Agenda item

The Panel received a presentation on ‘Right Care, Right Person’ (RCRP), given by Chief inspector Laura Backhouse, Durham Constabulary (for copy see file of Minutes). 

The PCC reminded the Panel that Right Care, Right Person was had been rolled out across the UK, involving all Forces, Health Care Providers and Local Government.  She noted the roll out within County Durham and Darlington, and the need to ensure that the correct, highly skilled health professionals responded to incidents, allowing the Police to focus on their key role in keeping people safe.  She added it would be important to communicate these messages to the public.

Chief Inspector L Backhouse reminded the Panel that RCRP was an operating model for Police and Partners to ensure health calls for service are responded to by those with the right skills and expertise to provide the

best possible service.  She referred to a report from HMICFRS in November 2018 entitled ‘Policing and mental health: Picking up the pieces’, which noted the increase in demand on the Police in terms of mental health calls and welfare checks and where crime was not usually a factor. 

She explained that there had been a National Partner Agreement, between the Home Office, Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing.

Chief Inspector L Backhouse noted that the core policing duties were to: Prevent and Detect Crime; Keep the King’s Peace; and Protect Life and Property.  She explained that legal duties to act arise on the Police in the following general circumstances: a real and immediate threat to life: Duty under Article 2 ECHR; a real and immediate threat of really serious harm/torture/inhumane or other conduct within Article 3 ECHR; Common law duties of care; and specific statutory duties, arrest, detain, restrain.

The Panel heard that there would be a phased approach to RCRP, with the phases being: Phase 1 – concern for welfare; Phase 2 – walk out of mental care facilities and absent without leave from mental health establishment; Phase 3 – transportation; and Phase 4 – Section 136 of the Mental Health Act and voluntary mental health patients.

Chief Inspector L Backhouse noted that this phased approached was across all partners, not just the Police, and all partners wanted to implement this approach.  She added that working in partnership was key, and there would be implications for partners in terms of the new approach.  She explained these would include more robust assessments that would take place in the Force Control Room at the first point of contact in relation to calls for service in the key areas.  She added that toolkits would be followed to assist in decision making regarding Police resource deployment and the Force Control Room may request further information regarding those involved.  She noted that the Force Control Room may make the decision not to deploy a Police resource for a concern raised and may signpost the caller to another agency who is more appropriate to deal with the concern.  She noted that changes within a partner’s service response may be required due to Police not deploying to concerns raised and there may therefore be a direct impact on practitioners contacting Police for a deployment.

Chief Inspector L Backhouse noted Durham Constabulary would aim to:

•      Follow robust policies, procedures and toolkits when making decisions around deployments.

•      Communicate clearly what those decisions are in a timely manner.

•      Strive to achieve a consistent approach to decisions on deployments.

•      Have a clear policy and procedure for appeals and escalation.

•      Reassess decisions on receipt of new or different information.

•      Deal with incidents of crime.

•      Respond to incidents involving threat and risk to an individual and/or members of the public.

•      Operate within policies and legal boundaries regarding responsibility and duty of care.

•      Work with partner agencies to promote opportunities for feedback and continuous improvement.

•      Promote a phased implementation to support partner agencies where changes may be required to their service.

Chief Inspector L Backhouse explained that the expectation from partners was that they would:

•      Clearly communicate reasons for Police assistance.

•      Communicate what/if any action you have taken so far.

•      Communicate what the risks are and/or what crime you believe may have been committed.

•      Provide up to date information regarding those involved.

•      In cases where there is a decision not to deploy, re-contact Police should there be any significant changes that heighten risk or a crime becomes evident.

She added that expected outcomes would be that:

•      Timely and consistent decisions to be made by the Force Control Room in relation to deployments.

•      The right person/service to attend incidents.

•      Improved services to members of the public.

•      Improved partnership working through clear policies and procedures regarding Police deployments to partner agency requests.

Chief Inspector L Backhouse noted that Phase 1 went live 10 June 2024, and partners had been involved since the start and there had been positive feedback from partners in terms of the engagement, including from Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV), North East Ambulance Services (NEAS), the Adult Services and Education departments within Durham County Council (DCC) and Darlington Borough Council (DBC), County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) and many charities and voluntary sector organisations.

Chief Inspector L Backhouse emphasised that RCRP was not the Police ‘shutting of the tap’ and that where there was a real and immediate risk then Police would attend.  She gave an example where a member of the Crisis Team had contacted the Force, with a person threatening to jump in front of a train.  The call handler noted that Police should attended, they did and spoke to the person, deescalating the situation and preventing them from hurting themselves.  The Police then handed off the individual to the appropriate mental health professionals to help with their issues.  She gave a second example where a call had come through to the Police with concerns in relation to a drug user and their diabetes control and how that could impact on their health. 

It was noted in that case that, as there was no immediate risk and no crime was being committed, that they were signposted to healthcare, in this case the Ambulance Service, and health care professionals attended the caller.  Chief Inspector L Backhouse noted that in the past, such a call would have likely resulted in a Police attendance.

The Chair thanked Chief Inspector L Backhouse and asked the Panel for their comments and questions.

Councillor R Potts asked as regards incidents where the Police had attended an incident, who would transport individuals to a mental health facility, and would there be timely handover.  Chief Inspector L Backhouse noted that element was within one of the later phases and that partners were aware of the upcoming changes, likely to be from September onwards.

Councillor L Hovvels noted the well documented issues in terms of under-resourcing in relation to TEWV and noted the good partnership approach being undertaken.  She asked what was considered a timely manner, noting mental health issues were often very stressful for the individual and they needed a quick response.  She asked how the new approach would be monitored and how feedback on RCRP could be given, and asked how information would be shared with partners agencies and oversight boards, such as the Health and Wellbeing Board, Safe Durham Partnership and Darlington’ Community Safety Partnership.

Chief Inspector L Backhouse noted that in terms of monitoring, there would a record of the calls coming into the Force Control Room and they would be looked at in terms of whether there was the right outcome, with continuous live-learning through Phase 1.  She explained that ‘in a timely manner’ referred to the THRIVE priorities (threat, harm, risk, investigation, vulnerability, engagement) with a formula to give a response rating, which could be immediate, within the day, or a scheduled visit.  In terms of sharing information on the RCRP approach, the Chief Inspector noted that at Gold Level meetings with partners, the information had been shared in terms of what was hoped to be achieved, adding that if other forums wanted further information, then Durham Constabulary was happy to share with those forums.

Councillor G Lee noted that the concept of RCRP was very sensible and logical, however, he asked whether the staff within the Force Control Room had the relevant experience in terms of mental health issues in order to ascertain the correct response.  He added that in cases of very complex mental health needs, was there not a risk that a person may be signposted incorrectly.  He noted a specific example he had faced in his role as a Councillor, where a Crisis Nurse had refused to attend an incident.

Chief Inspector L Backhouse noted that there would be robust questioning when a call handler took a call.  She added that while they may not go into the finer details in respect of mental health, they would ascertain the required actions and Police would still attend if there was a risk to life.  She added that the Police would listen to mental health experts to help understand the risks.  She added that partner agencies had all agreed to the implementation dates regarding the phased approach, and the approach being taken allowed for gap analysis to be undertaken and for partners to look at their policies and amend as required.  She reiterated that where any immediate risk was evident, the Police would attend, and involve the relevant partners in addition as required.  She reiterated that the key to RCRP was in getting the best people involved to help the person concerned.

Councillor G Lee noted a recent tour of the Force Control Room and commended the staff on their professionalism, however, reminded that those staff need to be helped by providing them with the necessary training and skills to help them make the best decisions within their work.  Chief Inspector L Backhouse noted the point.

Councillor D Nicholls noted the issues raised in relation to RCRP were very close to his heart and he agreed that in many cases that the right person was not in fact the Police.  He noted that the worry of those on the Panel was that other organisations that may be struggling or failing had in the past perhaps been reliant in terms of the level of support the Police had offered.  He added that the Panel would be very interested in terms of progress reports on RCRP.  He added it would be interesting and useful to understand what training the Constabulary had in terms of dealing with individuals with mental health issues, special needs and learning difficulties, and other disabilities.  He explained that would help the Panel understand how, when Officers did attend an incident, they were best equipped to keep a person safe, while also at the same time keeping themselves and the public safe.    

Chief Inspector L Backhouse noted that in terms of partner organisation working alongside the Police, TEWV was a key partner and was lead on one sub-committee within the process and were well aware of the RCRP approach.  She added that within the Police, there were Mental Health leads, with training being an issue that was taken very seriously, to help ensure people were treated with dignity, especially those in mental health crisis.

N Hallam noted that the Police was a 24 hour a day service and added that many partner organisations did not operate 24 hours a day.  He asked whether there would be any impact upon the delivery of RCRP as a result of that, and whether there could be differences in service delivery when comparing 9.00am on a normal weekday as compared to 3.00am on a Bank Holiday.

Chief Inspector L Backhouse noted that mental health support services operated 24 hours a day, and the NEAS operated 24 hours a day.  She reiterated that RCRP did not mean the Police would ‘turn off the tap’, and emphasised that the Police was a service that could be called upon 24 hours a day.

The Chair thanked Chief Inspector L Backhouse and noted that RCRP was an area the Panel would wish received an update on at a future meeting.

Resolved:

(i)   That the presentation be noted.

(ii)  That the Panel receive a further update in respect of ‘Right Care, Right Person’ at a future meeting.