---

Mental Health Services: Children

Answer

The information requested is not available. Such information as is available is as follows.

We are advised that in the area served by Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, in 2013-14 30 people aged under 18 were taken to a police station as a place of safety, following a detention made under section 136 of the Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983.

The MHA does not, under any circumstances, allow for the use of prison for the detention of people of any age.

We are also advised that the Northern Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group is currently looking at the possibility of commissioning an existing unit within its area as a Place of Safety, to ensure that the risk of delays between Tier Three and Tier Four services is reduced as much as possible. Discussions with NHS England and Plymouth Community Healthcare about this are ongoing.

Devon and Cornwall have now signed their local crisis care declaration, demonstrating a commitment to deliver improved outcomes for people in crisis at a local level. The Crisis Care Concordat includes a standard that no child under the age of 18 should be place in a police cell as a result of experiencing a mental health crisis.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

217065

Session

2014-15

Grouped for answer

Yes

Subjects

Children Compulsorily detained psychiatric patients Devon Prisons Police custody Mental health services

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk