New map of health-based places of safety for people experiencing a mental health crisis reveals restrictions in access for young people

16 Apr 2014 11:46 AM

A new map developed by the Care Quality Commission highlights worrying restrictions in access to health-based places of safety for young people experiencing a mental health crisis 

People who have been detained by the police under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act must be taken immediately to a safe place where a mental health assessment can be undertaken. This should be a ‘health-based place of safety’, located in a mental health hospital or an emergency department at a general hospital. They should only be taken to a police station in exceptional circumstances.

In the financial year 2012/13, there were 21,814 reported uses of Section 136, of which 7,761 involved the use of a police cell. CQC’s work with HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales in May and June 2012 found that some of the most common reasons for the use of police custody related to the unavailability of health-based places of safety because there were not enough staff or beds.

The map – which draws on a CQC survey of mental health providers earlier this year - shows the locations of all 161 health-based places of safety in England and gives details of opening times, the areas they serve, their capacity, and the age groups they accept.

View our Map of health-based places of safety.

CQC’s survey found that, while all but one upper tier local authority (county or municipal borough) area is served by a health-based place of safety, over 20% of these areas are not served by a place of safety which accepts young people under the age of 16.

CQC found that 56 (35%) of the 161 health-based places of safety do not accept young people under the age of 16. This results in a lack of access for under 16s in 33 of 152 upper tier local authority areas (22%). 13 NHS mental health trusts (of 56 surveyed) and two community interest companies restrict access for young people under the age of 16 at all of their places of safety.

CQC also found that 28 of the health-based places of safety which do not accept under 16s also do not accept young people aged 16-17 (17% of all health-based places of safety). This results in a lack of access for 16-17 year olds in 17 of 152 upper tier local authorities (11%). Seven NHS mental health trusts and two community interest companies restrict access for young people aged 16-17 at all of their places of safety.

Figures from the Association of Chief Police Officers estimate that, in 2012/13, 580 children and young people under the age of 18 were detained under Section 136. Of those, it is estimated that 263 (45%) were taken to police custody. CQC believes that the restrictions on access for young people to health-based places of safety in some areas are a key reason for this.

Dr Paul Lelliott, Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (lead for mental health) said: “We undertook this work because the Home Secretary expressed concern in May last year about the number of people who found themselves inappropriately taken to police stations during a mental health crisis. We too are worried about what appears to be the routine use of police custody as a place of safety. We are particularly worried about the number of young people affected by this and the fact that so many areas are not served by a health based place of safety that will accept a young person who is experiencing a mental health crisis.

“The Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat states that a local health-based place of safety should be available for young people who are in crisis. Young people should be able to use this facility even if it is attached to an adult ward. They should certainly not be taken to police stations routinely.

“We are calling on those providers that restrict access to health-based places of safety for young people to review their local protocols and to ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place.

“This map can help the police to identify the nearest health-based place of safety – where a suitable one is available – to avoid people being taken to a police station when what they so badly need is to be assessed in a therapeutic environment.

“We will use this map to inform our inspections of mental health service providers – helping them to improve crisis care - and our monitoring of police powers under the Mental Health Act.”

Care and Support Minister, Norman Lamb, said: “When someone is in mental health crisis, it is very important that a health-based place of safety is available. That is why we set out plans for this map in our Crisis Care Concordat.

“It is unacceptable for a child in a mental health crisis to be taken to a police cell because there is no health-based place of safety. Our Crisis Care Concordat reinforces the duty on the NHS to make sure that people under 18 are treated in an environment suitable for their age, according to their needs.

“Whilst there has been a welcome decline in the use of police settings as places of safety over the past couple of years, this is still not as rapid a fall as we would like.

“It is imperative that all areas implement the principles of the Concordat as quickly as possible to make sure good crisis care is available, no matter what your age or where you live.”

Home Secretary Theresa May said: “The CQC’s findings are significant. It is not acceptable for any local area to lack a health-based place of safety. As I have made clear, people detained under the Mental Health Act should not be held in police cells. The best place for people suffering a mental health crisis is a proper healthcare setting.

“I have made it a priority to improve the way people with mental health issues – including under-18s – are treated when they come into contact with the police. The Secretary of State for Health and I expect the findings of this report to be acted upon quickly.

“I have also asked HMIC to investigate how vulnerable people are treated in police custody and the Government has launched a review of sections 135 and 136 of the Mental Health Act.

“I look forward to the publication of the CQC’s full report in the summer.”

Other findings from the survey include:

A full report on the findings of the survey will be published in the summer once full analysis of the results is complete.

This will include CQC’s findings on how health-based places of safety are being used, whether exclusion criteria are in place, how they are staffed, and also how mental health providers are working with other agencies, including the police, in this area.

The survey is one of CQC’s commitments under the Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat. It is also a key component of a wider themed programme of work which CQC is undertaking on the care and support that people experience during a mental health crisis.

-ENDS-

For media enquiries, call the CQC press office on 020 7448 9401 during office hours or out of hours on 07917 232 143.

For general enquiries, call 03000 61 61 61.

Notes to editors

The map showing the location of 161 health-based places of safety in England can be found on this website at www.cqc.org.uk/hbposmap.

In January and February 2014, CQC collected information via an online survey from 56 mental health trusts and two community interest companies – responsible for the health-based places of safety in local areas throughout England. We requested details on their location, opening times, capacity and usage, any exclusion criteria, staffing and training, multi-agency working, and the support received from the police. We received a 100% response rate from the organisations we surveyed.

There are 58 NHS mental health trusts in total. We did not survey the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, or Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, as neither provides a health-based place of safety. The former does not provide mental health inpatient services, and the latter provides services for people with learning disabilities only.

The full findings from the survey will be published in a stand-alone report in the summer. This will present our interpretation of the information we received that has not been published as part of the map, including exclusion criteria, staffing and training, multi-agency working, and support received from the police. We will make suggestions for stakeholders as to how they can use the findings.

The data on the use of Section 136 for 2012/13 were published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre in October 2013. The data are taken from the KP90 collection and Police Force IT systems (provided by the Association of Chief Police Officers). The data on the numbers of children and young people under 18 detained under Section 136 and the number taken to police custody were published as experimental statistics, and are estimated, as data for some areas and Police Forces were not available.

The findings of CQC’s work with HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales in May and June 2012 were published by HMIC in the report ‘A criminal use of police cells? The use of police custody as a place of safety for people with mental health needs’, in June 2013.

The information contained in the map is correct as at 31st March 2014. CQC will ask providers to review the information contained in the map in autumn 2014 and will update it accordingly.

The data and our findings will also inform a separate review of the operation of Sections 135 and 136 of the Mental Health Act. This review is being led jointly by the Department of Health and the Home Office, and will make recommendations to Ministers in a report later in 2014.