Dr Wendy Dyer

Associate Professor

School: Humanities and Social Sciences

ADSS Wenddyer Staffprofile 255 Wendy joined Northumbria University in January 2008. Prior to this, Wendy was awarded ESRC funding for her PhD: ‘The Identification of the Careers of Mentally Disordered Offenders Using Cluster Analysis in a Complex Realist Framework’, University of Durham, Department of Sociology and Social Policy. Wendy went on to work on a project with the Centre for Public Mental Health, Durham University, which provided technical support to local Mental Health Trusts during the roll-out of the Mental Health Minimum Dataset. In 2004, she was awarded funding by the NHS National R&D Programme on Forensic Mental Health (along with Professor John Carpenter) to undertake a follow-up study looking at the Outcomes of Custody Diversion for Violent Mentally Disordered Offenders. Wendy was then appointed Senior Research Associate, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford working on a project to evaluate the Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD) programme. Wendy's research concentrates on issues around the health and social care of offenders and mentally disordered offenders.

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Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
A Pilot Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Dance-Based Wellbeing Programme in a Women’s Prison, Leslie, C., Dyer, W., Cassidy, K., Pavey, L. 31 Mar 2026, In: Women's Health
Brief summary of a realist process evaluation of liaison and diversion services for children and young people, Lennox, C., Smith, L., Hefferman-Clarke, R., Senior, J., Dyer, W., Chitsabesan, P., Hughes, N., Shaw, J. 3 Sep 2025, In: Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology
The introduction and development of a mental health integrated support unit within an English Prison: clinical, care staff and Operational Officer perspectives, McClelland, N., Brandon, T., Dyer, W., Cassidy, K., Ridley, L., Biddle, P. 1 Feb 2023, In: Journal of Forensic Practice
Prisoners with Severe Mental Illnesses and Everyday Prison Interior (Re)design, Cassidy, K., Dyer, W., Biddle, P., Ridley, L., Brandon, T., McClelland, N. 4 Dec 2022, The Palgrave Handbook of Prison Design, Cham, Switzerland, Springer
Using a Realist approach in understanding Youth Offending Service delivery requirements for young people who offend with speech, language and communication needs in England., Redgate, S., Dyer, W., Smith, M. 1 Nov 2022, In: Discover Social Science and Health
Quantification and realist methodologies, Dyer, W., Williams, M. 2 Jan 2021, In: International Journal of Social Research Methodology
The Development of a Prison Mental Health Unit in England: Understanding Realist Context(s)., Dyer, W., Cassidy, K., Ridley, L., Biddle, P., McClelland, N., Brandon, T. 1 Apr 2021, In: International Journal of Forensic Mental Health
The sources of adversity in the delivery of mental healthcare in prisons, Rippon, D., Smith, M., Dyer, W. 2021, In: Wellbeing, Space and Society
Making space for mental health care within the penal estate, Cassidy, K., Dyer, W., Biddle, P., Brandon, T., McClelland, N., Ridley, L. 1 Mar 2020, In: Health and Place
Assessing the predictability of self-harm in a high-risk adult prisoner population: A prospective cohort study, Horton, M., Dyer, W., Tennant, A., Wright, N. 21 Sep 2018, In: Health and Justice

Current and Recent Projects

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Police involvement in interagency crisis mental health first response pathways in England: A realist and cost consequence analysis (PIONEER-MH), Clibbens, N. (Principal Investigator), Dyer, W. (Co Investigator), National Institute for Health Research, 01/04/25 - 30/11/27, £781,508.00

PGR Supervision

Mary McNamara The consequences and adverse effects of section 8(2) of the Mental Health Act, 2001 on persons transitioning from childhood to adulthood in particular those aged between 17 and 19 who are a danger to themselves and / or others as a result of suffering from a personality disorder. Start Date: 11/03/2021
Mary McNamara The consequences and adverse effects of section 8(2) of the Mental Health Act, 2001 on persons transitioning from childhood to adulthood in particular those aged between 17 and 19 who are a danger to themselves and / or others as a result of suffering from a personality disorder. Start Date: 11/03/2021 End Date: 17/10/2025