Dundee dental school initiative makes a positive difference to prisoners in Perth
A health initiative developed by researchers at Dundee University’s School of Dentistry is making a positive difference to prisoners in Perth.
Professor Ruth Freeman believes that closing the gap in health inequalities is one of the most significant challenges facing policy makers in Scotland. Prof Freeman is part of a team of researchers and experts based at the university, which has worked to develop a programme to improve health and wellbeing among some of the most deprived communities in the country, including inmates at prisons in Perth.
Prof Freeman suggested that a new initiative, which was developed in Tayside, had made a positive difference to prisoners in Perth in terms of both their mental and physical wellbeing and their behaviour. The ‘People in Prison, Health Coaching for Scotland’ programme was formulated by a team from the Dental Health Services Research Unit, which is part of the university’s School of Dentistry. The aim is to reach out to prisoners, providing them with education, information and health coaching. The programme has been launched by the university in association with NHS Tayside, the Scottish Prison Service and Positive Prison, Positive Futures, a charity, which provides support for inmates and their families. The goal is to train health coaches so that they can make positive choices themselves, but also impact others around them.
Prof Freeman has received positive feedback from prison officers, with many noting key changes in behaviour and healthy living habits. Some inmates have successfully quit smoking and many are making more of an effort with oral hygiene, for example.
As part of the scheme, participants complete 92 hours of health coaching training and they are presented with a certificate at the end of the course. Once they have the skills, qualifications, and knowledge provided by the course, they can encourage fellow inmates to make positive choices and a ripple effect becomes visible.
