Measuring and improving the health and quality of healthcare for people on probation: developing data collection and quality indicators

• Dr Coral Sirdifield, CaHRU, University of Lincoln
• Professor Charlie Brooker, Royal Holloway, University of London (Consultant)
• Mr Dean Maxwell-Harrison, Independent Service User Consultant
• Mr Steve Johnson-Proctor, HMPPS
• Professor Graham Law, School of Health and Social Care, University of Lincoln
• Mr Damian Mitchell, Independent Consultant
• Peer Researchers, Revolving Doors Agency

• University of Lincoln
• HMPPS
• Revolving Doors Agency
• Expert and lived experience panels

This project aims to support evidence-based commissioning of appropriate and accessible services for people under probation supervision through the following objectives.

1. To improve the measurement, understanding and recording of the health and social care needs of people under probation supervision, and their patterns and experiences of service access (better data collection).
2. To develop quality indicators for the quality of the healthcare that people under probation supervision receive.

We will use mixed methods, including a survey of people under probation supervision, work with an expert panel, a focus group with people with lived experience of the criminal justice system, and a systematic literature review.

• An improved approach to routine screening of the National Probation Service caseload that can be employed nationally.
• A set of quality indicators that can be used nationally.
• A proposed implementation plan detailing how all National Probation Service Local Delivery Units could implement the measures of health and social care need and quality indicators in future practice and share findings with commissioners and Joint Strategic Needs Assessment authors to shape local service provision

• A report for NIHR
• An easy read summary of findings developed with individuals with lived experience of the criminal justice system
• Journal articles on the health and social care needs of people under probation supervision, their patterns and experiences of service access, and the development of quality indicators.

Please see Findings and Outputs – Health and Social Care Needs and Quality Indicators in Probation (lincoln.ac.uk) for more detail of the outputs produced from this study.