Validation of the Security Needs Assessment Profile (SNAP) by a national survey of secure units in England

Aims and method The Security Needs Assessment Profile (SNAP) was developed to provide a detailed description of individual patient's security requirements in the then Trent Region of England. A national survey of secure units was undertaken to examine the content validity of the item structure of SNAP and revise the item definitions to reflect more broadly based clinical practice. A follow-up survey sought views on the usefulness of SNAP in clinical practice. Results Thirty-five secure units from National Health Service and independent sector providers participated. No new security items were generated. All the item definitions were reviewed, many amended, and a small number revised extensively. Units' security profiles were rated on the original and revised instruments. Clinical implications The revised SNAP has been shown to be generalisable across secure services in England; 92% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that SNAP would be useful in providing a structured security needs assessment.