Getting the right support to the vulnerable at the right time is key to on-going work to radically improve the service given to people with mental health issues in Staffordshire.
Police officers responded to 15,000 incidents in Staffordshire last year involving such individuals – many of which could have been dealt with by more appropriate agencies.
In work commissioned by Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis earlier this year, a case by case report highlighted the scale of the problem including how much time officers spend dealing with mental health issues and the significant impact this has on operational policing.
The Staffordshire Report led to a call for action by the Commissioner for leaders from the NHS, local authorities and other partner agencies to get together and change a system which too often leads to the criminalisation of the mentally ill.
A new report from the charities Victim Support and Mind, published this week, also showed that people with severe mental illness are three times more likely to be crime victims.
Mr Ellis has appointed mental health programme manager Zofja Zolna to take the work forward and increase the pace of business in this crucial area.
To mark World Mental Health Day tomorrow, 10 October, a ‘21-second lowdown’ video featuring Zofja is now on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwYaI4FG590
Mr Ellis said: “I set out a challenge for all services involved to sort this out and come up with plans for Staffordshire. We need to get a system that stops people with mental health problems being locked up in cells and find an appropriate alternative.
“We also need to get the best possible support for victims – including those who are vulnerable because of mental illness. Victims need to be treated as individuals and not crime numbers, able to access the right service at the right time rather than trying to work through a myriad of agencies to get the help they require.
“I’m pleased that the Staffordshire Report we did a few months ago has stimulated such incredible public debate and I get the sense that for the first time that things are starting to move forward.
“I would hope that in the next few months in Staffordshire we come to agreement where the NHS, where I and where other services will invest money into new services which are 24/7, stop people being locked up and get police doing what they should be doing, being out there, being visible and catching criminals.”
