Survey of Forensic Services for Adults with Intellectual Disability and Autism in the UK
Author Information
Author(s): McKinnon Iain, Whitehouse Ellen, Harris Melissa, Ciausu Vlad, McCarthy Jane, Sheehan Rory
Primary Institution: Cumbria Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; and Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, UK
Hypothesis
What is the extent and delivery of specialist forensic community teams for adults with intellectual disability and/or autism across the UK?
Conclusion
Specialist community forensic teams are not universally available, but their presence is associated with improved care processes.
Supporting Evidence
- 63% of eligible Trusts/Health Boards responded to the survey.
- 51% of responding Trusts/Boards had access to a specialist forensic community team.
- Teams with specialist forensic services were more likely to co-produce care plans with patients.
Takeaway
This study looked at how many teams help people with learning disabilities and autism who have committed crimes, and found that having these teams can help provide better care.
Methodology
An online survey was sent to representatives of UK Trusts/Health Boards to gather data on the availability and structure of forensic services.
Potential Biases
Responses may not accurately reflect the services due to potential non-response bias from Trusts lacking specialist teams.
Limitations
The study did not collect information about the clinical background of respondents and may have skewed results due to non-responses from Trusts without specialist services.
Participant Demographics
Responses were received from various Trusts across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.005
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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