The Welsh Crisis Care Concordat

Background and aims

The mental health crisis concordat was published by the Welsh Government in 2015 and is a shared statement of commitment in responding to mental health crisis with services such as the police, NHS, the Welsh ambulance service and local authorities.

The concordat sets out how partners can work together to deliver a quality response when people with acute mental health crisis, need help, have contact with the police and who are likely to be detained under Section 135 or Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

The concordat is structured around the following core principles:

• People have effective access to support before crisis point
• People have urgent and emergency access to crisis care when they need it
• People receive improved quality of treatment and gain therapeutic benefits of care when in crisis
• Recovery, staying well and receiving support after crisis
• Securing better quality and more meaningful data, with effective analysis to better understand whether people’s needs are being met in a timely and effective manner
• Maintaining and improving communications and partnerships between all agencies/organisations, encouraging ownership, and ensuring people receive seamless and coordinated care, support and treatment

Solution

The Concordat's aim is to reduce the need for police to use their power under the Mental Health Act and to support people in crisis through health, social care and third sector services. This will be done by:

• Creating comprehensive crisis plans and improving access Improved access to crisis prevention services for people receiving secondary mental health services
• Ensuring that people experiencing a mental health crisis have access to local services and are taken to a place of safety if detained under  Section 136 of the Act.
• Reducing need of police powers under Section 136 and that effective liaison services are in place
• Improving access to support and treatment for those discharged from secondary mental health services

Outcomes and benefits

Through integrated care, this can provide a high quality response to those in need of assessments and/or interventions.

Additional information

You can find out about the mental health crisis concordat by accessing the Welsh Government publication.