A key aspect of the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway (OPDP) is to provide specialist psychologically informed support to the staff working with high-risk offenders who present with personality difficulties. This includes delivering training and facilitating case consultation and formulation meetings. This study aimed to examine the experiences of probation practitioners who have engaged with core OPDP services within a single delivery unit within Wales. Transcripts derived from audio recordings of one-to-one interviews with five probation practitioners were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Three central themes were identified: the OPDP as a process for understanding personality disorder; tensions with organisational context and establishing a collaborative working relationship with the OPDP team. These findings can be mapped onto the key pathway objectives relating to staff competence and confidence and add weight to previous benefits and impacts identified by a previous study conducted within a single area of England. They also speak to wider contextual issues and concerns within probation within which the community arm of the OPDP exists.
AdamsM (2015) Coaching Psychology in Schools: Enhancing Performance. Development and Wellbeing. London: Routledge.
2.
BenefieldNJosephNSkettS, et al. (2015) The offender personality disorder strategy jointly delivered by NOMS and NHS England. Prison Service Journal218: 4–9.
3.
BlinkhornVPetalasMWaltonM, et al. (2021) Understanding offender managers’ views and experiences of psychological consultations. European Journal of Probation13(2): 95–110.
4.
BraunVClarkeV (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology3(2): 77–101.
5.
BrookerCSirdifieldCBlizardR, et al. (2011) An Investigation into the Prevalence of Mental Health Disorder and Patterns of Health Service Access in a Probation Population. Lincoln: University of Lincoln.
6.
ClarkeJ (2017) The resilient organisation. In: ClarkeJ (ed) The Routledge International Handbook of Forensic Psychology in Secure Settings. London: Routledge, 236–251.
7.
CracknellM (2016) Reflections on undertaking the Probation Qualifying Framework scheme during the Transforming Rehabilitation changes. Probation Journal63(2): 211–218.
8.
DaviesJ (2015) Supervision for Forensic Practitioners. London: Routledge.
9.
DaviesJ (2021) Chapter 48: Staff supervision in forensic contexts. In: BrownJMHorvathMAH (eds) Cambridge Handbook of Forensic Psychology. 2nd ed. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 859–878.
10.
DaviesJSampsonMBeesleyF, et al. (2014) An evaluation of Knowledge and Understanding Framework personality disorder awareness training: Can a co-production model be effective in a local NHS mental health Trust?Personality and Mental Health8: 161–168.
11.
EbrahimSRobinsonSCrooksS, et al. (2016) Evaluation of awareness level knowledge and understanding framework personality disorder training with mental health staff: Impact on attitudes and clinical practice. The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice11(3): 133–143.
12.
EellsTD (2007) Handbook of Psychotherapy Case Formulation. 2nd ed. New York: The Guilford Press.
13.
FreestoneMCWilsonKJonesR, et al. (2015) The impact on staff of working with personality disordered offenders: A systematic review. PLoS ONE10(8): e0136378.
14.
HMPPS/ NHS England (2018) Principles and Practice: Guidance for Implementing the Community Specification the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway.
JosephNBenefieldN (2012) A joint offender personality disorder pathway strategy: An outline summary. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health22(3): 210–217.
17.
KnauerVWalkerJRobertsA (2017) Offender personality disorder pathway: The impact of case consultation and formulation with probation staff. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology28(6): 825–840.
18.
LamphGLathamCSmithD, et al. (2014) Evaluating the impact of a nationally recognised training programme that aims to raise the awareness and challenge attitudes of personality disorder in multi-agency partners. The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice9(2): 89–100.
19.
McMullanERamsdenJLowtonM (2014) Offender personality disorder pathway: Evaluation of team consultation. Mental Health Review Journal19(3): 185–195.
20.
McMurranMDelightS (2017) Processes of change in an offender personality disorder pathway prison progression unit. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health27(3): 254–264.
21.
MinoudisPShawJBannermanA, et al. (2012) Identifying personality disturbance in a London probation sample. Probation Journal59(1): 23–38.
22.
MoranPJarrettMVamvakasG, et al. (2022) National evaluation of the male offender personality disorder pathway programme, Ministry of Justice Analytical Series.
23.
National Offender Management Service and NHS England (2020) Working with Offenders with Personality Disorder: A Practitioners Guide. 3rd ed. London: Ministry of Justice.
O'MearaAEdwardsMDaviesJ (2021) Listening to women: Relational approaches to female offender management. Journal of Forensic Practice23(1): 1–12.
26.
ParkerJ (2016) Knowledge and Understanding Framework: Evaluation for the Pan-London Region 2015–2016. London, UK: The Pan London KUF Partnership.
27.
RadcliffeKCarringtonBWardM (2020) Exploring offender manager’s experiences of psychologically informed consultation on relationships with service users within the offender personality disorder pathway. Mental Health Review Journal25(4): 317–328.
28.
RamsdenJLowtonMJoyesE (2014) The impact of case formulation focussed consultation on criminal justice staff and their attitudes to work with personality disorder. Mental Health Review Journal19(2): 124–130.
SchonDA (2002) The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. 1st ed. London, UK: Basic Books.
31.
ShaplandJBottomsAFarrallS, et al. (2012) The quality of probation supervision – a literature review. University of Sheffield. Centre for Criminological Research.
32.
ShawJHigginsCQuarteyC (2017) The impact of collaborative case formulation with high risk offenders with personality disorder. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology28(6): 777–789.
33.
SnowdenPKaneE (2003) Personality disorder: No longer a diagnosis of exclusion. Psychiatric Bulletin27(11): 401–403.
34.
WebsterNDoggettLGardnerS (2020) If you want to change the world you have to start with yourself: The impact of staff reflective practice within the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway. Probation Journal67(3): 283–296.
35.
WheableVDaviesJ (2020) Examining the evidence base for forensic case formulation: An integrative review of recent research. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health19(3): 315–328.
36.
WilligC (2001) Introducing Qualitative Research in Psychology. Buckingham: Open University Press.
