TRAINING MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS TO WORK WITH SEX OFFENDERS - EFFECTSON STAFF ATTITUDES

A recent British Prison Service initiative has focused on providing se x offender programmes facilitated by multidisciplinary teams of staff. A three week long training programme was designed to provide staff wi th the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to facilitate these structured treatment groups. Following the training, staff indicated t hey were more confident in their ability to provide treatment and show ed a greater belief that treatment could be successful. In addition, t hey showed significantly more positive attitudes towards sexual offend ers and to offenders in general. However, participants did not indicat e undue concern about working in a sensitive treatment area. This patt ern continued at six month follow-lip, indicating that the training ch anged attitudes as expected, and that the training was seen by partici pants as adequately preparing them to undertake provision of a structu red sex offender treatment programme in a secure setting.