The evaluation of a low-cost brain injury support service
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a low-cost brain injury support service for those in custody
IRAS ID
171244
Contact name
Sara da Silva Ramos
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Disabilities Trust Foundation
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
171244/746245/33/561, IRAS NOMS Application Number
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a newly developed low-cost service to support offenders who sustained an acquired brain injury. The Linkworker service has been purposely developed to manage some of the risks associated with acquired brain injury within offender populations. For example, impulsivity is a common consequence of acquired brain injury, which can also result in greater likelihood of offending or re-offending. To achieve this, measures of the effectiveness of a standard intervention will be collected first, which will serve as a control condition (Phase 1). Secondly, prison staff will receive brain injury awareness training, informing prison officers of the causes and symptoms of brain injury, and how this may limit the effectiveness of standard approaches to offender rehabilitation and management when used with offenders with a history of acquired brain Injury (ABI). The training will also provide staff with simple strategies to address some of the most common problems (Phase 2). Finally, in Phase 3, a brain injury Linkworker service will be introduced. Offenders with and without a history of acquired brain injury will be randomly allocated to receive support from the Linkworker. It is expected that prison staff training will result in more confidence in dealing with offenders who present with complex problems (e. g behaviour that challenges), and that, offenders who reported having sustained some form of acquired brain injury in the past, will show greater improvements after receiving the Linkworker intervention than after standard care. Effectiveness will be measured by: an increase in access to services; decrease in homelessness following release; decrease in drug/alcohol use; increase in community participation (e. g. employment, voluntary work); decrease in offending; decrease in ambulance call-outs; A&E admissions, police arrests, court appearances and housing evictions (following release).
REC name
London - South East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0821
Date of REC Opinion
30 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion