Supporting safe, least restrictive care
Care for people with forensic backgrounds
Supporting people with complex needs and forensic backgrounds to live safely in a less restrictive setting, where appropriate.
Having a forensic background doesn't define a person or their care needs.
Our nurse-led care homes can support adults with complex needs alongside a forensic or offending history, including people moving on from secure care or approaching release from prison whose current risks can be safely managed in a community-based setting.
As our homes are not secure services, every referral is individually assessed to make sure the person’s care needs, risks, legal arrangements, and any restrictions can be safely supported.
When someone might come to live with us
People come to Exemplar Health Care at different points in their care journey, including:
- stepping down from a low or medium secure mental health service
- moving as part of an agreed conditional discharge or Section 17 leave
- moving into the community under a Community Treatment Order
- receiving Section 117 aftercare
- approaching release from prison with complex nursing or care needs
- moving from another community placement that can no longer meet their needs.
Transitions are planned with the person and the professionals responsible for their care, legal arrangements, and risk management.
Building a life in the community
Moving on from a secure or highly structured environment is about more than changing where someone lives.
We support people to establish meaningful routines, build confidence and everyday living skills, maintain relationships, pursue interests, and take part in community life in ways that reflect their individual goals, risks, and restrictions.
Supporting the least restrictive approach
Having a forensic background doesn’t mean someone needs to live in a secure environment.
Before admission, we work with the wider professional team to understand current and historical risks, legal arrangements, staffing and observation requirements, and what helps the person stay safe and well.
Care and risk plans are reviewed as circumstances change, with the aim of balancing safety with rights, choice, and independence.
Depending on individual circumstances and the capability of the home, we can consider people subject to:
- Community Treatment Orders (CTOs)
- Section 17 leave
- conditional or supervised discharge
- Ministry of Justice restrictions or conditions
- probation or licence conditions
- Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), where applicable
- Mental Capacity Act arrangements and best-interest decisions
- relevant deprivation of liberty authorisations
- Court of Protection orders.
We work with the person’s clinical team, commissioners, social workers, probation services, Ministry of Justice, safeguarding teams, and other professionals as required. Responsibilities, restrictions, monitoring, and escalation arrangements are agreed before admission.
Our homes are community-based care homes, not low, medium, or high secure services.
We do not have the security, detention, or enforcement powers of a secure hospital and cannot enforce treatment under the Mental Health Act.
We can not support someone whose current needs or risks require:
- a secure forensic environment
- hospital detention or enforced treatment
- security measures that cannot be provided in a care home
- management of significant current offending risk beyond the capability of the home
- restrictions that cannot safely or lawfully be delivered in a community setting.
We are also not an offender accommodation or prison resettlement service. For someone approaching release from prison, there must be an identified complex nursing or care need that our homes are equipped to support.
Not every Exemplar Health Care home can support every person with a forensic background.
Suitability depends on the individual’s needs and current risk, legal arrangements, the home environment, the people already living there, and the skills and experience of the home team.
Find complex care
Our Referrals Team can help find the right Exemplar Health Care home for someone living with a forensic background.
FAQs about care for people with forensic backgrounds
A forensic background can include previous offending behaviour, involvement with the criminal justice system, or care within forensic mental health services.
People’s circumstances vary considerably. We consider each person’s current needs and risks rather than defining them by their history.
No. Our homes are community-based care homes and are not low, medium, or high secure services.
Potentially, depending on the person’s needs, the conditions attached to their CTO, and the capability of the home.
Our teams can support the agreed care plan and report concerns to the appropriate professionals, but we cannot enforce treatment or detain someone under a CTO.
We can consider people subject to conditional or supervised discharge where the relevant authorities agree to the placement and the required conditions, supervision, and risks can be safely managed within the home.
We can consider placements provided as part of someone’s Section 117 aftercare, subject to individual assessment and agreement with the responsible commissioners and professionals.
We can consider agreed Section 17 leave arrangements where the person’s hospital and clinical team determine that the placement is appropriate.
Responsibilities, risks, restrictions, and escalation arrangements must be agreed before the placement begins.