Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has her department made of the adequacy of support available for staff members working at mental health centres in relation to dealing with patients who are aggressive towards staff members.

Community-based mental health centres are designed to provide open access mental health support for people living within the centre’s local footprint who have a mental health need. There are no referral requirements or service thresholds for access. People who are receiving treatment for alcohol or drug use may also experience mental health needs and should not be excluded from centres solely on this basis, and people who have self-harmed, with a mental health need, are able to access support through a community-based mental health centre. The nature of assessment, treatment, and onward support for all patients accessing support through these centres, will be determined according to their individual circumstances and clinical needs.

The centres will work in partnership with local authorities, voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise organisations and other agencies to support people with a wide range of needs, including housing, welfare, and social inclusion. They are expected to provide outreach to underserved groups and work collaboratively across neighbourhood systems to improve access to support, which could include people who are homeless and who have a mental health need.

The Department recognises that National Health Service organisations have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment for staff. Employers are expected to have appropriate arrangements in place to manage risks associated with violence and aggression. Community-based mental health centres will be expected to follow the same standards, policies and procedures that apply across NHS mental health services. Local providers remain responsible for ensuring that staff have access to appropriate training, supervision, support, and risk management arrangements.