Effective practice guide: Mental health

Effective practice guide: Mental health  (PDF, 2 MB)

Based on our thematic inspection of the criminal justice journey for individuals with mental health needs and disorders (2021).

Contents: This guide sets out our standards in relation to mental health services and what we expect from practitioners. We explore four key stages of the criminal justice system (pre-sentence, court, case supervision and release/resettlement) and highlight examples of effectiveness in these areas.

There is then a focus on the themes in action, with case studies looking at advice to courts and the ASPIRE model. We conclude with overall takeaways and further reading.