A bail and probation hostel for mentally disordered defendants

Elliott House is the only specialized approved bail and probation hostel for mentally disordered men in the UK. It was established as a partnership between the West Midlands probation service and the forensic psychiatry services based at the Reaside Clinic. We report on the evaluation of this facility. Comprehensive social and psychiatric data were collected on all those residents between August 1994 and April 1996. The reason for leaving the hostel was also recorded. During the study period, 83 men completed a period of residence. Of these men, 47% had a psychotic illness. Deliberate self-harm was a significant problem in 13%. Only 4% reoffended whilst resident at the hostel. The condition of residency was breached by 41%. Departure was a result of a normal bail variation for 22% and of admission to hospital for 11%. Elliott House is a successful national resource, attracting residents with major mental disorders. A key principle of the recent White Paper (Department of Health, 1997) is that the NHS will work in partnership with other agencies to put the needs of patients at the centre of the care process. The hostel demonstrates that a close partnership between separately managed agencies can successfully deliver care to a previously deprived group.