Concerns health bodies not ready for police to stop responding to mental health calls

Concerns have been raised that health and social care services across Shropshire are not prepared for the increased demand resulting from West Mercia Police’s decision to stop responding to most mental health calls.

Members of West Mercia police and crime panel said they were worried the force was pushing ahead with the drastic policy change before other agencies had plans in place to deal with the consequences.

The panel urged police and crime commissioner John Campion to press chief constable Pippa Mills to reign in the “quick” roll-out and better engage with other organisations – after only 19 responses out of an expected 600 were received during a consultation on the plans.

The policy change, dubbed ‘most appropriate agency’ was adopted in April to try and ensure people in mental health crisis receive the support they need, while freeing up police resources to deal with crime.

Under the new approach, police will “firmly decline” requests for welfare checks and other mental health calls unless there is an “immediate, unconditional and real threat to life”.

It has come off the back of a similar initiative by Humberside Police called ‘right care, right person’.

Earlier this year it was announced that all police forces would be asked to adopt this new approach, re-focusing on the three core objectives of policing – preventing and detecting crime, keeping the King’s peace and protecting life and property.

A report to the panel said West Mercia Police was ahead of the curve, having already implemented its new policy ahead of the launch of a national toolkit, which was published last week.

Mr Campion said: “The situation is that, at the moment, too much inappropriate demand is being placed onto the police in relation to mental health crisis and service failure in other organisations.

“The police have been used as a safety net for a long period of time, and I don’t think it’s what me as commissioner, or the communities we represent, want our officers to be doing.”

Mr Campion said for the policy shift to be successful it had to be a partnership approach with other services, but added: “At the moment I’m not reassured the buy in from the partnership is there.

“This is a once in a generation opportunity to shift how we support those in crisis in our society.

“I don’t think this is a police initiative, I think this is a wider system initiative.”

Shropshire Councillor Roger Evans said he was “very, very concerned” about the speed of the implementation.

He said: “I understand the police don’t want to spend six hours in A&E accompanying somebody, but it’s a partnership. To say the police will firmly decline, that’s not a partnership approach.

“This is too quick. I would ask you to take up the issue with the chief constable and say there is concern. We need to do it with other agencies and work with them.”

Mr Campion agreed with Councillor Evans, saying: “It is about direction not deflection. I don’t think it’s set up yet to do that. That ‘direction’ isn’t there yet.

“It’s about what else we can do to make sure we have got a partnership approach.”

Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet member Kelly Middleton, a mental health worker, said she was recently in a situation where she was trying to pull a vulnerable person out of a road.

She said police turned up but then told her she needed to take care of him herself.

Councillor Middleton said: “I absolutely 100 per cent agree that the police’s job isn’t to do mental health support, but when it is helpful is when they can use their powers to hold.

“What I can’t do is hold him against his will, because I would be breaking the law. That is where I need the police’s intervention.

“My concern is that we have already used all our skills at that point when we call you.”

Herefordshire councillor Liz Harvey said it was important to understand that not all health and social care agencies “can respond as an emergency service”.

She said: “What I would be really keen to understand is what you as the commissioner have done to challenge the police and get assurance that partners are prepared and in the receiving and ready position for the roll-out of this.”

Panel member Carol Clive also asked: “Have all the mental health trusts who are providers signed up to, agreed and resourced these actions?”

Mr Campion said: “These are the concerns I have expressed all the way through. In more recent weeks I have done some more holding to account work and had a response I am unhappy with.

“My contention is I don’t think I am seeing the engagement from the system.

“The intent is there but I’m not yet seeing the alignment of funding, let alone all the other consequential pathways.”

Telford & Wrekin Council deputy leader Richard Overton said he shared Mr Campion’s concerns.

He added: “I do worry that it’s being rushed. I don’t think the other sectors have woken up to this issue.

“With the extra work that they will have to do in picking up the slack they need the proper funds and resources available to them.”

Shropshire Councillor Viv Parry said she was concerned about health and social care workers’ safety when responding to people in mental health crisis without police support.

The panel resolved to write to the chief constable to express members’ concerns, and to ask all constituent councils to put the matter on the agenda of their health scrutiny committees.