Lord Bradley, a former MP who wrote a highly influential report aimed at ending the revolving door to police custody for mentally ill people and offenders with learning disabilities, has visited Wiltshire at the invitation of Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson.
The peer was a junior Home Office minister with responsibilities for criminal justice, sentencing and law reform in Tony Blair’s government.
In 2009 he produced the Bradley Report which examined how, in appropriate cases, offenders with a mental illness or learning disability could be diverted from prison.
His review concluded that most offenders with lower-level mental health disorders were not dangerous and could be better treated outside the prison system without any risk to the public.
Lord Bradley called in 2009 for talks to start immediately to identify suitable mental health facilities as a place of safety for people who came in to contact with police under Sections 135 and 136 of the Mental Health Act, “ensuring that the police station is no longer used for this purpose”.
He spoke of widespread concerns about the assessment of detainees and said there was a need for better availability of information about a detainee’s previous contact with health services.
Lord Bradley wrote: “If a mental health need is identified, the challenge for the police is to decide whether or not a criminal justice outcome should be pursued, and if diversion to health and social services is more appropriate.”
Mr Macpherson has spoken out on several occasions about the unsuitability of police custody for people experiencing a mental health crisis.
He has been urging NHS partners to speed up the provision of extra “place of safety” beds at a specialist mental health unit in Devizes and he has also helped to fund the mental health triage team which is based in the Crime and Communications Centre at the police HQ.
Mr Macpherson invited Lord Bradley to Devizes to see for himself how Wiltshire Police and the Commissioner have put into action the relevant recommendations in his report.
The Commissioner said: “I was very pleased to welcome Lord Bradley. I wanted to show him that we have taken action in Wiltshire and Swindon on the important issues he flagged in his ground-breaking report in 2009.
“My sense is that police officers find the triage service in the control room a godsend.
“When they are dealing with someone at a location they are very pleased to be able to speak to a mental health nurse who can offer advice and background information on the person they are with and arrange, where necessary, for an urgent assessment to be carried out.”
After chatting to the on-duty triage team, Kieran Holland and Chris Deaville, and to officers and staff in the control room, Lord Bradley met Chief Constable Mike Veale.
Mr Veale said: “It was fantastic to have the chance to discuss this important issue with Lord Bradley.
“Working with partners from the NHS we now have a triage service in place, which has had an excellent start. I am looking forward to building on this success.
"It is vital that we continue to explore opportunities to work in partnership with other agencies so vulnerable people are able to access the services that they may need."
Lord Bradley said: “I am very grateful to the Commissioner for the invitation to visit Wiltshire and see the excellent work being undertaken between police and mental health staff. The development of the street triage service is of huge benefit to local citizens who may be in crisis.
“The ambition for the further development of support and help for vulnerable people in Wiltshire and Swindon is clearly a priority for the Commissioner and the Chief Constable and that is to be hugely welcomed.”
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