Home Office circular 017 / 2004
General principles to inform local protocols between the police and health services on handling potentially violent individuals
- Broad subject: Police Service
- Issue date: Wed Mar 31 00:00:00 BST 2004
- From:
CRIME REDUCTION & COMMUNITY SAFETY GROUP Police Leadership & Powers Unit - Linked circulars:
No Linked Circulars - Copies sent to:
Association of Chief Police Officers (England,Wales and Northern Ireland),Clerks to the Police Authorities ,HM Inspector of Constabulary ,Police Staff Associations
- Sub category: Community policing
- Implementation date: Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 BST 2004
- For more info contact:
Jenny Maisels 020 7035 5046 - Addressed to:
Chief Officers of Police (England and Wales)
Dear Chief Officer,
This circular advises Chief Officers on the general principles that should be incorporated in working protocols between their force and local health bodies or other local agencies, where those protocols seek to address the management of potentially violent behaviour.
The attached guidance is the result of a wide consultation with ACPO, the Police Staff Associations and other interested stakeholders on the Cross-Government Group, which is working to develop policy on the management of potentially violent behaviour and the use of safer restraint across the criminal justice, correctional and health sectors.
The following guidance complements similar advice to health bodies, which is being developed and promulgated by the National Institute for Mental Health in England and the Counter Fraud and Security Management Service.
The guidance sets out the general principles underlying effective partnership working between local agencies (paragraphs 6 to 8) and stresses the need for senior management to be actively involved. It also provides advice on inter-agency information sharing and confidentiality (paragraphs 9 to 11) and outlines the need for a joint media handling strategy in situations involving issues of wider public interest (paragraph 12).
The underlying issues giving rise to potentially violent behaviour are discussed, with particular emphasis on mental health issues (paragraphs 15 to 18) and substance misuse (paragraphs 19 to20). But the guidance also stresses that sensitive diversity issues, including ethnicity, should be addressed where appropriate in local protocols (paragraph 14). Situations involving miscellaneous issues where police assistance may be requested by health bodies are also covered (paragraphs 21 to 22).
The guidance provides advice on building on best practice (paragraph 23), particularly in regard to debriefing exercises, risk management strategies and shared inter-agency training.
A model local protocol template is provided in Annex A to the guidance, drawing on current examples of best practice and comprising a checklist for reference and discussion when local protocols are being developed and reviewed.
Yours faithfully,
Jenny Maisels
Police Leadership and Powers Unit
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