NHS England Prevent Mental Health Guidance and new e-Learning package now available
2 Nov 2017 01:55 PM
The guidance is aimed at providers of NHS mental health services and contains information applicable to mental health professionals who work within them. It is designed to support providers and staff to exercise their statutory and professional duties to safeguard vulnerable adults, children and young people at risk of radicalisation.
It sets out expectations and considerations that providers and professionals should take into account when exercising these duties, and is structured into four key components:
- Prevent responsibilities of mental health providers – outlining the safeguarding pathways that should be in place, the roles and responsibilities of key staff and training requirements for mental health professionals.
- Prevent referrals from mental health providers – outlining the processes for referring to Prevent, making a referral including consent considerations, and working in partnership with police.
- Role of mental health providers in the Prevent process – outlining expectations for mental health representation at Channel Panels, information sharing and considerations relating to detention under the Mental Health Act.
- Referrals into mental health services from Prevent – outlining expectations to ensure timely access to services to those at risk of radicalisation with mental health needs and considerations for the prioritisation of cases.
Examples based on real cases and flowchart diagrams have been developed for the guidance to illustrate Prevent in a mental health context. It builds on a range of existing guidance and advice on safeguarding and information sharing in the health sector, as well as guidance on the Prevent Duty and Channel programme.