Overview of our Service

PERS is a partnership between HMP Standford Hill and LPP. It is currently the only offender PD service within an Open Prison in the UK. We provide support to men who may find the transition into open conditions and safe release into the community difficult.  Our aim is to reduce the risk of a return to closed conditions and to encourage successful integration into Standford Hill and then on into the community.  The length of engagement can be approximately 3 – 6 months on entry to Standford Hill and from notification of the Parole Window for the Transition-Out phase.

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What PERS is not:

We are not a residential or a PIPE (Psychologically Informed Planned Environment) unit – men live on the one of three residential wings with the other inmates. We do not provide psychological treatment or therapy and therefore it is not designed for men who still have outstanding treatment requirements.

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What PERS offers:

The service provides a supportive outreach facility to men who are assessed as suitable (*) and who voluntarily choose to engage with the service. There are three distinct phases:

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Transition-In Phase:

Once screened and assessed, men are assigned a dedicated Senior Officer who will provide fortnightly 1:1 keywork sessions to discuss their progress and to try to address any concerns they may have. This keywork is based on an individual’s needs and can be tailored to weekly or other defined sessions.

Engagement with a weekly psychologically informed group programme, comprising 8 sessions to consolidate previous learning. Themes discussed, include coping with change, managing relationships and self-sabotaging behaviour.

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Graduation Phase:

On completion of the Transition-in phase, men receive their graduation certificate in a group environment and keywork sessions are undertaken on a needs basis, negotiated between the service user and the keyworker. The main focus at this time is to assist men with settling into the prison regime to develop their engagement with activities such as education, training and employment.

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Transition –Out Phase:

Leading up to the Parole Hearing, men are actively encouraged to attend workshops which focus on providing practical information in readiness for release and for some, trips out to the community, for example visiting an Approved Premises in the area prior to ROR, ROTL or release.

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* Men who are deemed suitable for the PERS Service are those who fit the Standford Hill acceptance criteria and who in addition meet the following criteria:

·        Are classed as Restricted ROTL offenders

·        Are managed by NPS (National Probation Service)

·        Are considered to be a high risk of harm and who have histories involving violence to others

·        Are willing to engage with the service on a voluntary basis

·        Have been engaged previously on the OPD Pathway, LPPU, PIPE and TC and other such environments

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To discuss individual referrals please contact the PERS team on 01795 884500 x4600 or via the Contact page of this website.

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PERS Projects Undertaken at Standford Hill

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