Supporting Carers Within a Forensic Intellectual Disability Community Team: The Development of a Carers Strategy

The needs of carers of those discharged from inpatient forensic intellectual disability (ID) services are under researched. The role of the carer changes significantly during the transition from the person being cared for by the inpatient service, to a community setting. The carer may feel responsible for managing mental, physical and forensic needs. Therefore, carers of those with ID and forensic needs in the community require specialist support and understanding. Following the establishment of a new community ID team in Norfolk, the lack of guidelines for supporting this unique group of carers was noted. As such, a carers strategy with multiple components was initiated. This paper describes the implementation of a carers strategy to provide specific support to this cohort. It highlights the lack of research on this topic and the importance of working with external stakeholders.