Avon and Somerset Police launch new national approach to concern for safety calls

Avon and Somerset Police have launched the first phase of the national initiative ‘Right Care Right Person’ to ensure vulnerable people receive the most appropriate support. This approach changes how the police respond to calls about mental health and wellbeing, making sure the right professionals are involved.

Right Care Right Person (RCRP) involves collaboration between police and healthcare services to handle concern for safety calls more effectively. Call handlers will assess if a police response is necessary or if a healthcare professional is better suited to help.

This initiative ensures that individuals get the specialised support they need from healthcare professionals, allowing police to focus more on crime prevention and protecting our communities.

Assistant Chief Constable Jon Cummins said: “The key focus of Right Care Right Person is to ensure that community members are getting the most appropriate care from the right service. Part of that is to recognise that the police are not always the best responders for certain incidents, with health and social care partners often equipped to deliver better and more specialist support.

“Of course, police will always attend incidents where there is a threat to life, but we are collaborating closely with our healthcare partners to adapt our service provisions and ensure that people are receiving not just suitable care, but the right care. This in turn will allow us to focus more on our primary purpose to protect our communities and tackle crime.”

To support the new process, Avon and Somerset Police have partnered with the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) to introduce a new Mental Health Link Officer role to better assess and respond to calls.

Matthew Truscott, Head of Mental Health at SWASFT, said: “The Mental Health Link Officer (MHLO) is an innovative resource using an Avon and Somerset Police officer based in our Emergency Operating Centre to support safe and efficient dispatch of emergency vehicles to mental health related 999 calls.

“The officer will work as part of the nationally credited Integrated Access Partnership, a model co-led by SWASFT, BrisDoc Healthcare Services, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership and Avon and Somerset Police.”

Support available to people in Somerset experiencing mental health distress

In Somerset, a 24-hour telephone service, called First Response Service, is available 365 days a year to patients, carers, professionals and anyone else concerned that a person maybe in a mental health crisis.

The service, run by Somerset NHS Foundation Trust (FT), is an important part of the trust’s home treatment team, and is very much designed to improve access to urgent mental health services, and reduce the number of people needing to attend emergency departments, which aren’t best placed to provide mental health support. It takes over 1,000 calls a week, supporting individuals with a wide range of difficulties. This could be those who may be distressed, depressed or anxious, are contemplating harming themselves, or those who may need support with managing distressing hallucinations and delusions.

Laura Hopkins, operational service manager for our countywide home treatment service, First Response Service, and urgent care hub, explains: “The vision and values of our First Response Service were co-produced with our experts by experience, ensuring that patients get a personalised, non-judgemental, and compassionate response. We know how difficult it is for people to reach out in their darkest moments, and we want individuals to feel safe to talk to us and know that their voice will be heard. We want to encourage people to call, knowing that we are available and accessible for all. We will listen, and together we’ll find a way forward.”

The First Response Service also works closely with Somerset’s Mindline 24/7, which provides a 24-hour mental health telephone support line for people of all ages in emotional and mental distress. Mindline is one part of Open Mental Health, which is an alliance of local voluntary organisations, the NHS and social care, Somerset Council, and individuals with lived experience of mental health, who all work together to improve the way people in Somerset receive support with their mental health.

If you need help...

If you need to speak to someone, please get in touch with our team at Mindline Somerset any time of the day or night, seven days a week, locally on 01823 276892 or

freephone 0800 138 1692. Mindline Live Web Chat is available every day from 8pm-11pm or you can send a message.

For anyone who feels that they are really struggling with their mental health, we also offer the Crisis Safe Space out-of-hours service, provided by Mind in Somerset and Second Step. Instead of going to A&E, making an urgent doctor’s appointment, or suffering in silence, you can arrange a one-to-one session with a member of the Crisis Safe Space, who will be willing to listen and be able to help you. Sessions are being held either face-to-face or virtually depending on the location.

There are a number of other ways you can access support:

• If you feel someone is imminently at risk to themselves or others due to a mental health crisis, please contact the First Response Service on 0300 1245016.
• Anyone can self-refer to the Talking Therapies service
• And more information about how to access mental health services is available on the following websites: Somerset NHS Foundation trust , Open Mental Health and NHS Somerset.

What is Right Care Right Person

Right Care Right Person (RCRP) is a new way of responding to concern for safety calls to ensure that vulnerable people get the right specialist support. It means that while police may need to attend some incidents, many can be better handled by health or social care professionals.

How will it be different?

When someone is experiencing a mental health crisis, a police presence can sometimes make things worse. If there is no immediate danger, health and social care professionals who are better equipped to help will respond instead of police. This approach allows police to focus on crime prevention while ensuring people get the best care for their needs.

Where there is a real and immediate threat to life or serious harm, police will still respond to incidents and calls for concern.

What does concern for safety mean?

“Concern for safety” calls are when someone contacts the police because they believe a person is vulnerable or at risk. This could be due to missing a healthcare appointment or worrying about their own or someone else’s mental wellbeing.

How will we know if an incident needs police or another agency to attend?

If there is an immediate threat or serious harm, always dial 999. Our call handlers are trained to assess each situation based on the level of threat, harm and risk to decide if police or another service should respond. They have received specific training for RCRP to make the best decisions and there is a process to address any concerns about their decisions.

What happens if police decide not to attend?

If police determine they are not the most appropriate agency to respond, the call handler will explain why and direct you to the right agency. Police will always respond when there is a threat to life or someone is in danger.

What are the other phases of RCRP?

RCRP will be rolled out in phases throughout 2024:

• Phase one: Concern for safety calls (starting June 2024)
• Phase two: Walkouts from healthcare facilities and AWOL from mental health establishments
• Phase three: Transportation
• Phase four: Section 136 of the Mental Health Act and voluntary mental health patients