Mental health issues affect one in six adults in Britain at any given time and mental health needs are often high amongst offenders linked to drugs and alcohol use. I’ve endorsed the Constabulary’s Mental Health Strategy in my time in office but gone one step further too. Dealing, in an appropriate way, with people who suffer from mental health issues matters greatly to me.
I’ve committed to seeing a pioneering mental health scheme extended throughout Cheshire. The ‘Street Triage Scheme’ involves mental health nurses attending incidents with police officers where people suffering with mental health issues need immediate support. If re-elected in May, I will campaign to ensure this scheme is rolled out 24 hours a day, seven days a week, across our county.
Vulnerable people, with mental health problems, are often taken into police custody because there is no other place to go. Mental health triages have been shown to reduce the number of individuals detained in police custody and are a brilliant example of collaboration between the police and its partner organisations. I am absolutely committed to this essential work in the years ahead.
