Big Diversion Project
This report forms part of the North East’s Big Diversion Project (BDP). It outlines findings from an analysis of current regional provision of diversion services for those with mental health problems or learning disabilities. It also includes recommendations for further work and pilot development. The Big Diversion Project (BDP) aims to improve health and reoffending outcomes for certain groups of offenders across the criminal justice pathway. It focuses on those with a mental health problem, learning disability or a dual diagnosis of mental ill-health and substance misuse.
As well as mapping regional provision, the report highlights key issues across the criminal justice pathway and identifies overarching themes for service development. It captures regional provision for service user involvement across services that could be used in future work. It also provides a financial analysis of the potential impact of service changes. The research considered a range of practice and provision identifying and supporting those with mental health problems or learning disabilities across the criminal justice pathway. This included the six Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion (CJLD) services in the region. It also involved interviews with stakeholders and experts, focus groups, surveys and an analysis of evidence and data.
Key issues and themes included:
- CJLD services need to extend their coverage – geographically, across the pathway and in terms of operational hours – and need to open care pathways into a wider range of services
- Courts need increased support and information from CJLD services to inform decision making
- Responses to mental health crisis in the community need to improve through improved joint working between police and health agencies
- Data collection and monitoring needs significant improvement to inform service development
- Responses to learning disability, autism and related conditions need to be improved across the criminal justice pathway.
