Purpose -Positive professional attitudes towards personality-disordered clients have been linked with extensive clinical and strategic benefits. The largest influences upon such attitudes are associated with staff training, supervision and support. This preliminary evaluation seeks to consider the effect of an introductory personality disorder awareness workshop upon trainees' attitudes towards personality disordered prisoners.Design/methodology/approach -The attitude towards personality disorder questionnaire (APDQ) was administered to prison staff (predominantly prison officers) immediately before the workshop and then re-tested, on average, two months later.Findings -The study sample (n ¼ 26) showed significant improvements on the ''security versus vulnerability'' APDQ sub-scale. The remaining four sub-scales and overall APDQ scores showed no significant change.Practical implications -The findings indicate that personality disorder awareness training should initially engage with trainees' perceptions of their personal security and vulnerability when working with this client group, rather than aiming to increase liking, enjoyment and acceptance of such offenders.Originality/value -This study marks a preliminary analysis of a new personality disorder awareness training programme.

Rationale Although accessing user‐perspectives is a key National Health Service initiative, the literature reporting user's views of forensic services, particularly dangerous and severe personality disorder (DSPD) services, is in its infancy. Aim and Design This qualitative study applied thematic analysis to 12 semi‐structured interviews aimed to enhance professional understanding of how Peaks Unit treatment‐ward participants retrospectively perceive their experience of being admitted and assessed at the unit. Findings Reported themes include ‘fear’ associated with participants' personal safety concerns and apprehensions regarding inhumane treatment and prolonged detention. The local metaphor of the DSPD Unit as the ‘dark side’ exacerbated such fears. ‘Shock’ also emerged as a primary theme resulting from unexpected admissions, security measures and some staff responses. ‘Offering hope’ provided a further theme with many participants reporting a climate of therapeutic optimism within staff teams and ‘refreshing’ opportunities for change. Reservations were also expressed about the service potentially offering ‘false hope’. Several suggestions are proposed for future assessment strategy including escalating user‐involvement activity, managing expectations, promoting therapeutic optimism and helping patients to attain a realistic sense of hope in order to maximise therapeutic engagement. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Purpose The 2011 Offender Personality Disorder Strategy promoted formulation-led approaches to offender management. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how formulation can inform partnership-working with women offenders, specifically those with complex needs including personality difficulties. Design/methodology/approach Learning from partnership case-work is shared to highlight a psychological understanding of the needs of one female offender, and the organisational system operating around her. Findings The paper describes the development of a “volcano metaphor” as a conceptual framework to assist workers, without psychological training, to better understand the complexity of a client’s intense emotional world. It also reflects the impact of an individualised formulation for through-the-gate working. Practical implications The challenges and advantages of “joined-up” inter-agency working are highlighted, including some ideas on how to promote consistency. These include the use of formulation as the basis for decision making and to help “contain” strong emotions attached to working with complex women offenders. Importance is attached to stable and appropriate housing for such women by anticipating their resettlement needs prior to points of transition, and coordinating provision through multi-agency public protection arrangements. Originality/value The paper’s originality lies with the development of the volcano diagram as an accessible format for considering individualised formulation and risk assessment. The paper also offers detailed reflections on wider systemic processes attached to working with complex women offenders. It is particularly relevant to psychological practitioners working within probation and prisons, and also to offender managers.

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