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The BBC journalist writing the article I’m about to discuss, hasn’t done the best job of explaining what exactly they are referring to. “CQC says Kent patients ‘detained be…

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Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 1d

As usual, nothing from me on "world mental health day" - the annual tendency to remember we might need to "do something" (whatever that means) and "raise awareness" (whatever that means), might be why some spend 365 days a year wondering why little changes.

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Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 1d

NEW BLOG - "Detained Beyond Time"

The CQC have downgraded a mental health trust, in part for holding patients in a Place of Safety for longer than is legally permitted.

It's been going on for DECADES - glad they've caught up.

mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/10/09/d...

Detained Beyond Time

Imagine this (hypothetical) situation – Someone is picked up by the police under s136 Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) and removed to a Place of Safety (PoS) for assessment. After arrival, the p…

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Reposted by Michael Brown OBE 🌍

Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 10d

NEW BLOG - "Smashed Up"

A little thought-experiment about police time saved in Place of Safety processes.

mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/10/01/s...

Smashed Up

Imagine this (hypothetical) situation – Someone is picked up by the police under s136 Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) and removed to a Place of Safety (PoS) for assessment. After arrival, the p…

Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 10d

NEW BLOG - "Smashed Up"

A little thought-experiment about police time saved in Place of Safety processes.

mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/10/01/s...

Smashed Up

The next milestone for the Mental Health Bill 2025 – 14th October 2025 – Report Stage of the House of Commons. On 7th November 2024, the UK Government introduced a new bill to the House…

Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 12d

RESOURCES POST - "The Mental Health Bill 2025"

The next stage of the Bill is @houseofcommons.parliament.uk Report stage on 14th October. We're now at the business end of the Bill's passage through Parliament.

mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/mental-healt...

Mental Health Bill 2025

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Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 12d

Nailed it.

And for the same reason I dislike the word and hate being described as a “vulnerable” road user because I cycle.

I’m only vulnerable to other people’s idiot driving!

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Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 13d

This week I’ve seen a number of things about “policing” and “vulnerability” which doesn’t mention mental health even once.

Books, academic modules and conferences - and yet no treatment of a topic often at the very front of discussion about policing and its role or legitimacy.

Police watchdog staff comments on Nottingham attacks inquiry 'inhumane'

Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 14d

Police watchdog staff comments on Nottingham attacks inquiry 'inhumane', says attack victim’s mother.

The IOPC is investigating the police and is now, itself, being investigated.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

An investigation by the watchdog into Leicestershire Police officers was reopened in March.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 16d

Last year was the first decrease for years - 10% on the year before. I suspect that will be repeated and @policechiefs explained it by stating RCRP would have played a significant role.

The problem - several forces introducing RCRP had seen INCREASED use of s136.

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Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 16d

We have seen a few PFDs where police had contact with someone where it was likely, if not obvious, grounds for use of s136 were met - but it wasn't used and someone subsequently died by suicide.

For every case like that, how many were similar but ended non-fatally?

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Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 16d

OLD BLOG - "New Section 136 Data"

Almost a year ago, the latest 136 data was published so we should expect a new publication in a week or two.

Will s136 use reduce again? - probably. I would suggest PFDs over the last year are showing something.

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mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2024/10/02/n...

New Section 136 Data

The Home Office has caught us all unawares this year with very early publication of their police powers data, which includes use of s136 of the Mental Health Act 1983. It normally comes towards the…

Is a decision correct because of the quality of the decision-making, regardless of the outcome OR because of the quality of the outcome?! In the risk prediction business that professionals in polic…

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Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 17d

NEW BLOG - “Inputs and Outcomes”

We say risk decision-making should be judged by the quality of the decision, not by the outcome, but is it?

mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/09/24/i...

Inputs and Outcomes

Rochdale abuse scandal: police refused search for suicidal victim

Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 18d

Police refused search for suicidal sex abuse victim —

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Charlotte Tetley, 33, was hit by a train in Macclesfield last year, after 'multiple previous overdoses'.

www.bbc.co.uk

Last weekend The Times newspaper published three articles about the Right Care, Right Person programme – it’s fair to say the immediate social media response to that was interesting, includin…

Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 20d

NEW BLOG - "And Here We Go Again"

Less than a week after assurances the police will always respond to "immediate risk" incidents, another Preventing Future Death report showing they didn't.

mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/09/21/a...

And Here We Go Again

https://www.judiciary.uk/prevention-of-future-death-reports/charlotte-tetley-prevention-of-future-deaths-report/

Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 20d

In my PhD database of mental health police contact deaths, this is RCRP MH-PCD no 18 and RCRP PFD no 16.

Emerging theme —

- Non-response to obvious risk
- Deflecting to the ambulance service an incident where the patient’s location is not known.
- IRTL threshold misunderstood.

Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 20d

Despite @PoliceChiefs assurances last weekend the police would “always respond” to reports of a mental health incident where there was an “immediate risk to life”, here is another new PFD which suggests otherwise.

The sad death of Charlotte Tetley —

t.co/R7ymLBirjp

t.co

Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 20d

I’ll leave other comments to tomorrow’s blog, but ask yourself this as you read the PFD report —

Did anyone else wonder why s136 of the Mental Health Act wasn’t used because it could reasonably be foreseen Charlotte might be unlikely to remain in the ED?

Might just be me.

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Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 20d

The declining to attend was challenged and a supervisor became involved, expressly stating that because a patient had not expressed an intention to end their life, it did not meet the threshold for a response.

This is legally wrong, not to say an affront to common sense.

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Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 20d

There will be a blog out tomorrow morning about this very sad case. Sad for more than the obvious reason:

It’s another RCRP inquest where the police were unambiguously told a patient was “high risk” and there was an “immediate risk to life”.

Despite this, no-response.

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https://www.judiciary.uk/prevention-of-future-death-reports/charlotte-tetley-prevention-of-future-deaths-report/

Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 20d

Despite @PoliceChiefs assurances last weekend the police would “always respond” to reports of a mental health incident where there was an “immediate risk to life”, here is another new PFD which suggests otherwise.

The sad death of Charlotte Tetley —

t.co/R7ymLBirjp

t.co

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Reposted by Michael Brown OBE 🌍

Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 27d

NEW BLOG - "Losing The Argument"

Reflecting on some years trying to put an argument, believing it failed on its own terms but it wasn't really an argument at all.

mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/09/14/l...

Losing The Argument

I have had a real sense for a long while that those of us concerned about Right Care, Right Person are absolutely losing the argument. But then I realised something last night and feel in to a deep…

I have had a real sense for a long while that those of us concerned about Right Care, Right Person are absolutely losing the argument. But then I realised something last night and feel in to a deep…

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Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 26d

Induction week at @worcesteruni.bsky.social -

First chance to meet the whole criminology team and I’m here nice and early as they have a most excellent cafe in the Elgar building to keep me properly caffeinated.

Wonder if new staff can join societies or just students?! 😂

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Michael Brown OBE 🌍 @mentalhealthcop.bsky.social · 27d

NEW BLOG - "Losing The Argument"

Reflecting on some years trying to put an argument, believing it failed on its own terms but it wasn't really an argument at all.

mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/09/14/l...

Losing The Argument