The experiences of the keyworker scheme from the perspective of men in prison

Abstract

The Keyworker Scheme was introduced to Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) to aid development of rehabilitative culture; promoting constructive relationships between individuals in prison and prison officers. The current research analysed eight participants’ experiences using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Three superordinate themes (and subordinate themes) were identified to understand the experiences of men in prison, which were: (a) It’s Personalised (i) Not just a prisoner, (ii) Professional line (iii) Us and Them (b); Provides support (i) Things are dealt with (ii) being heard (iii) Go out their way; (c) Depends on individual differences (i) Works better for some (ii) Staff have a massive impact (iii) Your business. Implications to help inform keyworker scheme developments are discussed.