This concludes and makes recommendations upon the topic of ‘mental wellbeing’ through a ‘light-touch’ scrutiny, where Members reviewed the actions of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight with a focus on how the Commissioner, through his influence and work with Hampshire Constabulary and other partners, is encouraging and supporting delivery of the recommendations of the ‘Use of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983’ review, as well as delivering against the commitments of the Mental Health Crisis Care Concordant.

The Police and Crime Panel found that the Commissioner was already working with partners across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to improve outcomes for people affected by mental health issues. Specifically the report demonstrated that, through partnership working, the levels of Section 136 detentions and the use of police-based places of safety had fallen considerably since 2013, with evidence highlighting that the Commissioner had been a vocal advocate in the delivery of actions to reduce police-based place of safety detentions. Evidence received by the Panel however highlighted a need for greater information sharing between the providers of mental health services, particularly in capturing and recording data on those at higher risk of suicide, with the Panel identifying an opportunity for multi-agency training to further the understanding of suicide prevention across frontline services.

• Police and Crime Panel mental wellbeing report
• Police and Crime Commissioner’s reply to the mental wellbeing report