Understanding Learning Difficulties and Disabilities: Personalized Support for Offenders

1. James King BA (Hons), PgCert, MA, MSc, MSt Head of Learning & Skills Scottish Prison Service james.king@sps.pnn.gov.uk

2. Learning difficulties/disabilities: What’s in a name? • Learning disability; • Learning difficulty; • Learning disabilities and difficulties (LDD); • Hidden disabilities/impairments; • Specific learning difficulties (SpLD); • Additional Support for Learning (ASL); • Developmental disorders; • Intellectual/Cognitive impairments;

3. Rack, (2005), Hidden Disabilities in the Prison population “Hidden disabilities includes dyslexia and related specific learning difficulties such as dyspraxia and dyscalculia.....ADD and the milder end of autistic spectrum disorder” P1 “The results suggest that 20% of the prison population have some form of hidden disability which will affect and undermine their performance in both education and work settings” P2

4. Talbot, J. (2008) No One Knows: Prisoners Voices, Experiences of the criminal justice system by prisoners with learning disabilities and difficulties “No One Knows has purposefully not adopted precise definitions of learning disabilities and learning difficulties that would serve to either include or exclude people by a very fine margin” (Talbot: 2008, P60)

5. People with LDDs are not a homogeneous group “…they are all individuals with a wide range of life experiences, strengths, weaknesses and support needs. However, many will share common characteristics which might make them especially vulnerable as they enter and travel through the criminal justice system.” ‘No One Knows’ Talbot, 2008

6. HMCIP (2008) Out of Sight: Severe and Enduring Mental Health Problems in Scotland’s Prisons Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Scotland Act 2003 “any mental illness, personality disorder or learning disability, however caused or manifest” P9 ‘Organic’: delirium; dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease); and learning disability’ P9 Functional: schizophrenia; mood disorders (including bi-polar affective disorder); mania and depression’ P9 'severe and enduring' ….. 'schizophrenia; bi-polar affective disorder; Alzheimer's disease; and personality disorder‘ P2

10. Intrinsic factors e.g. Extrinsic factors e.g. Early adversity/stress affecting hippocampus development? Early home environment School-quality of teaching Attendance at school Moves from school to school Exclusions from school Looked After Children English Additional Language Phonological deficits Poor working memory Other developmental disorders e.g. ADHD, language delay, DCD Depression, anxiety Low cognitive ability Dyslexia Other health & Mental Health relevant conditions Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

11. In order to support each offender, it is necessary to understand their unique pattern of challenges in the context of their lives and provide personalised guidance AND deliver guidance for staff

12. Offending settings: bringing the pieces together end-to-end Using technology to deliver an ecological approach for individuals with learning difficulties and disabilities Professor Amanda Kirby

13. Personal Details • Key background information • Educational- attendance, exclusion, attainment • Medical- mental health • Been in special school, received assistance in school, severe head injury • Support needs • Reading • Communicating • Navigating new settings • Using transport • Requires support with finance • Co-existing factors • ADHD traits • ASD traits

14. Second Stage Pilot 2015-2016: Percentage flagging with at least one issues across the initial 4 LDD domains = 39% Reinstatement of the pilot- November 2017 – July 2018 Partnership with Forth Valley NHS

15. THROUGHCARE SUPPORT OFFICERS (TSO’s) • Origins in SPS Organisational Review (2013): Asset-based desistance approach • Advocacy during and after transitional phrase custody to community liberation • There 41 TSO’s operating across 11 prison sites • Work with individual, families, support agencies to draft individualised plan, build self-efficacy and promote desistance

16. SERVICE USER JOURNEY Case Manager & Personal Officer Initial Interview – signed up and consent obtained Liberation Action Plan Supported on liberation Engagement in custody relationship building Housing Healthcare needs – Doctors Co-ordinated Pathway External/Internal Referrals Pre-liberation Interview DWP Provide support & advocacy Community Progression

17. JD’S Story - Throughcare • Subject to serious assault in 2012 • Suspected cognitive impairment due to violent injury • TSO involvement requested from mainstream services • Previous 30 offences • TSO support demonstrated JD’s vulnerability • Advocacy and work with DWP, local authority and CJSW services ad medical interventions • Submission to Sherriff and outstanding charges deferred and guardian order issued

18. “Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences” Robert Louis Stevenson

19. Thank You