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QNFMHS: Standards, publications and resources
These standards, published in April 2025, provide a framework for improving quality in medium and low secure mental health services.
They have been developed following extensive consultation with key stakeholders and a thorough examination of the key literature.
Download our standards for Medium and Low Secure Services (2025)
Each cycle the Quality Network for Forensic Mental Health Services publishes a national report; this contains the data from the Cycle, as well as section summaries and comparison data. Each unit is issued an anonymous number so that they can benchmark themselves against other services and the average score from services across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Alongside the QNFMHS National Report 2023–25, we have published a one-page QNFMHS National Report Patient Summary and a one-page QNFMHS National Report Carer Summary.
These summaries focus on the patient and carer-related findings from the national report. They are designed to support understanding of what the report found and what this means for people using services and their carers. We encourage member services to print and display these summaries in patient areas and carer visiting areas to support engagement and quality improvement conversations.
Previous national reports
Celebrating 20 Years of QNFMHS
We are delighted to share our QNFMHS 20-Year Anniversary Report, celebrating two decades of the Quality Network for Forensic Mental Health Services (QNFMHS) and reflecting on how forensic mental health services have evolved over this time.
The report looks back on the Network's journey, exploring changes in membership, standards compliance, events, publications, and the wider forensic mental health landscape, including key legislative developments. It also celebrates the people who make the Network what it is today, with contributions from patients, carers, staff, and members from across the Network. The QNFMHS letters featured on the front cover have been created using patient and carer artwork collected throughout the network's 20-year history.
Alongside the report, we are also pleased to publish our first-ever informal interview with a patient and carer representative. In this conversation, Sheena and Sue reflect on how forensic mental health services have changed over the years, share their experiences of being involved with the Network, discuss what they would still like to see improve, and offer messages of hope for the future.
Most importantly, this anniversary is a celebration of the people behind the progress. We would like to thank all our members, patients, carers, staff, Advisory Group members, and Accreditation Committee members for their hard work, commitment, and ongoing contribution to improving the quality of patient care.
We hope you enjoy looking back on the last 20 years with us and look forward to seeing what the next 20 years will bring.
QNFMHS Summer artwork and creative writing competition bulletin 2026
We held our annual summer artwork competition for patients and carers within forensic settings. You can view the winning entry and all other submissions in our QNFMHS, QNPICU and QNPMHS Summer Artwork and Creative Writing Competition Bulletin.
QNFMHS Accreditation Spring bulletin 2026
Our Spring bulletin this year is centred around QNFMHS Accreditation, focusing particularly on the journeys of Northside House and Cygnet Hospital Woking: QNFMHS Accreditation Spring Bulletin 2026.
Winter celebration artwork competition 2025
In 2025, we held our annual winter celebration artwork competition for patients and carers within forensic settings. You can view the winning entry and all other artwork submissions in our QNFMHS Winter Celebration Artwork Competition Bulletin 2025.
Summer artwork and creative writing competition 2025
In 2025, we held our annual artwork and creative writing competition for patients. You can view the winning pieces, including all the artwork and creative writing entries, in our bulletin.
Newsletters
We previously invited members of staff and patients from forensic mental health services, family and friends, and external stakeholders to submit an article for the Quality Network’s newsletter for medium and low-secure care.
- Issue 61 – Patient Safety
- Issue 60 – Relational Security
- Issue 59 – Transfers and Remission
- Issue 58 – Restorative Justice
- Issue 57 – Workforce solutions, the way forward
- Issue 56 – Quality improvement and research
- Issue 55 – Patient and carer access to peer support
- Issue 54 – Bringing the outside world in
- Issue 53 – Working with friends, family and carers
- Issue 52 – Clinical innovations and digital technology
- Issue 51 – Sustainable healthcare in secure services
- Issue 50 – See, Think, Act and 50th special edition
- Issue 49 – Collaboration in secure services
- Issue 48 – Celebrating diversity and difference
- Issue 47 – Lessons learned from COVID-19
- Issue 46 – (no theme)
- Issue 45 – Peer support
- Issue 44 – Research and quality improvement
- Issue 43 – Staff training and support
Previous creative writing booklets
The Quality Networks for Forensic and Prison Mental Health Services launched a creative writing competition for patients. We received some fantastic entries and have showcased all the entries in these creative writing booklets:
We have moved our email discussion groups onto a new, free to join, online forum called knowledge hub. All our members are invited to join the QNFMHS discussion forum on knowledge hub, which will allow you to:
- Share best practice and quality improvement initiatives
- Seek advice and connect with other members
- Discuss current issues and policies
- Share policies, procedures and guidelines
- Advertise and view upcoming events and conferences
To join knowledge hub, please email ‘join knowledge hub’ to forensics@rcpsych.ac.uk.
We have collaborated with NHS England to develop the Carer's Toolkit, which focuses on carer support and involvement in secure mental health services. The toolkit was developed in collaboration with professionals, carers and service users of forensic mental health services and is designed to increase carer engagement and experiences.
We launched the toolkit at the College on 27 March 2018 at our event 'NHS England's launch of the secure carers' toolkit'. Resources and presentations from this event can be found on our events page.
Access the Carer's Toolkit (PDF)
During the consultation process for the third edition of low and medium secure standards (2019), we received feedback that these standards would be more useful in a physical security document that can be adapted locally.
The following document has been devised using the physical security standards as a framework. It should be utilised as a ‘live’ document that is subject to continual review. Some elements are mandatory for all services; however, each area provides you with the opportunity to define how this practice occurs locally.
What is the purpose of this tool?
The purpose of the physical security document is to clearly describe the features of physical security within your service. The aim of this tool has been defined as the following:
- To act as a standardised tool that can be adapted locally to manage physical security
- To be used as an assessment and compliance tool
- To provide a consistent process of assurance
- To aid training for staff in physical security It is important to note that all staff have a responsibility to ensure the principles of recovery are maintained and a caring and therapeutic environment is promoted, despite the secure nature of the service.