Geoff Dart is the Project Manager for the project Health Trainers in the Criminal Justice System. This was implemented by the recommendations of the Darzi report on Healthy Ambitions.

The Department of Health nationally leads this field, and through them we were made aware of how the Level 2 UHI could be used to train offenders within prisons to be Health Trainer Champions.

HMP Everthorpe is being used as a pilot site and they already have six accredited Health Trainer Champions. Within the region there are 13 other prisons, and part of the project plan is to train at least two members of staff from each establishment, enabling them to deliver the Level 2 UHI to offenders. They can then be employed as Health Trainer Champions. Each establishment will hold the accredited centre status, but will be controlled under a consortium by Yorkshire and Humber Improvement Partnership.

As a region we now have over 25 staff working within prisons, having attended the Train the Trainer course. Our aim over the next 3 months is to increase this number by another 20 staff members, giving each establishment at least four trained tutors. By March 2010 the course will be delivered a minimum of three times per annum in each of the 14 establishments.

To read a full feature on the work of the project click here.

For more information contact geoffrey.dart@yhip.org.uk.