Service User Experiences of an OPD Pathway Outreach Service (V14)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Service User Experiences of an Offender Personality Disorder Pathway Outreach Service
IRAS ID
298499
Contact name
Jamie Thomas
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 15 days
Research summary
The Enhanced Support Service (ESS) at HMP Wayland was established in 2019 and is part of the national Offender Personality Disorder Pathway (OPD). The purpose of HMP Wayland’s ESS is to provide individualised, psychologically informed interventions to prison-based residents who are experiencing severe emotional/behavioural difficulties, linked to personality disorder (PD) traits.
Most previous qualitative research into OPD pathway services suggests that relationships (e.g., Bloomfield & Wilkinson., 2020; Ryan et al., 2019), the environment (Blagden, Winder & Hames., 2016; Crewe et al., 2014), and the process of change (Blagden et al., 2016; Greenacre., 2019) are the main indicators and facilitators of service effectiveness. Exploring the factors which can facilitate change in individuals and produce therapeutic success will allow for services to be tailored to the needs of service users (King & Crisp., 2021; Livesley et al., 2017).
Despite previous qualitative research considering service user experiences within the OPD pathway, research into individualised OPD outreach services is limited (Greenacre.,2019) and there is no published qualitative research considering ESS service user views. Based on the recommendations from previous qualitative research into service user perspectives (e.g., Coffey., 2006; King & Crisp., 2021; Livesley et al., 2017) it is clear additional qualitative research is needed in this area to improve service effectiveness. As no published research has considered service user experiences of factors which facilitate service effectiveness in an OPD outreach service, it is important to consider this within the present study.
The current study aims to explore service user experiences of an Offender Personality Disorder Pathway Outreach Service. The study will use a semi-structured interview incorporating mainly open-ended questions designed to explore service users’ lived experiences of therapeutic change in a OPD outreach service. The data will be transcribed and analysed to generate themes representing the service users’ perspectives.
The results of this research will inform the practice of OPD Outreach services UK-wide through the dissemination of the results via presentation, conference and publication.
REC name
East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/EE/0270
Date of REC Opinion
2 Feb 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion