FEATURE FORENSIC SERVICES
My role in the prison service
© GettyImages / portishead1
Lisa Hindle says that she had made ‘ several failed attempts ’ to secure a job in the run up to qualifying as an occupational therapist . ‘ Those failed interviews seemed to have a formula that I could not crack ,’ she reflects .
‘ Then I applied to work at the Beacon at HMP Garth , to help individuals with personality related needs . It was an entirely different process from the interviews I had experienced in my quest to find my new job .
‘ This time around , I cracked the formula with ease , for the answers to the interview questions lay within my heart . There was less emphasis on what I knew and more on who I am . My values were scrutinised and I later found out that the Beacon was not looking for anything that could be learned over time . They were looking for a person with strong values .’
The Beacon is a prison-based intervention service with a capacity of 48 , located within HMP Garth , for men with a diagnosis of personality disorder who have offended and / or whose risk and offending behaviour is understood to be primarily due to personality-related need ( www . merseycare . nhs . uk / hmp-garth / about-the-beacon /).
She says of her employer : ‘ They wanted enormous amounts of compassion . They wanted integrity . They wanted someone who stands strong in their values , no matter what life throws at them . The interview even tested my humour ( I know why after working in the prison service ).
‘ Finally , I landed my first occupational therapy post – an occupational therapy post where the main condition of the job is to exercise my values .’
Lisa Hindle reflects on her journey to working in a prison setting as a newly-qualified occupational therapist , and on the complexity of working with individuals with personality related needs
When Lisa arrived arrived on her first day , she found herself working amongst a team of people who had succeeded in the same interview process . ‘ I found myself working on an incredible team ,’ she enthuses . ‘ I could not believe my luck .’
She adds : ‘ Working here is all about relationships . Our prisoners have generally had poor attachments and experienced prolonged trauma from an early age . This makes for tricky situations when building relationships .
‘ They often have difficulties with interpersonal skills . They tend to lack trust . This can lead to ruptures in our relationships with the prisoners , which need to be repaired in a timely and consistent way . This repairing of relationships is key . It is often the first time in their lives that they have experienced relationship repairs , for their past experiences have socialised them to understand that relationships end in rejection and abandonment .’
Lisa goes on : ‘ Essentially , developing relationships is an occupational therapy intervention in its own right , and part of this process is pro-social role modelling . This does not mean I have to be faultless . On the contrary , I have freedom to make pro-social mistakes . I ’ m not perfect , nor do I want to be . To influence our prisoners , even unintentionally , is one of the most rewarding parts of the work I do .
‘ I might be newly qualified , but I have a lifetime of experience in being me . Relationships for Beacon prisoners are tough . Really tough . As an occupational therapist , my role is to support them to develop new skills to manage relationships whilst engaging in meaningful activities .
32 OTnews December 2020