Association of Mental Health Providers responds to Sir Mark Rowley’s letter regarding Met police responses to mental health incidents

30 May 2023: In response to a letter seen by the Guardian, where Sir Mark Rowley says he will order his officers not to attend thousands of calls they get every year to deal with mental health incidents Kathy Roberts, CEO of Association of Mental Health Providers, the leading voice of the voluntary sector mental health service providers, says:

“It is vital a person in crisis or experiencing longer term mental distress has immediate access to the appropriate and compassionate care and support for their individual needs, and we commend Humberside Police for its Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) scheme to ensure a vulnerable person in crisis is seen by a mental health professional at the earliest point of crises.

“We know that 1 in 8 people in the community receive support from mental health charities and similar organisations and without them supporting a person to live safe and well in the community, not only will some of the most marginalised people in our society be left without help, but as these Metropolitan Police call out numbers show, their deteriorating mental health will increase pressure on emergency services.

“It is essential that RCRP is in place and there is better partnership, liaison, diversion, coordinating helplines, and specialist advice in place, and where this works at its best is when the charity sector is part of the partnership; for example, where our member a Local Mind delivers the Humberside RCRP help/ coordination line.

“It’s important that all parts of the system work better together to ensure people in crisis are supported safely and appropriately.

“We know there are excellent services delivered by the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise sector, and they are a strong point of contact for many; by properly resourcing the Mental Health system, specifically the charity sector, we can ensure there is support for people without the need for the police to be involved.

“If more people could access the mental health care and support they needed close to home, undoubtedly there would be less pressure on emergency services, and our urgent care within the NHS.

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Note to editors

Association of Mental Health Providers is the representative body for voluntary and community sector mental health organisations in England and Wales.

We represent:

• 300 plus members,
• Delivering over 3000 services locally, regionally and nationally,
• reaching 8 million+ people with poor mental health and illness in the community. This equates to 1 in 8 people receiving support from a voluntary and community mental health provider.

Through our Living Experience Advisory Group, we are working with, being guided by, and learning from people with experience of mental health services.

For more information, visit www.amhp.org.uk

Contact: Annie Waddington-Feather

Email: annie@amhp.org.uk>

Telephone: 07713646419

We support, influence, advice and inform and are deeply committed to discussing and reporting stories relating to mental health responsibly, helpfully and in a way that takes into account the needs of the most vulnerable members of the population. Please read our media charter here.

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