This week we’re proud to share some amazing partnership working from Sonya Mclean and the mental health team, who are leading the way in supporting people in mental health crisis - ensuring people get the right support, in the right place.
Sonya, our Senior Programme Manager for Mental Health Crisis Care, together with Assistant Chief Constable for Hampshire Police, Paul Bartolomeo, presented at the national mental health and policing conference in May to showcase how our partnership working is making a difference, and ultimately saving lives, in our communities.
The Integrated Care Board (and previously the CCGs) has been working with Hampshire Constabulary, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and health providers over the last 10 years to ensure that people in mental health crisis, who often come into contact with police, receive the right support from a health professional in the right environment. This also provides specialist support for police officers and allows the police to focus on investigating and preventing crime in our communities.
By working together, these are some of the things we have achieved as part of the mental health crisis pathway:
- We are the only area in the county which has a full commissioned secure mental health transport provider in place for people who have been detained / sectioned under the mental health act, with specialist mental health staff able to transfer people to a place of safety for support and assessment.
- The police and ambulance service have direct access into the mental health nurses at NHS 111. The team can speak directly to the partner or patient to provide advice or refer to the right service for the individual which could include a Crisis mental health team review, GP follow up, the mental health rapid response car or an ambulance dispatch if necessary.
- We have commissioned three mental health rapid response vehicles, including on the Isle of Wight, which support peoples mental and physical health. The team of mental health specialists travel with the patient, often reducing admissions to Emergency Departments, and can also support ambulance crews or the police when responding to complex situations.
- We’ve worked in partnership with the Fire and Rescue Service and Hampshire Police, so that the fire service attends situations where forced entry to a property is required. The methods of entry the fire service use are much less forceful than those of the police.
Sonya and the team have received a number of stories from patients and families, who have shared the impact the specialist mental health support has made in some of their most challenging times.
Thanks to our successful partnership working, and feedback from the National Mental Health Policing Conference, Sonya has also been asked by NHS England to be part of the national Right Care, Right Person panel, as part of the Expert Reference Panel. This brings together health and policing to work on national commissioning standards for the NHS to support people in mental health crisis and reduce pressure on police services.
Dr Victoria Osman-Hicks, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the Integrated Care Board said:
“We are so proud of Sonya and everyone who has been involved in the mental health crisis pathway. This is a brilliant example of how working with our partners really can make a difference, supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and ultimately saving lives. By supporting people experiencing mental health crisis and ensuring they receive a health response, in the right place for them, we are also reducing pressure on both the police and our Emergency Departments.
"Sonya’s passion for her work and drive to make a difference for our communities is superb and is vital to supporting our work to tackle health inequalities.”