Mental health in policing and police custody

Mental health in policing and police custody

 

Inquiry5

The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee held a short inquiry into mental health in policing and police custody, to assess how effectively police forces in Wales are working with partners to prevent vulnerable people with mental health problems going into police custody, and how effectively police forces in Wales identify and respond to those detained in police custody.

While overall responsibility for policing is non-devolved, the police respond to a wide range of possible situations, including safeguarding vulnerable people suffering from mental health problems. This being the case, it is of paramount importance that police officers and staff – whether on the front line or in custody, work in partnership with devolved agencies such as health and social services to ensure the needs of these vulnerable people are met.

As part of its work on mental health inequalities, the Sixth Senedd Health and Social Care Committee wrote to the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing on 11 July 2022 to seek an update on the Fifth Senedd Committee’s recommendations. The Ministers responded on 31 January 2023. 

Background

During two Senedd Committee inquiries (the Emotional and Mental Health of Children and Young People and Suicide Prevention), Members of the Senedd heard from police representatives that an increasing amount of police resource is being used on managing mental health crises.

Mental health and policing

The Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat is a national agreement between health, criminal justice and social care agencies that sets out how services and agencies involved in the care and support of people in a mental health crisis will work together to provide the necessary support. It includes arrangements for more joint work and better information sharing between agencies.

Police custody

Inspections of police custody in Wales have generally found the provision of healthcare to be good. There is also evidence from joint inspections of police custody that partnership working is improving, including joint work to address concerns about people detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act being taken into custody.

Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 enables a police officer to remove, from a public place, someone who they believe to be suffering from a mental disorder and in need of immediate care and control, and take them to a place of safety – for example, a health or social care facility. In exceptional circumstances (for example if the person’s behaviour would pose an unmanageably high risk to others), the place of safety may be police custody. Section 136 also states that the purpose of detention is to enable the person to be assessed by a doctor and an approved mental health professional (for example a specially trained social worker or nurse), and for the making of any necessary arrangements for treatment or care.

What we know from inspection reports is that some people are being held in custody because they are a risk to themselves or others, not because they have committed a crime. Many of these cases involve children, people with mental health problems, or older people suffering from dementia. The police are almost entirely dependent on other agencies – primarily health and social services – to provide services that divert people with vulnerabilities away from custody, or to provide safeguards when vulnerable people are in custody (such as healthcare, or alternative accommodation for children).

Evidence sessions

 

Evidence session

Date, Agenda and Minutes

Transcript

Video

1. Healthcare Inspectorate Wales

Kate Chamberlain, Chief Executive, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales

Rhys Jones, Head of Escalation and Enforcement, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales

04 April 2019

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Watch on Senedd.tv

2. National Chief Police Council

Assistant Chief Constable Jonathon Drake, Regional Lead for the National Chief Police Council

04 April 2019

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3. Representatives of Local Health Boards

Richard Jones, Head of Clinical Innovation and Strategy, Hywel Dda University Health Board

Ian Wile, Director of Operations for Mental Health, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Philip Lewis, Head of Mental Health Nursing, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board

Dr Chris O’Connor, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and the Divisional Director for Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

04 April 2019

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Watch on Senedd.tv

4. Chair of the Mental Health Crisis Care Concordant Assurance Group

Sara Moseley, Chair of the Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat Assurance Group

 

04 April 2019

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5. Welsh Government

Vaughan Gething AM, Minister for Health and Social Services

Joanna Jordan, Director of Mental Health, NHS Governance & Corporate Services, Welsh Government

Matt Downton, Head of Mental Health and Vulnerable Groups, Welsh Government

04 April 2019

Read transcript

Watch on Senedd.tv

 

 

Business type: Committee Inquiry

Reason considered: Senedd Business;

Status: Complete

First published: 13/02/2019

Documents

Consultations