NHS England National Clinical Director for Mental Health sets out NHS England Professor Tim Kendall has published a position letter stating that serenity integrated mentoring (SIM) or similar models must no longer be used in NHS mental health services. More specifically , it states, the following three elements must be eradicated from mental health services –
- Police involvement in the delivery of therapeutic interventions in planned, non-emergency, community mental health care (this is not the same as saying all joint work with the police must stop).
- The use of sanctions (criminal or otherwise), withholding care and otherwise punitive approaches, as clarified in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.
- Discriminatory practices and attitudes towards patients who express self harm behaviours, suicidality and/or those who are deemed ‘high intensity users’.
- Indeed, we will be working with experts by experience, clinicians and policing colleagues to agree a National Partnership Agreement that sets out principles for joint working with police.
- Police may come into contact with people who have engaged in criminalised behaviour while carrying out their statutory obligations. This must not be conflated with active and routine involvement of police in mental health services.
- It is clear the employment or secondment or otherwise embedding of police officers within CMHTs as part of routine appointments is not appropriate.
Professor Kendall states: “this is not the same as saying joint working with the police must stop – joint working is critical…It is clear the employment or secondment or otherwise embedding of police officers within CMHTs as part of routine appointments is not appropriate.”
It is thought 22 trusts had implemented the SIM model in their services.
NHS England » NHS England position on serenity integrated mentoring and similar models