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Mental Health


Delivering a better future for victims of mental illness

It has long been recognised that services and support for individuals suffering mental health issues fall short of what is acceptable. Recent changes in policy, however, are increasing awareness of the plight of these vulnerable members of society and challenging public service organisations to implement positive changes that will accelerate their recovery.

The office are working very closely with criminal justice, health and social care professionals to deliver sweeping reform to local mental health services. Backed by the recent launch of the Department of Health’s Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat, there is now a clear direction to move forward and achieve tangible results.

The Concordat is signed by a multitude of professional agencies whose job and responsibility is to protect the wellbeing of individuals suffering a mental health crisis.

By the nature of their frontline work, police officers frequently come into contact with individuals facing such difficulties. The local plans my office and our partners are implementing under the guidance of the Concordat will ensure that in future, sufferers receive swift access to help and treatment in the most appropriate setting and by the most appropriately trained professional to aid their recovery.


Tackling the inequality between physical health and mental health

Through a multi-agency Crisis Concordat meeting and future joint-working arrangements, the office will work with our colleagues to share experiences and practical advice to carve out a better future for those with mental health problems. This will include identifying gaps in provision and support and finding solutions to remove any imbalances across service quality and availability.

Above all, we are committed to ending the disparities that exist between services that promote physical health and those that are designed to tackle mental health. Through preventative work and early intervention, our long-term goal is to reduce the number of people who go into crisis in the first place.