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The nature and extent of prisoners’ social care needs: Do older prisoners require a different service response?

Tucker, Sue; Hargreaves, Claire; Cattermull, Mark; Roberts, Amy; Walker, Tammi; Shaw, Jennifer; Challis, David

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Authors

Sue Tucker

Claire Hargreaves

Mark Cattermull

Amy Roberts

Tammi Walker

Jennifer Shaw



Abstract

Summary: In light of longstanding concern about the lack of social care in prisons, the 2014 Care Act made local authorities in England responsible for identifying, assessing and meeting prisoners’ social care needs. However, service planning is difficult, for little is known about the level of demand or the extent to which the needs of older and younger prisoners differ. Against this background, face-to-face interviews (including screens for social care needs, substance misuse and mental health problems) were undertaken with a sample of male prisoners in North-West England. Findings: Three hundred and ninety-nine participants were aged 18–49 and 80 aged 50 plus. Overall, more than a 10th of participants had problems maintaining personal hygiene, dressing and/or getting around the prison safely; a significant minority lacked meaningful occupation; and approaching a sixth acknowledged problems forming/maintaining relationships. Older prisoners were significantly more likely than younger prisoners to need help with personal hygiene, dressing and moving around safely and to identify problems with their physical health and memory. Applications: The findings highlight the substantial number of older prisoners who could potentially benefit from some form of social care and support if they are to maintain their safety and dignity and make best use of their time in prison. They also underline the need to develop suitable screening and assessment tools for older prisoners, and for further research on the best service models for prisoners requiring intimate personal care.

Citation

Tucker, S., Hargreaves, C., Cattermull, M., Roberts, A., Walker, T., Shaw, J., & Challis, D. (2021). The nature and extent of prisoners’ social care needs: Do older prisoners require a different service response?. Journal of Social Work, 21(3), 310-328. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017319890077

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jul 4, 2019
Online Publication Date Nov 27, 2019
Publication Date May 1, 2021
Deposit Date Sep 25, 2019
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal of Social Work
Print ISSN 1468-0173
Electronic ISSN 1741-296X
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 21
Issue 3
Pages 310-328
DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017319890077
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2660700
Publisher URL https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1468017319890077

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