essa uk - news log

August 2010

Mick Jones, a long standing member of ESSA and manager of Coventry EDT is being made redundant; I believe this is from the 31st July 2010. His input to the committee meetings will be missed and I am sure he was also a driving force in the Midlands area and will be sorely missed there as well. Mick has expressed an interest in continuing his involvement with social work, in particular with EDT by being available for consultancy work. I wish him well in the future and envy him in that he now does not have to worry about how to run his team in light of seemingly never ending budget cuts. Youth Offending Update from Wales We understand that the Youth Justice Board will be undertaking a thematic inspection of Appropriate Adult work and the use of PACE S38(6) beds in the next year. Those EDTs who provide these services may (should) be consulted. In many areas the use of S38(6) seems to have virtually ceased even though it would appear a statutory duty?. The experience in your area if you are still regularly involved would be useful to colleagues elsewhere. Please feedback via your regions (or via web@essauk.com).

AMHPs are likely to know that the National Policing Improvement Agency have circulated a series of Briefing Papers to every Police force in England and Wales:  Briefing Note on Providing Assistance with Pre-planned Mental Health Assessments on Private Premises.  Briefing note on Establishing Multi Agency Protocols for Responding to Mental Ill Health and Learning Difficulties.  Briefing Note on Recognising Mental health and Learning Disability  Briefing Note on Applying the Mental Capacity Act. These PDF documents can be accessed at www.npia.uk/en/12892.htm (And shall we have them available on our website?). It would be helpful if each ESSA Region could monitor any adverse or positive impact this (non statutory) guidance has on our interface with the Police in dealing with Mental Health Act Assessments. The “Providing Assistance” note could become particularly contentious as it stresses that Police should be requesting we get S135 warrants before assisting with admissions from the community. We are aware that this is now standard practice in some inner city areas during the day, but are not yet clear if it also impacting on the type of emergencies we deal with out of hours? There has been a lively response on AMHP web site/discussion groups. Some feedback from EDT experience in your area would be useful for us to get a national picture. (If others are agreeable how do we encourage this feedback? Only via regions or via website? Personally would like the latter but feels as if we need a confidential space?) The “ Establishing Multi Agency Protocols” Briefing Paper specifically commends the Royal College of Psychiatry Section 136 Guidelines from 2008 (www.rcpsych.ac.uk/files/pdfversion/CR149.pdf ) as a helpful guide to local protocols. This RCP document makes a recommendation that AMHPs can at all times access funds for assistance with transport home of persons assessed but not admitted. (“Other key points”, para 1, p9 and elsewhere). Those teams who do not have this facility currently and feel that transporting home is more properly a Police function, would like to hear from teams who do have access to such funds. What is the funding source, is it used regularly, do the Police still assist when appropriate? Your comments via regional meetings (or via web@essauk.com) would be most welcome. Mental Health Act news from Wales