Every time I read articles about success of screening for particular conditions, I'm reminded how many charities, campaigners and others want condition-specific screening in police custody (and training on it for officers) - EG, why ADHD and not autism? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Nurse and support worker charged with ill-treatment of patients detained a medium-secure mental health unit - www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This year’s data tells us that last year’s data was wrong — Last year The Met claimed a 27% reduction in their use of s136 MHA - this year, they revised the numbers and ALL of that reduction disappeared.

New section 136 data (for 2024/25) released by the Home Office yesterday - Various questions and problems covered in a new post on it all.

NEW BLOG - "New Statistics on 136" It's not the fault of the Home Office new 136 data begs questions about practice, recording inaccuracy and revision of last year's data. It's resistant to simple-explanation of what's going on so I hope no-one tries. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/11/06/n...

One more point - The data tells us why police custody was used as a Place of Safety for the 354 (1.1%) of cases where it was. @wmpolice.bsky.social accounts for 33.3% of those cases(!); @gmpolice.bsky.social for 8.5% and Leicestershire for 7.5% - what's going on?! Half of it from just 3 forces.

The new s135/136 data for England and Wales is now available - It covers the 2024/25 financial year and there has been an overall 5% reduction in use of s136 MHA, but some forces have had significant rise and others a significant fall. 🧵 1/ www.gov.uk/government/s...

The Mental Health Bill will go back to the House of Lords on 24th November, to consider those amendments made during passage in the House of Commons. bills.parliament.uk/bills/3884/p...

NEW BLOG - "Christian Parker" After an inquest last month which was covered on Monday by the Times, it seems we need to worry a little about integrity. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/11/05/c...

Anthony Williams, 32yrs old charged with x12 attempted murders, x1 ABH and x2 possession of a bladed article. Remanded for court. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The next batch of Home Office data on police use of s135/136 is published next Thursday (7th). It will be interesting to see the kinds of claims made in light of whether it rises or falls and how different forces use changes. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2024/10/02/n...

NEW BLOG - "Dear Coroner" I've now collected 135 PFD notices for mental health police contact deaths and there are obvious questions amongst them for the coroners themselves, as well as the agencies to which they direct their concerns. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/10/29/d...

The research scores on the doors at the moment are - - 273 MH-PCD inquests since 2000 - 138 PFD notices secured so far - 20 inquests RCRP related; inc 17 PFDs - 30 inquests yet to conclude, so more PFDs are likely - 10 of them are possibly RCRP related.

NEW BLOG - "Dear Coroner" I've now collected 135 PFD notices for mental health police contact deaths and there are obvious questions amongst them for the coroners themselves, as well as the agencies to which they direct their concerns. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/10/29/d...

NEW BLOG - "Labouring Under the Misapprehension"~ Another new RCRP PFD, from a Coroner pointing out there has been a failure to communicate with the public about the change this programme represents and linking that to potential future deaths. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/10/24/l...

Southport killer 'should have had Mental Health Act assessment' after not washing - www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpo...

"Southport killer's risk to others overlooked, inquiry hears." Psychiatrists have raised concerns about this case and as more emerges about Rudabukana's mental health. He wasn't assessed whilst on remand - used to be standard in homicide prosecutions. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NEW BLOG - "Update: Mental Health Bill" A short update on where we are with the new Bill and what this means for the four main revisions which affect the police service. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/10/21/u...

NEW PREVENTING FUTURE DEATH REPORT - The twentieth PFD relevant (in some way) to Right Care, Right Person. This one is sent to @CollegeofPolice and the RCRP Strategic Board about a failure to communicate nationally or regionally about RCRP. 1/ www.judiciary.uk/prevention-o...

'Alarming rise' in mental health stigma in England, research shows - www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

NEW BLOG - "Make Sure & Always Respond" Some reflections on this week's @c4dispatches.bsky.social , esp on the PR response by NPCC to the programme. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/10/15/m...

Just come across these recommendations by @policeconduct to @WestYorksPolice after two deaths where RCRP training and implementation are relevant - Short thread seeking some assistance if anyone can help? - 1/ www.policeconduct.gov.uk/our-work/lea...

This is all kinds of sad — Mental health detention over children's deaths in Stafford. It has also been referred to ⁦‪@policeconduct‬⁩ because off”prior police contact”. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

More people living with mental health problems in Northern Ireland, greater acuity and complexity and yet less funding than any other part of the UK or Ireland. And all announced on "World Mental Health Day" - you couldn't make it up. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NEW BLOG - "Detained Beyond Time" The CQC have downgraded a mental health trust, in part for holding patients in a Place of Safety for longer than is legally permitted. It's been going on for DECADES - glad they've caught up. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/10/09/d...

As usual, nothing from me on "world mental health day" - the annual tendency to remember we might need to "do something" (whatever that means) and "raise awareness" (whatever that means), might be why some spend 365 days a year wondering why little changes.

NEW BLOG - "Detained Beyond Time" The CQC have downgraded a mental health trust, in part for holding patients in a Place of Safety for longer than is legally permitted. It's been going on for DECADES - glad they've caught up. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/10/09/d...

NEW BLOG - "Smashed Up" A little thought-experiment about police time saved in Place of Safety processes. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/10/01/s...

NEW BLOG - "Smashed Up" A little thought-experiment about police time saved in Place of Safety processes. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/10/01/s...

RESOURCES POST - "The Mental Health Bill 2025" The next stage of the Bill is @houseofcommons.parliament.uk Report stage on 14th October. We're now at the business end of the Bill's passage through Parliament. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/mental-healt...

This week I’ve seen a number of things about “policing” and “vulnerability” which doesn’t mention mental health even once. Books, academic modules and conferences - and yet no treatment of a topic often at the very front of discussion about policing and its role or legitimacy.

Police watchdog staff comments on Nottingham attacks inquiry 'inhumane', says attack victim’s mother. The IOPC is investigating the police and is now, itself, being investigated. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

OLD BLOG - "New Section 136 Data" Almost a year ago, the latest 136 data was published so we should expect a new publication in a week or two. Will s136 use reduce again? - probably. I would suggest PFDs over the last year are showing something. 1/ mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2024/10/02/n...

NEW BLOG - “Inputs and Outcomes” We say risk decision-making should be judged by the quality of the decision, not by the outcome, but is it? mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/09/24/i...

Police refused search for suicidal sex abuse victim — www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NEW BLOG - "And Here We Go Again" Less than a week after assurances the police will always respond to "immediate risk" incidents, another Preventing Future Death report showing they didn't. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/09/21/a...

In my PhD database of mental health police contact deaths, this is RCRP MH-PCD no 18 and RCRP PFD no 16. Emerging theme — - Non-response to obvious risk - Deflecting to the ambulance service an incident where the patient’s location is not known. - IRTL threshold misunderstood.

Despite @PoliceChiefs assurances last weekend the police would “always respond” to reports of a mental health incident where there was an “immediate risk to life”, here is another new PFD which suggests otherwise. The sad death of Charlotte Tetley — t.co/R7ymLBirjp

NEW BLOG - "Losing The Argument" Reflecting on some years trying to put an argument, believing it failed on its own terms but it wasn't really an argument at all. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/09/14/l...

Induction week at @worcesteruni.bsky.social - First chance to meet the whole criminology team and I’m here nice and early as they have a most excellent cafe in the Elgar building to keep me properly caffeinated. Wonder if new staff can join societies or just students?! 😂

NEW BLOG - "Losing The Argument" Reflecting on some years trying to put an argument, believing it failed on its own terms but it wasn't really an argument at all. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/09/14/l...

"Whistleblower warned police against axing mental health callouts" - Strictly speaking, I cautioned them against axing mental health callouts they should still be going to, but near enough. Also nice to see @wmpolice.bsky.social did not deny ignoring my concerns. www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...

I usually go to bed around 10pm and as I walk up the stairs, I'm always thankful I'm off to bed, not off to work - and grateful to those who stay awake all night to keep us safe. I'll never take that for granted as no-one is obliged to do this, they choose to serve. #team999

'Police ended mental health role - now my Sophie's dead.' Right Care, Right Person in focus (£). #RCRP www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...

IOPC investigation after man dies in hospital following arrest — A sad incident from August is now being independently investigated with officers so far treated as witnesses. www.policeconduct.gov.uk/news/iopc-in...

DCT AUDIO PODCAST - audioboom.com/posts/877521... This is sensitive stuff, so be careful. @dctaudio.bsky.social, @iofiv.bsky.social and I had a chat about a topic which really bothers each of us. Dave's done a great job editing out the waffle and Richard's always worth listening to.

The narrative policing’s role in society’s mental health is limited only to “risks of death or serious injury” continues unabashed in today’s “State of Policing” report from HMICFRS. It’s not correct - crime / the King’s Peace entirely unmentioned. s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets-hmicf...

My take from these two days, having listened to a number of specialists across topics where I have none — Political oversight / ownership of this stuff is light-touch, detail-free and arms length. They want to own popular ideas but don’t want detail, evidence or problems.

Day Two at @vp-centre.bsky.social conference in Leeds — I am now 84% full of yoghurt and coffee, armed with diet fizzy water and (another) new notebook ready for all things policing and vulnerability, inc a session on police diversion. Let’s do this!

NEW BLOG - “Vested Interests” Professions have recently been shouting their opposite perspectives on the same issue, because it’s their naked interests to do so, not because it’s “right”, “wrong” or in any way balanced or nuaced. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/09/10/v...