other providers.
• We source external expertise as necessary.
• We aim to offer a ‘one stop shop’ approach.

Demonstration – ‘Don’t just take our word for it – allow us to show you results’.

Our 10 week well-being course utilises an ‘offender star’ and a personal learning file.

Each course supports upto 8 carefully selected offenders and takes them through a programme that:

• Raises awareness of their own mental health;
• Provides guidance on healthy living;
• Improves their communication and relationship building skills;
• Helps them to cope with their particular difficulties.
• Builds their confidence and resilience.

The course provides lasting skills that prepare participants for life back in the community and has contributed to reduced re-offending rates.  From an initial pilot, the course has evolved over the past 2 years.  Every course is tailored to the specific needs of the group and invididuals involved.

The course only provides one element of support. We also offer one to one support, other group activity (eg music and art groups) and undertake regular ‘wing walks’ providing informal spot support, signposting and officer support.

At any one time, our small team of mental health workers / volunteers were actively supporting upto 90 individuals.

Our work with HMP Birmigham resulted in measurable reductions in total days committed to the ACCT process. This provided real savings and freeing officers’ time for regular duties. The ‘savings’ alone present a valid business case. We have a positive reputation with prisoners and staff across the prison for delivering a quality service.

We also encourage individuals who have previously undertaken the course to continue in a peer mentoring role, subject to security clearance and aptitude to support others.

The role of a mentor on the wing is to act as a sign post for individuals who may benefit from our support; Yellow Creativation T shirts ensure mentors are easily identifiable. Mentors supporting the Day-care or wing courses may provide additional support around literacy issues whilst in the group. We were also fortunate enough to have retained one of the mentors to assists with the Day-care group for some months.  This has had a huge impact on their confidence and that of newcomers to the group.

A recently released Day-care mentor has now gone onto mentor within a community organisation, crediting our support for helping to establish a firm base on which to now build on.

Testimonials – feedback from letters and end of course presentation.

A small selection of typical comments from our work over the last 18 months or so.

“Thank you for the all the work and support you have given me and still do.  If it wasn’t for Creativation and yourself and Andy, I know for sure, I would still be self-harming and wouldn’t want to live.  I was a total mess when I first came to Creativation class and now, some months down the line, you both have given me a new lease of life.

“Before I have a very low opinion of life and those closest to me but now I would like to share that life is a gift within its own right.  You might be in prison now, but you won’t be forever. When times are hard, remember you have got each other and different support networks available.  I would like to say a big thank you to Donna and Sue for the support they have gave and the new links they made possible.”

“This course has helped me become more aware of ill health issues that I have been experiencing and understand the different systems and knowing who to turn to when I feel in crisis or in need of help.
The course has opened my eyes to a range of differences and given me tools and strategies to help me stop self harming and move forward with my life.”

“[The course] gives you the knowledge and problem solving techniques to manage your illness better…..
…. I’m still involved in Creativation course.  I get one to one after care support.  When I get released, I will still be working with them to help me stay focused and be part of my successful rehabilitation back into the community.”

“This course has given me more self belief and self esteem about myself.  It has helped me listen and find new ways of dealing with everyday life.  Donna and Sue are always there to help us, plus the lads on the course was great and easy to get on with.”

“I have previously been involved with several other mental health teams and have never received the backup that I was promised by these other teams.  I have to say I lost faith in these types of organisations until I met the team from Creativation, who I believe genuinely care about the people that they help.”

“As a family, we are extremely grateful that even after his release from prison, Creativation have continued to support and assist him in managing his daily life which has helped me to help him as well.  His self-esteem and life is still improving on a daily basis thanks to the techniques and life skills that Ms Adams and here team have taught him and he now has positive plans for the future.”

“Thank you for everything Donna.  I have attended many courses in the past years and I can truly say Creativation has made change in the way I communicate and think twice before I act.”

“The course is run as a very relaxed and informal group but carries very important material that seems to come out better in this way of teaching.  I feel myself as to start with as very non-confident and negative person now a fully productive member of this excellent team (as a mentor) and a stronger person.