Previous Oversight by the Authority

• Lady Angiolini’s Independent Review made specific recommendations relating to the need for a strategic review of the whole system approach to mental health in Scotland. She reported that early intervention, advice and referral should ease the burden on the police service but it is inevitable that health services will still have to deal with some individuals who are in crisis.
• The Authority had oversight of the Mental Health Pathway from the planning stages through the Authority’s Contact Assessment Model Oversight Group and the Policing Performance Committee in relation to Mental Health demand. In May 2021, a preliminary Mental Health Pathway Evaluation was provided to the Authority Board meeting.
• The Authority provided a submission to the Criminal Justice Committee’s roundtable on mental health in policing in May 2022. This submission offered the Committee additional insight in respect of the Authority’s considerations and interest in examining the response to mental health issues both in our communities and in our workforce, and specifically the implications for policing.
• An update was provided to the 26 May 2022 Authority meeting in relation to the challenges faced by Police Scotland in supporting people across Scotland in mental health crisis/distress. In particular, it highlighted ongoing activity designed to address challenges including status of Police Scotland’s Mental Health Strategy, the DPU’s development of a Mental Health Dashboard, and Mental Health Pathway work. Further updates in October 2022 on the dashboard were received.
• Through the Police Negotiating Board (with Authority involvement) a strategic commitment was agreed in August 2022 to consider the potential for a reduction in the working week for officers, but only after steps were taken to properly consider and seek to achieve increased capacity through effective system-wide management of mental health demand.
• In December 2022 the Authority held a conference on Mental Health and policing. It convened multiple agencies to discuss the impact of mental health with a focus on vulnerability and distress. An event report and next steps document has been published.
• In March 2023’s PPC meeting, a paper on the Authority’s public polling on confidence and trust in policing was presented – which contained thematic questions relating to policing, mental health and vulnerability.
• The Authority published a public briefing on the issues surrounding mental health and policing. This Briefing (initially published in May 2023) provides details about the Scottish context along with work being conducted in this area.
• The Criminal Justice Committee took evidence from HMICS on 15 November, on this report on mental health in policing. The main message communicated was the need for government and health to be part of the solution, and a recognition that policing can’t solve or serve this challenge in isolation.
• In addition, the Authority hosted the Policing and Trauma conference in April 2023. The Authority will continue its leadership in this space.