This is a joint #WeMHNs and #WeCops tweetchat and we will be using both hashtags throughout 

After the Policing and mental health: Picking up the pieces report by Zoë Billingham (HM Inspector of Constabulary) recognised many problematic issues with the joint response to people in Mental Health crisis, she called for ‘urgent action.’

@WeMHNurses and @WeCops are conducting a joint chat to explore this report and get some front-line insight into these issues, but more importantly, suggested resolutions. The general agreement is that this is not a ‘them and us’ debate, more a constructive meeting of minds. 

Scotty Bell, (third Sector worker and champion for lived experience having a voice in Health and SocialCare) shares his views here:

“It’s fair to say that I’ve spent my fair share of years as a ward of the criminal justice estate….from police cell to prison cell and many a probation officer in between. I wouldn’t say I am an expert on all things criminal justice but I have learned a thing or two and when I hung up my poacher boots…my first job was at probation where I learned a thing or two more.

I know that I could access plenty of help, whether it was wanted or not, to do with my addictions and that was okay as it sometimes got me out of prison. The one bit of help I was never able to access was to do with my mental health. I have now but it wasn’t in a criminal justice setting that I accessed it and the system is poorer for that.

Looking outside of myself I encountered people in the system that should never ever have been placed in a cell. Nothing to do with the crimes they may or may not have committed. I came across people that literally struggled to tie their laces, dress themselves and had varying degrees of mental capacity that it made me wonder…..does the system find ways of washing its hands of people and this is one?”

We’d like to hear from you about your experiences of the work between mental health practitioners and police officers…. what works well and what could be improved.  The full report is attached, but the four recommendations are below for convenience:

Recommendation 1

The NPCC lead and College of Policing should agree a new national definition of mental ill-health for all forces to adopt

Recommendation 2

All forces should carry out a ‘snapshot’ exercise to assess their mental health-related demand

Recommendation 3

All forces should evaluate their mental health triage services (Mental health triage, or street triage, now operates in 42 of the 43 forces.  Triage should be a service that acts as a gateway to further mental health care. There is still a perception that this isa service that is filling gaps that local health partners no longer can or will.)

Recommendation 4

All forces should review their mental health training programmes

Recommendation 5

The Crisis CareConcordat steering group should carry out a fundamental review and make proposals for change

In line with the recommendations, the proposed questions for this tweetchat are: 

• What are you first thoughts on the report? 
• What is the relationship like between the police and mental health services in your area? Are there ‘gold standards’ you could describe or recommendations for improvements?
• What training do you receive as AMHP and police officers? / What training would assist both parties?
• What is your view on Triage services in your area?  Is it effective?  Is there a better way?