Abstract
This briefing follows four years after the publication of the Bradley Report and forms part of the independent commission set up by Lord Bradley to review progress and consider how the recommendations of the report can be best implemented in light of the changing financial and policy landscape. This report focuses on an evaluation of the current provision for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) individuals with mental health or learning disabilities. It identifies the core components of effective engagement with this group and also makes recommendations for improving practice across the country.
The background to this particular briefing is the disproportionate representation of BME communities within mental health services and the CJS. There is concern that despite this over-representation, BME prisoners are under-represented in services designed to support those with mental health needs, both within the prison environment and the community. Inequalities, institutional racism and a lack of awareness and trust of services and service providers are explored as contributing factors to this disproportionate representation. The Bradley Report (2009) highlights the importance of the CJS pathway into mental health services for BME communities, stating that they are 40 per cent more likely to access these services via prison and probation than White Britons.
The report identifies five key elements of effective engagement with BME communities:
Cultural competence – taking an individual’s background into account.
Person-centred intervention – a move away from a ‘one size fits all’ approach with an emphasis on respect for diversity.
Holistic engagement – it is essential that services address the range of needs experienced by BME communities not just their mental health. This can be done by individual organizations or in partnership with other local services.
Mentoring and service-user involvement – incorporating the skills and knowledge of service users into the operation and development of the organizations.
Working in partnership – providers should work in partnership with each other as well as with statutory organisations. Share expertise with other community agencies to improve outcomes for all service users.
The report concludes with a checklist of 10 recommendations for those organizations working with BME communities within or at risk of becoming involved with the CJS. They are based on current successful initiatives and highlight the importance of the above key components as well as diversion from the CJS where appropriate and possible, data collection and analysis, appropriate training and greater consideration of BME communities and their needs by commissioners.
Briefing 1: Black and Minority Ethnic Communities, Mental Health and Criminal Justice by Centre for Mental Health, The Bradley Commission, 2013, can be downloaded from http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk