A consortium approach to commissioning services for mentally disordered offenders

In 1997-8 the Wessex Consortium commissioned a project team to identify and assess the security and accommodation needs of mentally disordered offende rs (MDOs) from within the consortium area and to ascertain the distribution and shortfall of suitable inpatient and residential facilities. MDOs in Sp ecial Hospitals, in regional secure units (RSUs) and in extra-contractual r eferral (ECR) placements on 31 October 1997 were identified and their needs assessed. Questionnaires were sent to all health and social services lead managers for mental illness and learning disabilities in order to catalogue existing services. The needs assessments identified two main groups of ind ividuals with unmet needs, i.e. people with mental health problems needing long-term secure care and those with learning disabilities and personality disorder causing severe challenging behaviour needing long-term and shortte rm secure care. The findings also revealed a total absence of intensive car e beds in some areas and no long-term medium- or low-security care beds for people with mental illness across the consortium area. They also showed an almost total lack of any type of provision suitable for people with a comb ination of learning disabilities, personality disorder and severe challengi ng behaviour.