SHORT SUMMARY OF THE PEP-SCOT (PEOPLE IN PRISON-HEALTH COACHING FOR SCOTLAND)

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              A health coaching initiative developed by the researchers from the University of Dundee has led to a significant                                shift in the behaviour and wellbeing of prisoners at a Scottish Prison
The PeP-SCOT was developed as the sixth and final unit of Mouth Matters. Mouth Matter is an evidence-informed oral health promotion resource developed by the team from the Dental Health Services Research Unit, under Scottish Oral Health Improvement Prison Programme (1).
The PEP-SCOT aims to provide health coaching training for people in prison through empowerment and re-building capacity skills. The PEP-SCOT is originally thought to be implemented as oral health coaching, however based on the ground by the WHO Health Promoting Prisons, and ‘Framework for Improving the Health of Scottish Prisoners’ and also the need and expectations of the prisoners, it is implemented as a health coaching training program (2, 3).
Health Coaching can be defined as a behavioral intervention that facilitates participants in establishing and attaining health-promoting goals in order to change lifestyle-related behaviors, with the intent of reducing health risks, improving self-management of chronic conditions, and increasing health-related quality of life4. Health Coaching is a person-centred approach, in line with the WHO global strategy on people-centred and integrated health services-2020.
The specific objectives of the PEP-SCOT are to:1. train participants as peer health-coaches to coach their peers for positive transformations and adoption of healthier lifestyles,2. facilitate and empower participants for positive transformations and change to healthier lifestyles and maintain them,3. improve health and health learning capacity skills by promoting cognitive and psycho-social skills,4. promote a continuous a continuous learn-act-grow health cycle (5).
The PeP-SCOT has been delivered since 2016 as two cohorts, in collaboration between the University of Dundee, the NHS Tayside, Scottish Prison Services and the charity Positive Prison? Positive Futures.
The methodology and the design of the PEP-SCOT are modified by the qualified coach Dr Ayse Cinar from her earlier international project that has been granted by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council International Awards (2017) (6) and two other global awards, because of its evidence-based successful outcomes.
The PEP-SCOT, which consisted of over 92 hours of coaching training, includes group development and one-to-one weekly supervision with qualified coaches, Dr Ayse Cinar and Stephen Valentine, together with two training sessions delivered by NHS Tayside’s Oral Health Educators on the importance of oral hygiene.
All participants were professionally examined after 3-months training and they received an internationally credited Certificate in Coaching Skills, an attendance certificate by the University of Dundee, and the Royal Society of Public Health Level 2 Award in Health Improvement.
The findings from the first cohort have been published in an international journal (7) and six international and national conferences/seminars. The positive changes in behavior and socio-cognitive skills among the first cohort trainees have been reported (7). Prison Officers have noted positive changes in the behaviour of those who took part in the fist and cohort training programme, such as quitting smoking and other health improvements. They have also noticed more reflective behaviour displayed by the participants following the coaching.
Prof. Ruth Freeman, co-director of the DHSRU and the PI, said, “PeP-SCOT is a relatively small scale study but it had intriguing results”. “The pilot became about more than just about physical well-being. It enabled the participants to discover their own potential and rediscover their life skills. The PeP-SCOT programme aims to address the psycho-social issues which are associated with offending and by fostering social interactions, through peer-to-peer education, establishes an environment to permit empowerment and a different way of being.”8
Many of those taking part in the training have said that when they are released they intend to use their new skills to assist others avoid potentially criminal lifestyle choices or to coach themselves to continue their positive transformations and thereby not to re-offend. The participants who are long-sentenced, have emphasized their positive behavioural change, improved communication with their peers, and also their will-power to continue coaching their peers for positive change.
The unique about the programme is that the training focuses on unlocking the potential of the prisoners to take the lead first for positive self-transformation and then based on that ground to coach their peers for adoption of positive lifestyles. It is not the last but at least, the power of the training can be summarized by a quote from a participant of the programme: “I feel most empowered when I realise that I can help people to change. The biggest change about me is that I want to help people achieve their goals.”
At the moment, the funding opportunities are sought to continue the programme.
References:1. Scottish Oral Health Improvement Prison Programme: SOHIPP. http://dentistry.dundee.ac.uk/scottish-oral-health-improvement-prison-programme-sohipp2. WHO (2015). WHO/HIS/SDS/2015.63. Scottish Prison Service (2011). Better health, better lives for prisoners: A framework for improving the health of Scotland’s prisoners.4. Butterworth SW, LindenA, McClay W. (2007). Health coaching as an intervention in health management programs. Dis Manage HealthOutcomes15:299-3075. Cinar AB, Colywn J, Richards D, F. Fernandes, P. White, R. Freeman. Dental Health in Action: A health coaching intervention for prisons (PeP-SCOT). Community Dental Health; 34 (1).6. http://www.emccouncil.org/eu/en/about_emcc/awards7. Cinar AB. Person-centered Health Coaching in a Scottish Prison Population: Findings at Training Completion. Journal of Person Centered Medicine 2016; 6 (2).8. ”Dundee dentists pilot public health coaching in prison”https://www.dundee.ac.uk/news/2016/dundee-dentists-pilot-public-health-coaching-in-prison.php
Partners: The University of Dundee, the NHS Tayside, Scottish Prison Services and the charity Positive Prison? Positive Futures.Duration: 2015– …Funded by: NHS Tayside, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Health Scotland
Contact: Dr Ayse Basak CinarUniversity of Dundeea.cinar@dundee.ac.ukLinked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayse-basak-cinar-970027a