PM doesn’t understand forces’ investment in mental health support

28 November 2018

The investment – in terms of money, officer time and training - the police service has made as it tries to pick up the pieces of broken mental health support systems is not supported or understood by the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, says the chair of Leicestershire Police Federation.

Dave Stokes said everyone should read and digest a report on policing and mental health published yesterday by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) but admitted that one paragraph stood out for him.

He highlighted this section: “We are in no way suggesting that the police don’t have a role in protecting those who are vulnerable because of their mental ill-health. This should be a priority for all forces.

“As Lord Adebowale, chair of the Independent Commission on Mental Health and Policing, stated in the commission’s 2013 report, mental health needs to be ‘seen as a part of the core business of policing’. But funding cuts have reduced community services, which means some needs are no longer being met. This unmet need means police forces are seeing unjustifiably higher demand for their services.”

Dave totally agrees with the points made and says Leicestershire as a Force has made a huge investment in supporting mental health.

He explained: “We have a very strong and professional police negotiator cadre which regularly supports members of the public who are in crisis. We have a bespoke mental health triage vehicle, which is staffed with warranted officers and mental health practitioners.

“Our officers are trained to recognise mental health symptoms and to identify appropriate agencies. But all this cost investment is not supported or, in my opinion, understood by our current PM.”

Dave gave an example of a case around a month ago when a young lad  was suffering from a mental health episode.

“Police responded and were able to negotiate with him, securing his safe attendance at hospital. An hour later, he was reported missing from the hospital and assessed as high risk by the police,” said Dave.

“On such incidents, officers are pulled away from other equally important parts of policing, sometimes causing dissatisfaction from members of the public. But, with current budget cuts and restraints within policing, something has to give, we just don’t have the resources to respond to everything and we have to make tough decisions.”

Dave believes the problems have arisen as a direct result of the Government dismissing Police Federation warnings going back several years.

He said:  “I personally think the PM in her current position and as Home Secretary has chosen to ignore sincere and good advice by the Police Federation of England and Wales, but let’s hope that she and the Home Office take notice of this HMICFRS report.”

It is a view shared with the national Federation chair, John Apter, who says both Theresa May and Home Secretary Sajid Javid should ‘hang their heads in shame’ that the police service is being left to pick up the pieces due to the breakdown of mental health support systems.

The HMICFRS report, ‘Picking up the pieces’, followed an assessment led by inspector Zoe Billingham of how effectively police forces in England and Wales as well as the British Transport Police identified people with mental health problems and when they first contacted the force; identified and recorded the number of cases involving people with mental health problems to provide the right support; and made sure expert help is available from other organisations, in particular health professionals.

The national Federation chair said: “The very title of this report – ‘Picking up the Pieces’ gives you a good idea of the situation facing my members, and I welcome Ms Billingham’s frank assessment which reflects the reality of what we are experiencing every day. 

“She acknowledges we are the service of last resort, the organisation which cannot refuse to go when we are called, the people who fill the 5-9 gap left by other agencies; and that it is placing an ‘intolerable burden’ on police officers.”

And he added: “It is not right for anyone – officers or the public – that the police should be responsible for the safety and welfare of people that other professionals would be better placed to deal with. We are police officers not social workers or medical experts.”

Read the report in full.