This report presents the findings from the process evaluation of the Greater Manchester Integrated Police Custody Healthcare and Wider Liaison and Diversion Service (referred to throughout as “the service”). The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership (GMHSCP) – collectively referred to hereafter as “the commissioners” commissioned the Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU) at Manchester Metropolitan University to undertake this process evaluation of the service in 2019.

The aims were to:
1. Map the processes that existed in custody and at court before and after the service was established.
2. Understand the experience of service users, service staff in custody and court, and staff of partner agencies, with a focus on identifying process improvements for GMP and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS).
3. Identify the benefits and dis-benefits of the service and barriers and facilitators to the delivery of the service.

It should be noted that the original evaluation that was commissioned in February 2018 comprised an impact and process evaluation. During the extended data scoping phase for the impact evaluation it was agreed by the commissioners and evaluation team that a robust impact evaluation was not possible due to the significant challenges in: accessing health, police national computer and other data; obtaining service user consents to access and use their data; and in identifying a suitable control group.

As a consequence, this re-scoped process evaluation was commissioned. All of the fieldwork for this project was undertaken before the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020.