An overview of Care Act duties for people in Criminal Justice | BASW England Criminal Justice Group

to 2:00pm
About this event

How effectively are we meeting our Care Act duties for people in contact with the criminal justice system?

Keith Skerman (Co-Chair of the ADASS Care and Justice network) will explore the particular challenges of identifying and responding to social care needs among people in prison and under probation supervision. The session will consider demand and evidence of need, including the impact of an ageing prison population, complex physical and mental health needs, addiction, neglect and institutionalisation, as well as the challenges of supporting people on release across multiple local authority areas.

The presentation will also examine safeguarding concerns highlighted by recent inspection findings, including limited access to mental health and adult social care, gaps in risk assessment and escalation, and variable multi-agency working. Against the backdrop of changes to sentencing and rehabilitation, Keith will consider opportunities to strengthen collaboration between social care, probation, health and safeguarding partners.

Drawing on practical examples, the session will highlight ways to improve legal and practice literacy, strengthen local liaison and joint training, make better use of lived experience, and improve planning for prison discharge and complex cases.

*This session will be recorded and hosted on the BASW YouTube channel*

Keith Skerman Keith qualified as a social worker in 1979 and worked in Probation services for 13 years. He then worked in social services across children, adults and mental health. Keith became a Director of Social Services in Swindon 2003, later as Chief Social Work Officer (Aberdeen) and DASS (Walsall). He has been a consultant and interim manager until 2023.

Keith has been a member of ADASS for 30 years and Co-Chair of the ADASS Associates for the last 5 years. He helped resurrect the ADASS Care and Justice network last year and is Co-Chair of the network. He sits on a National Partnership Board of the Ministry of Justice working with HMPPS on a range of improvements. Keith submitted evidence on behalf of ADASS to the Sentencing Review and the House of Commons Justice Committee in 2024.

Also, Keith is Chair of the trustees of Emmaus Mossley, a homeless charity in Manchester.