Issue - meetings

1. Mr A Rabey explained that the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board (KMSAB) were due to publish their annual report in the next few weeks, and an overview of this report would be provided to Partnership Members. He highlighted the similarities in the work of the KCSP and KMSAB, as both worked to safeguard vulnerable people and therefore needed to ensure connected working so no repeat work was carried out. This would also help partner agencies work with the KCSP and KMSAB to streamline the implementation of actions resulting from SARs and DHRs.
   
   
2. The KMSAB strategic plan has three main themes: promoting person-centred safeguarding; strengthening system assurance; and embedding improvement and shaping future practice. Mr Rabey thanked partners for completing the Self Assessment Framework.

3. Mr Rabey outlined the need for a focus on the individual rather than the outcome through the multiagency risk management (MARM) approach and that the KMSAB are engaging with over 50 partner and charity organisations as well as vulnerable adults.

4. The KMSAB organised the annual Safeguarding Adults Awareness Week taking place next week and includes a number of webinars, for example a trauma information practice webinar was being held on 23^rd November as well as the joint DHR/SAR Learning webinar mentioned previously and attendance by Partnership Members was encouraged.

5. Hospital discharges remained an issue being considered by KMSAB as people were often released from hospital without proper support in their homes and become vulnerable adults. This had been challenged by the KMSAB at a recent Integrated Care Board (ICB) meeting, and a discussion had been held regarding the Right Care, Right Person initiative.
   
   
6. The Chair questioned how the Right Care, Right Person initiative was being implemented, and how successful it had been in London. Supt Steenhuis explained that the police’s core responsibility was to protect life, investigate crime, and keep the Kings’ Peace, but officers were currently undertaking much more than this remit, for example carrying out welfare checks. The police force were now working with partners to identify where there were gaps in care, and help these partners fill the gaps rather than transferring issues to the police or ambulance service. Mr Rabey explained that a challenge to the Right Care, Right Person initiative was how partners were able to fill these gaps, as lots of preparation was needed, and it was difficult to judge when the police needed to be called out. The policy had only begun in London on 1^st November, so it was currently too early to tell how successful it would be. Supt Steenhuis added that police dispatchers were being trained to spot when the police were needed rather than Right Care, Right Person, and the police were working closely with A&E to ensure they understood their detaining powers.
   
   

7.    A Partnership Member highlighted that KCC were now employing a Modern-Day Slavery and Human Trafficking Co-Ordinator, who supported the MARM guidance and the Channel process. Mr Rabey explained that the KMSAB were currently in the process of agreeing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 103

1.    Mr Harper (Chief Executive Officer, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner) introduced the update and provided an overview of the local and national mental health police response. The number of S136 detentions undertaken by police in Kent has been reducing year on year which has resulted in the lowest figure since records began for 2022/23. This was now in line with the national figure for S136 detentions. This positively impacted the person suffering from a mental health crisis as it meant they were being seen by the right person, and positively impacted the police as they had more time to focus on other issues, as well as giving more time to mental health specialists. The mental health police team in Kent had introduced new working practices such as an investigative process and consistent partnership approach, which focussed on the right patient intervention at the right time by the right partner. A new advice line, staffed by partners, had also been introduced in Kent which provided the police with direct clinical advice from professionals and resulted in fewer S136 detentions.

2.    Mr Harper provided an update on the national mental health policing picture, as approximately 20-40% of a police officer’s time was spent on mental health incidents. There were new mental health ambulances and increased mental health infrastructure systems in place nationwide, which included specialised S136 centres and new mental health cafes. There was also a National Partnership Agreement which introduced the Right Care, Right Person model across the country, although this was not mandated.

3.    Superintendent Steenhuis (Kent Police) added that the S136 partnership approach focussed on ensuring the right care with the right partner, whether that be the police, KCC, or the Integrated Care Board. There were numerous projects across Kent and Medway including a new mental health safe haven in Medway, new mental health ambulances, and increased access to crisis care.

4.    It was noted that there would be an annual update on Kent Police’s response to mental health, as well as ad-hoc verbal updates when necessary.

RESOLVED that the Kent Police and Crime Commissioners response to Mental Health: Verbal Update be noted.