Evaluation of the Enhanced Engagement and Relational Support Service (EERSS) within the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway

ABSTRACT

This was a mixed methods cross-sectional study evaluating OPD EERSS services in London. This included whether engagement with EERSS improved service participants’ well-being and relationships with others, and reduced risk. Participants completed self-reported measures on working alliance, psychological distress, and well-being; and at different time points of service participation, were compared on outcomes including risk and attendance at statutory appointments. EERSS were compared to two control groups; the Intensive Intervention Risk Management Service (IIRMS) group, and a ‘no-intervention’ OPD screened-in group. A subsample of EERSS participants took part in qualitative interviews. Findings highlighted the positive impact of EERSS and IIRMS; in particular, that participants in those services improved their attendance at statutory probation appointments, compared to controls. There was a positive indication of improvement in well-being and risk. Qualitative findings identified aspects of the therapeutic alliance which improved well-being and engagement with probation. In conclusion, EERSS added value to the OPD pathway and may be deserving of wider rollout.

KEYWORDS:

• Offending
• personality disorder
• mentoring
• advocacy
• Enhanced Engagement Relational Support Service (EERSS)

Acknowledgment

We thank all participants and EERSS advocates and workers for their cooperation in this study, as well as the commissioners for funding this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/14789949.2024.2356817

Additional information

Funding

This study is a result of a collaboration between researchers from the London Pathways Partnership, and Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust led partnership, including East London NHS Foundation Trust, the EERSS managers for BlueBird; as part of Women in Prison (WIP) and Together for Mental Well-Being (TMW) Enhanced Well-Being Pathway, and the co-comissioners of this project from HMPPS and NHS England.