Operational Policing
Police Custody
Find out about custodial healthcare and read guidance on safer detention and the role an 'appropriate adult' plays in the custody environment. This page also gives statistics on deaths in custody and information on independent custody visiting.
Latest News
Updated 6 May 2008
Detention at the Police Station for the purposes of Mental Health Assessment
Changes to section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 mean that a person detained at one place of safety can be moved to another more suitable place of safety before an assessment has been carried out. The aim of the change is to minimise the period a person in such a potentially vulnerable condition is held in a police cell.
Full details can be found at:
Home Office Circular 7 / 2008 (new window)
Consultation on the draft revised Mental Health Act 1983 Code of Practice (new window) (link to Department of Health web page)
Custodial healthcare
The government has published a public consultation document setting out how health and social care services can be improved for people subject to the criminal justice system. This is a joint initiative between the Department of Health, Department of Children, Schools and Families, Ministry of Justice, Youth Justice Board and the Home Office. Comments should be sent to the Department of Health by 4 March 2008.
Department of Health consultation: Improving Health, Supporting Justice (new window)
Police Healthcare Group
A number of initiatives have taken place or are underway locally and nationally, work has progressed around the safer detention guidance and development of national occupational standards for healthcare professionals in custody. The work in this area has been slow, and lacks both coordination and effective interaction with healthcare agencies.
We are discussing with ACPO and other key police and health stakeholders, the setting up of a strategic group to:
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oversee the offender health strategy and its benefit and impact on delivery of services to the police environment
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support and assist forces in dealing with people with mental and physical healthcare issues who come into contact with the police.
Further information on this work will be posted here in January 2008.
National Occupational Standards (NOS)
The national occupational standards for healthcare professionals working in police custody were commissioned by the Home Office and developed by Skills for Health in conjunction with Skills for Justice and key stakeholders. The suite of national occupational standards (NOS) sets out the competences required for all healthcare professionals working in and around police custody.
The standards will be launched formally in January 2008 and copies of the competencies are available from the Skills for Health website (new window).
Best Practice
If you have an example of best practice in healthcare provision in police custody please contact Deborah Hudspith.
Safer Detention
Better known as the 'safer detention guidance,' this definitive guidance on police custody was published in February 2006 by CENTREX (now the National Policing Improvement Agency (new window)) on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) (new window) and the Home Office.
The guidance sets out the legal framework within which the police must operate and the safeguards and protections for the public.
It focuses on practical issues and sets out to provide a guide on how police forces should put in place strategic and operational policies to help raise the standards of custodial care for those that come into contact with the police.
Read the guidance on safer detention and handling of persons in police custody.
Register of Changes
You can suggest changes or forward examples of good practice by emailing Deborah Hudsmith
Appropriate Adults
Appropriate adults have an important role to play in the custody environment by ensuring that the detained person whom they are assisting understands what is happening to them and why. The guidance below is for those called upon to perform the role of 'appropriate adult'.
Independent custody visiting
For information on independent custody visiting, please view the following links:
Deaths In Custody
For statistics on deaths in police custody, from April 1997 to March 2004, please follow the link below:
