How is Social Care Provided in Adult Prisons in England and Wales?

Why is this research needed? In some prisons, peers are trained to provide additional support for social care needs. There are many differences in the type of social care provided in prisons and the use of peer support. We explored what social care is currently delivered in adult prisons in England and Wales, including different types of peer support. How did we do this research? To answer the above questions, we analysed information taken from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) reports for 102 prisons (published 2017-2020). We identified relevant information from the reports and used this information to understand the delivery of social care in adult prisons in England and Wales. What did we find? The delivery of social care varies across different prisons. Many prisons assessed social care needs and referred individuals for social care support. Social care is delivered by providers from different sectors (health care, social care and prisons). Of all the prisons included, forty-one prisons (40.2 per cent) have a peer support program for social care. We found no notable differences between prison categories and social care delivery. Also, only 29 per cent of prisoners who reported disabilities in a national survey received the support they felt they needed, although there was a significantly higher proportion receiving support (42 per cent) within category D prisons. Key messages Social care provision varies across prisons in England and Wales. We do not yet know how effective different types of social care are. We have provided some recommendations to reporting of social care within HMIP reports. There is variation in provision of social care in prisons. Our research aimed to understand variation across adult prisons in England and Wales, including: (1) what social care is provided? (2) who delivers social care? (3) what peer support initiatives are used? (4) what social care indicators are relevant? and (5) are there differences between prison type and social care provision? We analysed Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) reports (published 2017-2020) from 102 prisons. From these reports we extracted and analysed data on social care provision. Elements of social care are not consistently delivered; need assessments (81.4 per cent) and referrals (75.5 per cent) were most frequently reported. Different providers (health care/social care/prison) deliver social care. Forty-one prisons (40.2 per cent) included peer support (formal to informal). We found no notable differences between prison categories and social care delivery, although, within category D prisons, a significantly larger proportion of those with a disability reported receiving support they needed. Inspection reports highlighted that prison social care should mirror community social care, but we could not fully evaluate this due to reporting issues. Social care provision varies; effectiveness of different models is not yet known. We provide recommendations to improve social care reporting within HMIP reports.