Referral Criteria:
The ISM Coordinator should be the primary referral source to the TEO and RC. However, it is acknowledged that other prison-based multi-disciplinary services may make a direct referral from time-to-time. It is imperative that services notify or consult the ISM Coordinator before a referral is made to the TEO or RC to avoid duplicate referrals and to ensure that the referral and reasons for same are recorded on the PIMS Integrated Planning Screen. The model of working between ISM Coordinators, TEOs and Resettlement Coordinators is based on a partnership approach to multi-agency working where the ISM Coordinator acts as an agent of the prison Governor to coordinate the sentence plan for the individual in custody.
Therefore, Referral to TEO or RC can only be made subject to a prisoner’s active involvement in ISM i.e. in order to be referred to the TEO or RC the prisoner must have completed a full First Contact Assessment with the prison ISM Coordinator and have signed their consent to information sharing with other members of the prison multi-disciplinary team.
REFERRING TO THE GATE SERVICE:
Referral to the GATE Service must take place within 18 months of the prisoner’s release. No referrals should be made for prisoners with release dates in excess of 18 months unless a special case is made citing specific needs. Every effort should be made to make the referral a minimum of 9 months prior to release, however, it is acknowledged that late transfers may cause late referrals.
The GATE Service currently has 8 Training & Employment Officers (TEOs), and operates in 9 closed prisons. The current deployment is as follows:
- Mountjoy Campus – 2 TEOs
- Wheatfield & Cloverhill – 1 TEO
- Midlands/Portlaoise Campus – 3 TEOs (1 F/T & 2 P/T)
- Castlerea Prison – 1 Part-time TEO
- Shelton Abbey- 1 Part-time TEO
REFERRING TO THE RESETTLEMENT SERVICE:
Referral to the Resettlement Service must take place within 18 months of the prisoner’s release. No referrals should be made for prisoners with release dates in excess of 18 months unless a special case is made citing specific needs. Every effort should be made to make the referral a minimum of 9 months prior to release, however, it is acknowledged that late transfers may cause late referrals.
The Resettlement Service currently has 8 Resettlement Coordinators (RCs) and operates in every closed prison and 1 open prison. The current deployment is as follows:
- Mountjoy Campus – 1.5 RCs (.5 refers to a part-time post)
- Wheatfield & Cloverhill – 1 RC
- Arbour Hill – .5 RCs (part-time post shared with the Mountjoy Campus)
- Midlands/Portlaoise Campus – 2 RCs
- Cork Prison – 1 RC
- Limerick Prison – 1 RC
- Castlerea Prison & Loughan House Open Prison– 1 RC
The referral to both services is made only by completing a GATE or Resettlement Service Referral Form, available from the Training and Employment officer or Resettlement Coordinator in your prison, whose contact details can be found here
In the case of sex offender referrals, an Additional Referral Information Form must also be completed.