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A criminal use of police cells? The use of police custody as a place of safety for people with mental health needs
- Authors:
- HM INSPECTORATE OF CONSTABULARY, et al
- Publisher:
- HM Inspectorate of Constabulary
- Publication year:
- 2013
- Pagination:
- 59
- Place of publication:
- London
This joint inspection by Her Majesty‟s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC); Her Majesty‟s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP); the Care Quality Commission (CQC); and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) examines the extent to which police custody is used as a place of safety under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983. The inspection wanted to examine why, despite guidance, codes of practice, and recommendations made in earlier studies, police custody continues to be used so frequently. It also focused on partnership and multi-agency working and how effective the police service and health partners are in working together recording and monitoring the use of section 136; and how data are collected, used and shared between partners. The report also considers training and staff awareness of policies and procedures regarding the use of section 136; and the perspectives of those detained under section 136 and their views on their time in police custody. Fieldwork took place during May and June 2012, and comprised inspection of seven police forces (Kent; Lancashire; Leicestershire; Norfolk; North Wales; Suffolk; and Sussex), two Metropolitan Police boroughs (Bromley and Lewisham), and the associated mental health trusts. The report recommends that Codes of Practice should be be amended to bring down detention time to a maximum of 24 hours in police custody. Once this period has elapsed, any assessments which are needed should be undertaken in a hospital. The Mental Health Act 1983 should be amended to remove a police station as a place of safety for those detained under section 136, except on an exceptional basis. (Original abstract)
Showing restraint
- Author:
- MacATTRAM Matilda
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Today, January/February 2013, pp.10-11.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
Sean Riggs lost his life after being restrained by a team of police officers, while in urgent need of mental health care. This case has led some to demand a review of how patients from this community are treated in relation to both policing and mental health. Riggs, suffering from schizophrenia, had stopped taking his medicine and hostel staff noted he was becoming increasingly unwell. Police eventually arrested him, but instead of taking him to a hospital he was transferred to Brixton police station where he collapsed and died. This article discusses the inquest verdict and the follow-up action that has since been put in place. It also discusses lessons learned from this, and similar, cases, and suggests methods for training those responsible for these situations.
Blue remembered skills: mental health awareness training for police officers
- Authors:
- CUMMINGS Ian, JONES Stuart
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Adult Protection, 12(3), August 2010, pp.14-19.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Police officers can have a key role to play in situations where individuals are experiencing some sort of crisis relating to their mental health. Despite the fact that this is a very important facet of day to day police work, it is an area that is neglected in police training. The Bradley Report has raised a number of important questions regarding the treatment of individuals who are experiencing mental health problems and find themselves in the criminal justice system. One of the key recommendations is that professional staff working across criminal justice organisations should receive increased training in this area. This paper outlines two approaches to the training of police officers in the mental health field. The first is a joint working initiative between Hywel NHS Trust and Dyfed Powys Police. In this training, all student officers receive 2 days training in first aid in mental health, and spend 4 days at the acute psychiatric unit where they become personally involved in the care of individuals who are experiencing acute distress. The second approach comprised a classroom-based training course directed at custody sergeants. The article goes on to consider the most effective models of training for police officers.
Delivering mental health awareness training to police officers
- Authors:
- FORNI Carlos, CASWELL Nick, SPICER Jerina
- Journal article citation:
- Nursing Times, 17.3.09, 2009, pp.12-13.
- Publisher:
- Nursing Times
Police officers regularly come into contact with people with mental health problems but receive relatively little training on the issue. The article outlines an initiative to deliver awareness training to officers and explores the benefits of such programmes. It also gives details of the evaluation carried out. The training was carried out by the Ladywell mental health unit, part of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
Improving health based places of safety: guidance for applications for capital funding
- Author:
- GREAT BRITAIN. Department of Health
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Department of Health
- Publication year:
- 2016
- Pagination:
- 17
- Place of publication:
- London
This guidance document sets out how local crisis care concordat groups can apply for funding to increase the capacity and number of health based places of safety. If someone is having a mental health crisis and they come to the attention of the police, they may need to be taken to a place of safety – somewhere that is designated as safe under the Mental Health Act. The best place of safety is in a health setting, so that people, including children and young people, get the care they need for their mental health. This funding programme aims to increase and improve health based places of safety and continue to reduce police cells being used as an alternative. (Edited publisher abstract)
A safer place to be: findings from our survey of health-based places of safety for people detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act
- Author:
- CARE QUALITY COMMISSION
- Publisher:
- Care Quality Commission
- Publication year:
- 2014
- Pagination:
- 60
- Place of publication:
- Newcastle upon Tyne
Examines the provision and use of health-based places of safety for people detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act, which gives police officers the power to detain people, believed to have a mental disorder, in a public place and to take them to a place of safety for assessment. The report, based on the findings from a survey of NHS mental health trusts and social enterprise providers of health-based places of safety in England, focuses on: the availability, in practice, of health-based places of safety; accessibility, including any exclusion criteria; staffing and training of those involved in operating places of safety; target times and delays in carrying out MHA assessments after people have been taken to places of safety; governance, reporting and multi-agency working; and the role of police and ambulance services. The report highlights four key findings that need to be urgently addressed: too many places of safety are turning people away or requiring people to wait for long periods with the police, because they are already full or because there are staffing problems; too many providers operate policies that exclude young people, people who are intoxicated, and people with disturbed behaviour from all of their places of safety; too many commissioners are not adequately fulfilling their responsibilities for maintaining an oversight of the section 136 pathway; and too many providers are not appropriately monitoring their own service provision. As a result and despite guidance from the MHA Code of Practice and elsewhere, the use of police stations across the country is far from uncommon. (Edited publisher abstract)
Mental health and custody: a follow on study
- Author:
- CUMMINS Ian
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Adult Protection, 14(2), 2012, pp.73-81.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This paper investigated the assessment of detained persons in police custody by Forensic Physicians (FP). Data were collected in cases where custody staff had identified a mental health concern and requested an FP assessment. This included questions regarding any links that the individuals had with community-based mental health services. Fifty nine FP assessments were requested. Only six members of this group had any contact with community-based mental health services. Of this group, three had not been in contact with mental health services for over a month. This study highlights that there is a group of individuals whose mental health causes concern to the police in a custody environment. In this study, the overwhelming majority of the group have no contact with mental health services. The research supports the recommendations of the Bradley Review for wider health care provision in custody settings.
Joint review: policing and mental health
- Authors:
- METROPOLITAN POLICE AUTHORITY, et al
- Publisher:
- Metropolitan Police Authority
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 97p.
- Place of publication:
- London
The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) is an independent statutory body responsible for maintaining an effective and efficient police service for London. Its primary tasks include securing continuous improvement in the way policing is provided in London, monitoring the performance of the Metropolitan Police service (MPS) and consulting with the people of London. In July 2004, members agreed that there was a need to consider, in depth, the approach taken by the MPS towards people with mental health support needs who come into contact with the police. In recognition of the complexity of this subject and of the interdependencies with health and social care providers, MPA members also agreed that they should not undertake this review in isolation. they invited key stakeholders to form a project board to undertake the work.
Mental health, vulnerability and risk in police custody
- Authors:
- LEESE Maggie, RUSSELL Sean
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Adult Protection, 19(5), 2017, pp.274-283.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report on the findings of a case study that explored mental health difficulties and vulnerability within police custody. Design/methodology/approach: The design of the study was qualitative, and it utilised telephone, semi-structured interviews with all levels of the custody staff. This approach was taken because the aim of the study was to explore how people in different roles within the organisation worked to safeguard vulnerable people in custody. Findings: The findings from this study identified a number of interesting themes that could be explored further in later studies. Overall, the respondents expressed frustration that vulnerable people find themselves in police custody for low-level crime, when it could have been avoided with improved mental health services in the community. Additionally, the findings demonstrated that despite the processes that are designed to safeguard the detainee, tensions still exist including, timely access to mental health assessments, appropriate training and support for staff and the use of appropriate adults. Research limitations/implications: Although the study was small in scale, the custody facility delivered detainee facilities for about 5,000 individuals per year. The research and information obtained supported the police lead for mental health to identify opportunities for improving the customer journey, as well as recognising the need for further research to identify how officers and staff relate to vulnerable individuals in contact with the police service. Originality/value: Despite the limitations of the study, the findings have captured interesting data from a range of professionals working in one police custody suite, and therefore it presents a holistic overview of some key issues around mental health, vulnerability and safeguarding within the context of police custody. (Edited publisher abstract)
Appropriate adults: protecting the rights and welfare of vulnerable adults in custody
- Authors:
- JESSIMAN Tricia, CAMERON Ailsa
- Publisher:
- University of Bristol. School for Policy Studies
- Publication year:
- 2017
- Pagination:
- 2
- Place of publication:
- Bristol
This briefing reports on research to examine the role for adult social services in the provision of Appropriate Adult (AA) services across England, which safeguard the rights and welfare of vulnerable people in custody, including any young person aged 10-17. It also aimed to map different models of provision and identify what an ‘effective’ AA service would look like. The researchers used online surveys, and undertook four case studies in local authorities where stakeholders from adult social services, AA services, and police were interviewed. Two focus groups were also held with service users. It found that there is no standard model of funding for Appropriate Adult services for vulnerable adults and provision is often inadequate. It also found little evidence of service user involvement in Appropriate Adult provision. The briefing highlights implications for policy. (Edited publisher abstract)