Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the statement, Government prioritises wellbeing and mental health of officers in new package to support police, published on 10 July 2019, what progress her Department has made in improving the mental health services available to police officers in England and Wales.

It is important that police officers have the training and skills to be able to identify when a person is vulnerable and intervene appropriately with people experiencing a mental health crisis. This does not mean that the police should be able to diagnose specific illnesses or disabilities, but they need to know when intervention from partner agencies – such as health professionals – may be necessary.

Training on mental-ill health is integrated throughout the initial police learning programme which all new recruits must complete. Many individual forces have also developed their own training programmes, including joint training with partner agencies, including local Mental Health trusts.

Street Triage schemes also exist, where mental health professionals and the police work together to co-ordinate the right response to people experiencing a mental health crisis. These schemes have been shown to make an immediate and positive impact on the lives of people when they are particularly vulnerable.

In relation to the mental health of police officers, the Government and police leaders take this very seriously and are working to support the mental and physical wellbeing of all police officers and staff.

This includes providing ongoing funding to the National Police Wellbeing Service in England and Wales, which is helping forces to identify where there is most risk of impacts on mental health, developing work around building resilience, as well as supporting those who need it in response to traumatic events.

Since the announcement on 10 July 2019, the Government has accelerated work to introduce a Police Covenant for England and Wales, which will ensure our police get the support and protection they need. The Covenant will be enshrined in law as part of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, introduced to Parliament on 9 March. The legislation provides a statutory duty for the Home Secretary to report annually to Parliament on the work undertaken. Our focus is on health and wellbeing, physical protection and support for families, with a real emphasis on mental health support. Our initial priorities for the Covenant include ensuring occupational health standards are embedded in forces, the consideration of appointing a Chief Medical Officer for policing in England and Wales, and the development of pre-deployment mental health support. This will all help towards improving the consistency and quality of wellbeing support police officers receive.