HMICS Improvement Plans

The MHTF continues to progress work on all 14 recommendations in accordance with the HMICS Improvement Plan. The Progress Summary report, including the Mental Health (MH) and Policing update, was presented to the SPA Policing Performance Committee on 19 September by ACC Professionalism and Assurance. 
(Appendix C attached – SPA PPC paper 19/9/24).

In addition to the ongoing progress contained within this report, further points to highlight to the Committee are as follows:

Recommendation 7 - Training Needs Analysis

(Police Scotland should conduct a full training needs analysis for policing mental health, reflecting its published strategy, to include (but not necessarily limited to) all public-facing roles across the service.)

The MHTF have conducted a full Training Needs Analysis (TNA) which provides a clear understanding of the organisational requirements to empower our officers and staff when policing mental health related incidents. 

The completed TNA and findings were presented at the MH Strategic Oversight Board (MHSOB) on 30 October 2024 and approved. The MHTF are leading on work to develop necessary training materials and processes whilst ensuring alignment of current learning resources.

Recommendation 9 - Place of Safety (PoS)

(Police Scotland should review the use and recording of place of safety orders across the organisation to achieve consistency of approach and ensure that reporting of this is included in performance reports to the SPA).

MH and PoS Standard Operating Procedures have been amended to reflect the interim and subsequent consultations with the Mental Welfare Commission ensuring their recommendations regarding Section 297 powers are appropriately captured. 

Recommendation 10 – Demand - Policing Mental Health
 
(Police Scotland and the SPA should take steps to establish a clear demand picture for policing mental health).

The MHTF are directing and progressing work within the Data Short Life Working Group (SLWG) engaging with all relevant internal partners. In order to address the need for a clear definition of a mental health related incident across PS, the MHTF presented a proposal to MHSOB where the use of the NPCC definition was approved:

“Any police incident thought to relate to someone's mental health where their vulnerability is at the centre of the incident or where the police have had to do something additionally or differently because of it.”

This definition will allow the Data SLWG to provide more precise data relative to policing mental health crisis/distress. It is anticipated that Police Scotland will be able to share this dashboard data by end of 2024. 

Recommendation 11 - Psychiatric Emergency Plans (PEPs)
 
(Police Scotland should, in conjunction with relevant partner organisations, review all Psychiatric Emergency Plans across Scotland and ensure that the police role in dealing with mental health is appropriate, supportive, patient-centred and aligned to Police Scotland’s mental health strategy, once established).

MHTF continue to engage with all partners in fortnightly meetings to review and progress the national approach to PEPs. The group are scrutinising PEPs by theme and addressing one per meeting. MHTF further engage with all local policing divisions to provide practical operational overview. 
 

Recommendation 13 – British Transport Police (BTP) access to iVPD

(Police Scotland should take steps to provide ready access to, and encourage the use of, its interim Vulnerable Persons Database by British Transport Police colleagues in Scotland).

An Information Sharing Agreement has been approved and a technical solution identified. MHTF are leading on this work and chairing further meetings to test and build. The proposed go-live date for BTP access to iVPD is 17 December 2024.