A £1.2m health scheme pioneered at a Norfolk prison could be set for a national roll-out - having attracted a royal visit earlier in the year. The mental health daycare service is a scheme based at HMP Norwich which the prison launched alongside the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust in March 2022.
The service offers psychological interventions to inmates and has been credited with helping reduce incidents of self-harm and violent misconduct at the prison - having helped almost 400 prisoners since its launch. In January, it attracted a visit from Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, as part of her work as patron of the National Association of Official Prison Visitors. (Image: NSFT) And now, the service is being made permanent following an initial two-year trial period - and could be set for a national roll-out.
Funding has been allocated to continue the scheme beyond its trial period - which will cost £1.2m over the next three financial years. The scheme, which has received 395 referrals in two years, offers both individual and group work, with in-mates taken away from the prison wings under the supervision of psychologists.
An independent evaluation of the service has credited it with having a "positive impact, with clear improvements across a range of mental health outcomes". However, it also found a need for improvements in data collection to measure its overall impact on prisoner wellbeing. Stephanie Hall, clinical lead psychologist of the scheme, said: "We are deli.