This report and its appendices provide information to support the Health, Care, and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee’s scrutiny of the West Mercia Police ‘Right Care, Right Person’ policy.

The committee considered a report on West Mercia Police’s ‘Right Care, Right Person’ (RCRP) policy.

The slide pack was published as part of agenda: Link to the 'Appendix 1 for West Mercia Police 'Right Care, Right Person' policy. The slides presented by the Assistant Chief Constable (West Mercia Police) are outlined below (in italics), with the principal points noted below.

A The Assistant Chief Constable introduced the presentation and welcomed the opportunity to update the committee on the policy of ‘Right Care, Right Person’. The committee was advised that the policy has evolved over time since its inception as ‘Most Appropriate Agency’ in 2023.

B The Assistant Chief Constable presented:

RCRP in a nutshell

b.1 Clarifications were provided around what assistance is provided by the agency which is most appropriate to deliver the required service or support that is required.

b.2 The Assistant Chief Constable noted that the police is often the requested service to deliver a particular service, however, there are situations where an alternative agency would be more appropriate to deliver that service.

b.3 RCRP has evolved since its creation by Humberside Police and whilst the police remain as the default first responder in most cases, other agencies who are more appropriate to deal with other calls, such as health, are able to deal with those situations. This can help improve outcomes, and ensure that the right care is therefore delivered by the right person.

RCRP

b.4 RCRP involves collaboration with a number of different agencies with an emphasis on tailored responses to individual needs, where possible.

MAA - > RCRP

b.5 West Mercia Police’s adoption of RCRP began with ‘Most Appropriate Agency (MAA)’ in April 2023. It has since been changed to become more aligned with the national RCRP approach.

b.6 ‘RCRP+’ continues this approach but goes further where the principles of the policy are applied to other areas where other agencies may be better suited to delivering specific services.

Understanding our Legal Responsibilities

b.7 The policy of RCRP aligns responses with the police’s legal duties and other appropriate agency roles.

Understanding Demand?

b.8 With demand being higher in certain areas, it is even more important to ensure that the right skills, training, expertise, and experience are matched to the specific needs of individuals.

b.9 The response required, therefore, will be different according to which agency can best respond.

Concerns and Emerging Narrative

b.10 The reporting of RCRP has caused some concern amongst partners and the public, however, it is important to note that RCRP is not primarily about reducing demand for policing and the police will still have an involvement in mental health and concern for welfare cases where it is needed.

b.11 Collaboration with other agencies and partners is about identifying gaps in service provision, especially as this can help address needs that are better served by other agencies.

b.12 It is important to note that the policy of RCRP can still vary according to location and therefore it accounts for different structures, geographies and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37