Use of Customer Insight in Review of Offender management services

in Lewisham

Use of Customer Insight in Review of Offender management services

in Lewisham

Frank CurranConsultant

Total Place

Reducing re-offending chosen as one of four Total Place strands in 2009

Aim: To identify opportunities for improving the effectiveness of existing service delivery models and subsequently to reduce re-offending rates and the harm caused by offenders.

Scope: Review the range of community based rehabilitative services and resettlement packages offered in Lewisham, to offenders especially adults leaving prison

Aim of Customer Insight

Who is the ‘customer’?

Aim to answer:

•What is the client journey from arrest to rehabilitation?

•What is the offenders own experience of the services and interventions they receive(d)

•What are the drivers of criminal behaviour?

Scope:

•8 offender ethnographies

•Offender journey mapping

•5 service provider ethnographies/ shadowing

•Case file review

Example of ethnography output

“ If you can’t find services, you find your drug dealer”

“She spoke of her frustration about leaving prison clean and

‘full of good intentions’ and being placed in a hostel next to drug

dealers and users. She knew hat because she was in the sort of

environment she’d relapse”

He remembers ‘waking up and thinking “it’s another day, what

shall I do today?”’. He was used to the routine of prison and found it weird not to be told what to do.

Pros and cons

What worked well• Doesn’t over simplify• Detailed case studies and quotations• Offender led • Honestly of those involved• Not involving the ‘usual suspects’ • Case studies very compelling

Possible difficulties• Not statistically sound•Will it have credibility?

•How will it inform service change?

•Recruiting •Mapping offender journey more

difficult than we expected

Would do differently:• Service provider ethnographies

• Retrospective journey mapping with repeat offenders – very complex journeys

Resettlement & Rehabilitative Services Post-Release

Findings from customer insight work• Limited co-ordination of rehabilitative services

– Complexity of offender pathway

– Multiple assessment points & key workers

– Ad-hoc information sharing arrangements• Transition from prison to community not smooth

– Release dates not communicated to community based providers

– Friday releases– Offenders released from prisons outside of London– Lack of basic provision in place upon release

• Rehabilitative Services & Interventions– Designed as a one way rigid process– Limited range of service offers– Employment related training not linked to employment

opportunities – No assessment of effectiveness

Lewisham’s response (1)

Commissioned a service to “disrupt “ the system and work with offenders to reduce reoffending:1.Service paid partly on success in reducing offending amongst participants

2.Provider given great flexibility in service design

3.Service focuses on people released from prison and others motivated to change behaviour

4.Service acts as lead professional

Lewisham’s response (2)

•Improve operational co-ordination amongst agencies leading to better joint approach to offenders •Improved information sharing leading to reduced assessments•Two police officers working on the project•Discussions with NOMS re prison releases•Discussions with Work Programme primes re linking with local CJ services•Dashboard of performance measures reviewed every month at joint board meeting

Reducing offending system model

Proposed model

Questions & Comments?

For further information contact Frank Curran 07515 875381