The Beyond Places of Safety scheme will fund clinics,
crisis cafés and other community services designed to
prevent people from reaching crisis point, as well as
develop new approaches to support those who do.
51 projects will receive a cash boost to improve support.
They will do this by:
- integrating health and care support with other services
such as housing advice, addiction services and counselling
- improving links with local voluntary and community
sector partners
- providing safe and secure spaces in the community for
those experiencing distress
Timely support will help relieve pressures on hospitals by
reducing unnecessary visits to A&E for those
experiencing a crisis. The projects also include measures
to strengthen the long-term support available to those at
risk of a mental health crisis and to help prevent relapse.
, Minister for
Mental Health and Inequalities, said:
The last place anyone experiencing a mental health crisis
should be is in a busy A&E department let alone a
police cell.
We are funding a range of innovative local projects that
will provide a safety net for those at risk of mental
health crisis and make sure they receive the care they
need in a safe and secure setting. This builds on our
previous grant scheme and will strengthen essential
services to help prevent people from reaching crisis
point, whilst improving support for those who do.
The Beyond Places of Safety fund was launched last year by
the Prime Minister and follows the success of a previous
scheme that helped to develop hospital-based ‘places of
safety’ for people experiencing a crisis to avoid them
ending up in police cells. Since this scheme started, the
number of detentions in police cells under the Mental
Health Act has fallen by over 90%.
As part of the Improving Places of Safety scheme, nearly 50
projects received funding, including:
