Charities in North Yorkshire say they are concerned by changes to the way the police respond to mental health calls.
Right Care, Right Person is an operational model that is aimed at making sure the right agency deals with health-related calls, instead of the police being the default first responder.
North Yorkshire Police launched the model earlier this year but Mags Godderidge, the Chief Executive of North Yorkshire charity Survive, says local charities have not been consulted on the change.
North Yorkshire Police says it will continue to respond to life threatening mental health emergencies.
Chief Constable Lisa Winward, says that while the police shouldn't be the first line of response for health emergencies they will still turn out when needed.
Right Care, Right Person is an operational model developed by Humberside Police that changes the way the emergency services respond to calls involving concerns about mental health.
It is in the process of being rolled out across the UK as part of ongoing work between police forces, health providers and Government and is aimed at making sure the right agency deals with health-related calls, instead of the police being the default first responder as is currently the case in most areas.
Police forces claim it has been shown to improve outcomes, reduce demand on all services, and make sure the right care is being delivered by the right person.
North Yorkshire's police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe, said she supported the rationale of Right Care, Right Person to hand responsibility to mental health care providers, NHS representatives, local authorities and the ambulance service.
She said:
“In the middle of all of this is a person who is in crisis, who needs the right care from the right person. Sometimes it isn’t the police who is the right person to be able to give them the support that they need.”
The Commissioner said her officers were closely monitoring the impact of the initiative, examining case studies, and examining other agencies’ capacity to take on the work.
She said:
“I have also fed into the College of Policing, as nationally they want to roll it out.
“I have have said how we are doing it in North Yorkshire seems to be working really well, in a really collaborative manner with our stakeholders, in a timely manner, and that seems to be going down well with everybody.”
North Yorkshire's chief constable, Lisa Winward, said all statutory services, such as the NHS, had been consulted over the move.
She added:
“We will absolutely as a police service respond to those people in crisis that are at risk of suicide. We haven’t stopped attending those incidents and we won’t stop attending those incidents.
“We have cases where police attendance at some of those incidents have caused more distress to some individuals who need a health professional.”
The Chief Constable said since launching the initiative 3,700 police officer hours had been saved “that warranted police powers should be being used for instead”, such as investigating crimes.
She said:
“I do think the holistic benefit to our communities will be borne out of people receiving the right care.”
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