I received a briefing yesterday on Right Care Right Person (RCRP) from the Metropolitan Police in my Criminal Justice and Health roles in South London. RCPC changes the way the emergency services respond to calls involving concerns about mental health. It is aimed at making sure the right agency deals with health related calls, instead of the police being the default first responder.
The truth is that the number of people being sectioned from these incidents has halved. The people involved are now getting the support and treatment that is best for them through professional interventions from the first response.
In addition, a recent report from the mental health charity Mind, found that people with mental health issues are more likely to be victims of crime, less resilient to crime and less likely to be believed in court.
Over the next weeks I will be questioning what progress has been made under the current Wiltshire and Swindon PCC.