Joint review of mental health and policing

Report: 7
Date: 06 December 2005
By: Chief Executive and Clerk

Summary

This report summarises the findings of the joint review of police and mental health. In receiving this report at its October meeting, the full Authority agreed to defer consideration of the report’s findings and recommendations until the current meeting.

A. Recommendation

That Members consider the report’s findings and recommendations and agree to receive an action plan in the New Year.

B. Supporting information

1. Members approved the terms of reference for the joint review of policing and mental health in November 2004. Recognising the potential complexity of the review, members considered that it would be difficult to manage the review within the MPA’s usual scrutiny process and would require the commitment of organisations outside the policing arena in order to make most impact. Members agreed that the review should be undertaken with key stakeholders and a project board was set up to reflect this.

2. At the outset, the project board recognised that that people who experience mental illness are far more likely to be victims of crime than they are to be perpetrators. However, it was also the board’s view, that, as a joint project board, it would be able to add the most value, and make the most improvement, by concentrating on those areas where services are - or should be - delivered in partnership by the police and the NHS, and where people with mental health support needs enter the criminal justice system.

3. The project board met monthly between September 2004 and June 2005, with a final meeting in October 2005 to agree the report. Research was undertaken into the key areas identified in the terms of reference and the project board received presentations from policy makers, academics and service deliverers during that time. The board wrote to user groups across London inviting them to participate in the review. Eight responded and their experiences have been integral to the conclusions the review have arrived at. Written evidence was also received from community police consultative groups, independent visitor panels and the Criminal Defence Service. In order to hear about the practicalities of joint working between agencies, the board held a workshop that was attended by police officers, London Ambulance Service staff, mental health service providers (acute and community) and a forensic medical examiner. Finally, a convened a reference group of key stakeholders who provided essential support and challenge to the project board throughout the review period.

4. The board has made 33 recommendations, including one to establish pan-London arrangements whose remit includes providing strategic leadership to the activities of partner organisations and aims to achieve ownership of shared objectives and outcomes. It is anticipated that this arrangement will be key to driving forward the recommendations. In agreeing these recommendations, the project board underlines its commitment to working together to ensure that the implementation programme is carried forward.

5. Arrangements to allocate responsibility and agree timescales for implementation will be established shortly. The project board plans to hold a conference to discuss the findings of this review. At this point a full implementation plan will be launched, with fuller details of the arrangements to monitor progress.

6. The MPA will receive regular updates with an equivalent mechanism at the NHS through existing London-wide panel. This plan will be monitored by a joint implementation group.

C. Race and equality impact

The project board has been careful not to perpetuate the prejudice toward people with mental health support needs. It has investigated issues of discrimination and stigma and made a number of recommendations aimed at dispelling the myths around mental illness. The project board was supported by a reference group that included representation from service users, voluntary organisations including Diverse Minds, and the African and Caribbean Mental Health Commission. We spoke to over 70 users from many diverse communities in London as part of the review.

D. Financial implications

The review was carried out within existing MPA resources. The project board has recognised that the implementation of the recommendations may come at a cost to service providers, but at this stage we are unable to quantify those costs. This analysis will be provided to members with the detailed implementation plan in due course.

E. Background papers

• COP papers May, July and November 2004

F. Contact details

Report author: Siobhan Coldwell, Head of Scrutiny and Review, MPA.

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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