Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance is available for healthcare professionals in prisons for dealing with people entering custody found to have a previously acquired brain injury.

A range of evidence-based neurodevelopmental support and interventions are offered and delivered to people entering custody, according to individual needs. This includes, but is not limited to, interventions for traumatic brain injury.

Headway’s Justice Programme delivers a range of projects and initiatives to raise awareness of the significant number of people in the criminal justice system with an acquired brain injury and their resultant needs, to advocate for change in policy and practice. Through its Justice Programme, Headway is delivering training in identifying the signs of brain injury to thousands of professionals working within the criminal justice system. It has developed Understanding Acquired Brain Injury guides for prison and probation staff.

BrainKind provides bespoke training for professionals who support people experiencing homelessness, people in prison, and ex-offenders to raise awareness of the problems individuals can face if suffering from a brain injury, and the tools to support them. The aim of the training is to increase understanding of the impact a brain injury can have on people, to recognise the effects on behaviour, emotions, and social interaction, and to prepare front line service staff working directly with service users within the homelessness or criminal justice system to work with brain-injured individuals.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance in May 2023 on the assessment and early management of head injury. Whilst this guidance is not specific to the prison population, it can be used by healthcare professionals working in prisons.