Policing and Mental Health in Scotland – Review

HMICS (HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland) are carrying out a review into ‘mental health related policing services’ – how police officers interact with and meet the needs of people with lived experience of mental health issues, particularly when they are in a crisis.

For more information about the review, please see https://www.hmics.scot/publications/policing-mental-health-scotland-thematic-review-terms-reference

We are working with VOX Scotland to make sure that the voices of people with lived experience of mental health issues are heard in the review. We are collecting views in Edinburgh to pass on to VOX Scotland, who are putting together a Scotland-wide response to the review. https://voxscotland.org.uk/

You can tell us about your experiences and give us your views here. If you would prefer to answer the questions over the phone or to send your response by email, please let us know – https://advocard.org.uk/contact-us/

If you think that writing about your experience may be distressing, please consider if you have the necessary support in place before you do so.

We will not include any information which could identify you.

Please remember to click the Submit button at the bottom when you are finished, or we will not receive your response.

Please respond by end of day, Tuesday 7th March.

We would like to hear about an experience where you have had an interaction or contact with the police and it was mental health related, for instance when you were in a crisis. If you have had more than one experience, you can tell us about these, you don't have to choose just one. You don't have to answer every question.

1. Was there anything about this interaction which you were not happy about or which could have been better?

2. Was there anything positive about this interaction, something you were happy about?

3. What kind of impact did this interaction have on you? Either short term or long term impact.

4. Do you have any recommendations or are there any wider changes you would like to see to how police officers work with people with lived experience of mental health issues, or people in a crisis?

5. Was there a missed opportunity - a time when another service could have helped and things would not have reached the point where the police got involved?

6. Is there another organisation or somebody else who would be better placed to help people when they are in a crisis?

7. What is the first part of your postcode? (For instance EH5) You don't have to answer this question, but it helps us see which parts of the city we are reaching.

If you would like to join a group to discuss these issues, please give us an email address and/or phone number we can contact you on.

Your name

Your email

Your phone number

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