Rio | Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion Service Screening

Overview

The Bradley report published in 2009, which reviewed people with mental health issues or learning difficulties within the criminal justice system, led to the introduction of the Liaison and Diversion Service (L&D) by NHS England. The L&D Service provides early identification and screening of vulnerable people of all ages within the criminal justice system.

Screening is typically done in confined and restricted locations such as a police cell, where capturing the information is often done on paper. Based on the screening, practitioners offer advice and guidance to police officers, magistrates and other colleagues within the criminal justice system, to help determine the most appropriate level of support and outcome for each person.

The CJLDS App for Rio mobile technology is suitable for the screening assessment, offering an alternative to paper methods and providing increased flexibility for health staff as they can take their mobile device to police cells or a court setting.

How it works

The CJLDS App for Rio solution, which is installed on a mobile device, works off-line and sends data to Servelec’s EPR System, Rio, automatically. The mobile solution presents the screening questions in an easy touch screen layout and is fully compliant with the national data set.

The solution improves all aspects of the screening process and provides benefits for both the patients and the healthcare professionals. The CJLDS App for Rio solution can transform the way the Criminal Justice Liaison & Diversion Service carries out screening assessments by ensuring all people seen receive the same high standard of screening. Additionally, the application can print out an intervention plan for the person being assessed at the point of contact.

It has been reported by a trust that within three months of using the technology, they have been able to increase the number of screenings, from 30 to 200 per week.

Key Benefits

For the trust

• Fully compliant with the national data set
• Accelerates the rate of screenings and improves efficiency by making screenings quick and easy to complete
• Automatically allocates screenings based on available resource, for example those who have finished their last screening
• Helps Trusts move towards paperless practices and less referrals are lost to follow up due to automated referral system

For the healthcare professional

• Screening data immediately included in the clinical record
• The solution works offline, and information captured is sent back to Rio automatically when signal is available
• Onward referrals are extracted from screening results and emailed to appropriate individuals and/or teams
• More secure than paper-based methods, encourages consistency and reduces errors

For the person

• With approximately 50% of the prison population having a mental health issue, the solution allows an increased support system to our most vulnerable members of society
• Screenings happen much quicker and wait times are reduced as a result of increased efficiency within the service
• Helps break the cycle of repeat offending by identifying opportunities for earlier intervention through the appropriate services