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Standards for dealing with mentally disordered offenders
These papers set out the standards, which Nacro consider should be present when working with mentally disordered offenders. The aim of this series is to identify the skills, resources, strategic and operational arrangements necessary to achieve effective and appropriate outcomes for mentally disordered offenders and those agencies working with them. It is not the purpose of the papers to explore how these skills and arrangements should be developed or established. Rather, its purpose is to state what should be in place and can be used by agencies and areas as a checklist against which their services and the skills of their practitioners can be measured.
Title: Mentally Disordered Offenders Standards - Standard 1: Initial contact with the police & Standard 2: At the Police Station
Author:
Nacro
Series: Mentally Disordered Offender Standards
Number of pages: 6 (Standard 1) & 9 (Standard 2)
Date published: March 2005
Availability:
Download Standard 1
Word 120 Kb,
Download Standard 2
Word 154Kb
Standard 1
This document deals with the initial contact between the police and the individual. This may be as a result of a call from neighbours, family, friends, carers, and members of the public or from staff from other agencies and in a variety of settings. It may also be as a result of their own observation of an incident or a person's behaviour.
There is a range of actions that the officer on the scene might take, including:
taking no further action
issuing an informal caution
not arresting for an alleged offence or detain under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 but returning the person home or to their carer
detaining the person under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 and taking them to a 'place of safety' for the purpose of assessment by a registered medical practitioner and an approved social worker
arresting the individual
The Standard outlines the skills needed by the police officer, by other staff involved (e.g. hostel staff, day centre staff, health and social care practitioners) and by the individual's carer. It also gives a list of policies and protocols that might be used in such a situation and a list of helpful resources (eg a 'decision-tree' card for police officers detailing their possible responses at such incidents).
Download Standard 1: Initial contact with the police
Word 120Kb
Standard 2
When a person is brought to a police station the custody sergeant becomes responsible for the person's detention. The custody sergeant may work with a number of other professionals in deciding on an appropriate course of action.
There is a different range of actions that will be considered, including:
taking no further action
placing the person on s47/3b PACE bail and is requiring them to return to the police station at a later date
placing the person on s37(7) (a) PACE bail for a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decision and is requiring them to return to the police station at a later date. Conditions may be imposed
issuing a formal caution
carrying out an assessment under the Mental Health Act 1983
questioning the individual before deciding whether to charge or not
deciding to charge the person
The key people involved in carrying out these actions might include custody staff, solicitors, forensic physicians, crown prosecutors and health and social care staff. As with Standard 1, the skills needed by these individuals are outlined. It also gives a list of policies and protocols that might be used in such a situation and a list of helpful resources (eg rota of duty solicitors with knowledge of mental health issues).
Download Standard 2: At the police stations
Word 158Kb
Last update: 20 May 2005