Forensic Integrated Community Services (FICS)

Contact details

Police Liason

Tel: 020 7530 6428

Fax: 020 7530 6430

Manager: Dave Bishop

Service available in Camden, Haringey and Islington

Court Diversion: Tottenham

Tottenham Magistrates' Court, The Court House, Lordship Lane, London, N17 6RT

Tel: 020 8808 5411 ext 218

Fax: 020 8365 0910 (not secure)

Opening hours: Every Thursday

Court Diversion: Highbury

Highbury Magistrates' Court, 51-53 Holloway Road, London, N7

Tel: 020 7506 3182

Fax: 020 7700 6892

Opening hours -Every Tuesday

Prison Inreach and Inpatient Service

HMP Pentonville, Caledonian Road, London, N7 8TT

 

What we offer

Forensic Integrated Community Service (FICS) is an innovative model of working that provides a comprehensive end to end pathway of services. FICS offers a range of preventative solutions as well as assessment, treatment, CPA care co-ordination and supervision to mentally disordered offenders, in line with the recovery model. This enables continuity of care, improved outcomes and opportunities for diversion away from the criminal justice system whether the service user is in prison, forensic inpatient services, court, police station or living in the community.

FICS provides specific interventions along this pathway that work towards reducing social exclusion, improving health and wellbeing and providing rehabilitation of those service users who have been in contact with the Criminal Justice System. This is achieved through our ability to identify, understand and manage the complex relationship between a service user’s mental disorder and offending behaviour.

FICS works in partnership with a number of statuary and non-statuary organisations along the pathway to ensure service users are provided with the best possible care.

Who is the service for

Court Services

FICS@ Highbury, Hendon and Tottenham Magistrates Court

FICS provide diversion services assessing those in custody as well on bail. The team consists of psychiatrists, an approved mental health practitioner, psychiatric nurse and administrator.

The team provide a comprehensive psychiatric and fitness to plead report which enables the court to make an informed decision regarding the disposal of the case and where necessary divert those in need of immediate care and treatment into Hospital.

Police stations

FICS@ Camden and Haringey Police Stations

This is a nursel led service who assess individuals referred in custody and provide recommendations to the police and where necessary divert mentally disordered defendants from unnecessary custody to appropriate levels of care and security, as an alternative to custody.

The team provides:

Ongoing liaison with community mental health services 

• Liaise with the judiciary, probation, custody suites, solicitors, Crown Prosecution Service and third sector organisations to ensure service users get an appropriate outcome.
• Refer to or re-establish contact with appropriate health and social care agencies e.g. homelessness services, drug and alcohol services
• Provide ongoing educative input to the police, informally and formally on issues pertaining to mental health

Prisons

FICS@ HMP Pentonville

FICS provide forensic psychiatry at HMP Pentonville within the inpatient service and wing based mental health team. This also includes specialist learning disability assessment.

 The team provides:

• A mental health and learning disability service that is of an equivalent NHS standard as in the community
• Assess and treat mentally disordered offenders in custody in both the inpatient and residential units of the prison. Where appropriate service users will be diverted out of prison for further assessment or treatment as appropriate
• Provide the courts with psychiatric reports
• A partnership with safer custody in the assessment and management of prisoners on ACCT
• A central agency in the reducing re-offending agenda