Blog: Northern Ireland Subgroup personality disorder expert roundtable event – a multidisciplinary approach to a multi-faceted issue

On 1 June 2026 the NPM Northern Ireland subgroup held an expert roundtable event on personality disorder in detention.  The purpose of the event was for NPM scrutiny, health and justice colleagues to share concerns, best practice, and opportunities for improvement in conditions and treatment of those living with personality disorder in places of detention.  

Over 50 delegates attended representing the Departments of Health and Justice, Health and Social Care Trusts, Northern Ireland Prison Service, Public Health Agency, Police Service of Northern Ireland, academia and the voluntary and community sector.  Several representatives were also in attendance from the bodies of the UK NPM in Northern Ireland; Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI), the Regulation Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), the Independent Monitoring Boards and the NI Policing Board Independent Custody Visiting Scheme.

Delegates heard from Wendy McGregor, Assistant Director, RQIA; Dr Laura McCauley, Clinical Lead for Psychological Therapies within Healthcare in Prison, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust; Mick Burns, Programme Manager from the NHS Offender Personality Disorder Pathway and a Senior Officer working in the Care and Supervision Unit of Maghaberry Prison about the challenges of supporting and managing with personality disorder held in Northern Ireland prisons as well learning about different approaches and alternative pathways. 

Later a panel session featuring Dr Richard Bunn, the Clinical Director of the Forensic Managed Care Network, Tracy Megrath, Governor of Maghaberry Prison and Mick Burns, chaired by Lynn Long, Director from the RQIA, discussed barriers to providing an improved therapeutic environment for individuals with personality disorder in prisons.  Following this a roundtable workshop was held where delegates discussed short, medium and long-term improvements for supporting people with personality disorder in prisons.

The event was truly multi-disciplinary with delegates coming from a range of backgrounds across policy, health, psychology, mental health, prisons, policing, patient advocacy and scrutiny and advisory bodies.  The seating plan ensured a mix of disciplines at each table to avoid silo approaches and encourage discussions that were focused on cross-disciplinary solutions and working in partnership.  A key emphasis from the presentation by Mick Burns was that alternative solutions do not need significant funding and that pilot projects could be undertaken at low cost.

Feedback from the roundtable sessions was collated and will be developed into a paper by the NPM Secretariat Team with proposals and recommendations which can be used for influence and action.