New initiative to better target help and welfare support for people in Sussex launched

Right Care Right Person is a national police programme being rolled out across the UK, as part of ongoing work between police forces, health providers, and local and national government.

The national model is designed to ensure that when there are concerns for a person’s welfare linked to mental health, medical, or social care issues, the right person with the right skills, training and experience will respond.

In recent years, police officers have been the first to respond to those who require specialist care. Under Right Care Right Person, officers will no longer be taking on this responsibility when it is inappropriate to do so. The care will now be provided by the organisation that can best meet the individual’s needs, although Sussex Police will continue to provide its statutory safeguarding children response.

In Sussex, there have been many months of collaborative preparatory work between Sussex Police, NHS, local authorities and third sector organisations for the launch of Right Care Right Person.

Similar schemes have already been successfully adopted by forces in Humberside, Lincolnshire, Hampshire, and the Metropolitan Police. This new way of working will be delivered in phases over the coming months.

Assistant Chief Constable Howard Hodges said: "We’re here to keep people safe and the police will absolutely still respond to incidents where there is a clear policing need.