On 18th February 2025 I received a further response from the Ministry of Justice about the Neurodiversity Action Plan enquiry I had made. I am unsure why I have been provided with another extended response, but I hope it is as a result of this petition that continues to grow. Thank you for the support you have shown so far, it is clear that there is a lot of support for reform in this area.

This is the response:

Thank you for your enquiry dated 14 January 2025 regarding the publication of the 18-month update to the Cross-government Neurodiversity Action Plan (NDAP). As an Offender Health policy official, I have been asked to respond to your query on behalf of Lord Timpson.

There is currently no further update to share regarding the publication of the final action plan that the previous government committed to publishing in 2024.

However, I want to reassure you that this government remains committed to working across departmental and agency boundaries to improve experiences and outcomes of those with neurodiverse needs in the criminal justice system. I have highlighted some of this work below:

NHS England-funded Liaison & Diversion (L&D) services are now present across police custody suites and criminal courts in England. These services identify and assess individuals with health needs and other vulnerabilities and make timely referrals into appropriate services.

HMPPS takes a comprehensive, needs-led approach to supporting individuals in prison, including those with neurodiverse needs. This involves screening all individuals upon entry to identify any conditions or needs that may affect their ability to engage with the prison regime and navigate its environment and opportunities, ensuring appropriate and timely support.

HMPPS Prisoner Education Service is making improvements to its screening process, including the procurement of a new, validated needs assessment tool, for use from October 2025. This tool will identify individuals who may require support for additional learning-related needs, capture co-existing neurodiverse needs, and help indicate where further assessment and reasonable adjustments may be required.

As of March 2024, the Neurodiversity Support Manager (NSM) role has been successfully rolled out across the prison service. NSMs implement a whole-prisons approach to neurodivergence. They provide training and guidance to prison staff, equipping them to better support neurodivergent individuals and improve processes to identify and support prisoners. This ensures individuals can access education, skills, and work opportunities within the prison.

Yours sincerely,
The Offender Health Policy Team

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has yet to implement key recommendations from the Neurodiversity Action Plan. Despite commitments made in 2023, there remain significant gaps in policy and practice that continue to impact neurodivergent individuals within the Criminal Justice System (CJS).

I plan to write a formal response to the Ministry of Justice (copying in the HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMI Prisons) and HM Inspectorate of Probation (HMI Probation), with support from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) addressing the following points.

• As of the latest update in January 2023, only one recommendation has been fully agreed upon, while five remain only partly agreed. Why is there no further update to share regarding the publication of the final action plan?
  
  
• Inspectorate reports highlight urgent areas for improvement, yet the government has not committed to fulfilling these recommendations, why?

• Ross Gribbin, who remains in post as a Director General in the MoJ's Policy Group, stated in his letter to the inspectorates dated 15th September 2023:

  "We are committed to maintaining this momentum and will continue to work alongside our colleagues in policing, justice, and health over the next six months to strengthen actions and fulfil the commitments set out in the Neurodiversity Action Plan."

  Ross affirmed that the MoJ was committed to:

  • "Identifying gaps in provision and where further support may be required, including during a person’s first contact with the CJS
  • Understanding barriers to diagnosis
  • Further embedding increased join-up between agencies
  • Reviewing neurodiversity training and resources in light of race and gender differences.
  • What action has the MoJ taken in these focus areas?
• There has been significant investment in building 14,000 new prison spaces as part of the 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, how much is being invested in reducing the capacity of prisons by investment in understanding Neurodiversity? The UK government has acknowledged that up to 50% of the adult prison population could be neurodivergent. This estimate was highlighted in a news release from the Ministry of Justice on 16 May 2024, referencing the 2021 Joint Inspectorate Evidence Review. This is an urgent and pressing issue that needs action from the Government, Ministry of Justice and other parts of the CJS. What overarching question would be, what is the Government doing to address this disproportionate figure? The socioeconomic impact of this problem is far reaching and the benefits of early investment, benefit us all.

This petition aims to go beyond addressing gaps in the Neurodiversity Action Plan update:

1. Commission a thorough review of the current state of the understanding of neurodiversity in the criminal justice system
2. Introduce mandatory neurodiversity training throughout every part of the criminal justice system
3. Address the school-to-prison pipeline by ensuring early identification and support for neurodivergent children within the education system
4. We urge the government to implement tailored court disposals designed to support neurodivergent individuals beyond what is currently available

I need your support to continue growing this petition and raising awareness. 

Thank you, Carl.