Forensic Managed Care Network
In October 2002 the Department of Health and Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) initiated the Bamford Review, a major, wide-ranging and independent review of the law, policy and provision affecting people with mental health needs or a learning disability in Northern Ireland.
In 2009 a forensic mental health and learning disability/ intellectual development disability services sub-group of the Bamford Taskforce was established to take forward recommendations from this review. Leading from this, the Forensic Managed Care Network was established in June 2019.
The Forensic Managed Care Network is aligned to key recent strategies including:
- Improving Health within Criminal Justice Strategy 2019,
- Department of Health Mental Health Strategy 2021- 2031, and
- Learning Disability Service Model ‘We Matter’ (which is in development).
Working across Health and Social Care (HSC) services and Criminal Justice Agencies, the Network aims to positively shape future service delivery by, promoting good practice examples, informing commissioners of priority areas of need and sharing learning and research to make evidence-based service improvements across the region.
The Forensic Managed Care Network takes a Human Rights, whole system, person-centred approach to promoting collaboration between all relevant services to ensure access to consistently safe, high quality, seamless and effective services at the right time and in the right place.
This whole system approach improves co-ordination of cross-departmental and multi-agency working across Health and Social Care services and Criminal Justice Agencies. It also enables co-production with community and voluntary partners commissioned to provide support services and with service-users and carers with lived experience.
The Network works in partnership with:
- Scottish Forensic Network
- Royal College of Psychiatrists Quality Network for Forensic Mental Health Services, and
- Irish National Forensic Mental Health Services
With a strong focus on research the Network will develop links internationally for mutual exchange of learning and development.
The objectives of the Forensic Managed Care Network are to:
- Improve outcomes for children, young people and adults who require forensic health and social care, treatment and support within the criminal justice system;
- Bring a consistent approach to the planning and commissioning of safe, accessible and effective treatment and care for children, young people and adults who require forensic health and social care, treatment and support within the criminal justice system;
- Ensure involvement of service-users and carers in all developments;
- Promote more formal collaborative working between NI, the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland and beyond;
- Support, sustain and develop the workforce within health and social care and criminal justice agencies;
- Address teaching, training and research needs; and
- Promote, share and build on good practice
A small management team has been established at the Strategic Planning and Performance Group (SPPG) to build on partnership working and strengthen strategic oversight and accountability of the Forensic Managed Care Network.
Contact details
If you would like further information on the FMCN contact:
Forensic Network Management Team @ ForensicManagedCareNetwork@hscni.net