Interviews with carers

Interviews with carers

Carers who responded to the questionnaire survey were asked to indicate if they would like to be interviewed.  Staff in medium, low and community forensic mental health services in the North and South East of Scotland invited forensic carers associated with their services to participate in interviews.

Information about the interviews, along with the survey, was also circulated to forensic carers alongside the State Hospital Carers Newsletter.  The interview topic guide, designed in collaboration with carers on the Working Group and in light of issues identified by forensic carers in previous consultations, adopted an appreciative approach to explore what worked well in addition to the challenges and barriers to carers or using support from forensic mental health services.

The topic guide asked carers about their experience of being a forensic carer; about moves from prison or general psychiatric services to forensic mental health services and changes in level of secure services; about their experience of forensic mental health services’ support to carers including carer support groups; and for their suggestions about improving carer support.