Feedback from a Forensic Clinical Psychologist

Dr David Briggs uses The Decider Skills in prisons and probation services throughout the UK, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

"The Decider Skills are a highly effective and essential set of core skills that could be of value to many prisoners."

Dr David Briggs, Forensic Clinical Psychologist:

“One striking thing about The Decider Skills is that many prisoners remember the detail of sessions. The sessions offer a psychological education that is straightforward to engage with and offering something for people with various learning styles. As a learning tool it’s one that prisoners find credible and are comfortable using.

I specialise with high risk offenders – clients who have difficulties with emotional regulation and problem solving – all of which is tackled in the Decider Skills sessions. The skills taught are effectively a way of prisoners ‘arming’ themselves with the skills needed to intervene and interrupt negative behaviour – they are a gateway to impulse control and can offer an early intervention. Importantly, once people feel in control of their own impulses and emotions they are then often more confident to move on to look at other issues – like sexuality, or violence.

Lower risk offenders need low intensity intervention, and can even be in danger of being over treated. With high risk offenders you need high intensity intervention. Decider Kills could be a key component of their intervention.

I would say that Decider Skills are a highly effective and essential set of core skills that could be of value to many prisoners.”


Dr David Briggs, Forensic Clinical Psychologist, offers consultancy, training and support to prison and probation staff across the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.

Read the article

Read here

Kintore Primary School

Read

Gwen Robertson

Dental Clinic & The Decider

Read

Dudhope

Read

The PARC Project

Read

Online

This page offers a guide to teaching The Decider Skills remotely

Read

Tara Doherty and Ruth Martin

The Decider Skills via Zoom

The Decider Skills - a review of teaching The Decider Skills remotely via Zoom during the 2020 lockdown

Read

Mental health problems in children and young people - July 2018

1 in 10 of all children have 5-16 have a diagnosed mental health problem. 50% of all mental health problems established by age 14 and 75% by age 18.

Read

Feedback for The Decider Skills

Using The Decider Skills in clinical practice

Read

Online Training Feedback

Read feedback from some of our clients who have benefitted from the Decider programme online skills

Read

The Decider Life Skills Feedback

Read views of some of our clients from our Life skills workshops

Read

Feedback from service users

Read examples of the feedback we have received from those with mental health problems who have learned The Decider Skills as part of their treatment.

Read

Guernsey Childrens' Services

CYPS staff attended one of a series of one day workshop during 2015

Read

RCT in Guernsey Primary Schools

During the academic year 2019 - 2020 several Guernsey primary schools are implementing The Life Skills into their schools using The Life Skills Good2Go videos

Read

Mental Health Practice Journal

The Decider Skills in Mental Health Practice journal

Read

The Decider Information Poster

All the necessary information about The Decider on one A4 sheet !

Read

Mental Health Nurses of the Year BJN award 2015

CBT Today magazine featured Michelle and Carol in September 2015 after they won the British Journal of Nursing's national award

Read

ICCI 25th Anniversary Award

Michelle and Carol were awarded the Insurance Corporation of the Channel Islands 25th Anniversary Health Bursary award in November 2015

Read

CIPD Human Resources Workshop

Guernsey Press article about a local workshop for human resources professionals

Read

Scottish Patient Safety Program debate in Scottish Parliament

Maree Todd from the SNP, a former Pharmacist took part in a debate around the alternatives to medication

Read