Published service description
Under the Mental Health Act, police officers can take a person from a public place to a health-based place of safety or 136 suite if they are in extreme mental distress. This protects the person’s own safety, the safety of others, and enables health professionals to carry out an assessment to decide on the best next steps. A health-based place of safety is not an admission ward.
If you are detained under the Mental Health Act and taken to a place of safety for a mental health assessment, it is usually because you are experiencing a crisis, feeling highly distressed, and presenting a risk to yourself and others.
You will stay in the place of safety to understand your mental health needs until a decision is made to determine whether further assessment or treatment is needed. There is a bed available in the place of safety to help you rest and feel comfortable during your brief stay.
Our health-based place of safety units are linked to the police we work with: Avon and Somerset Police and Wiltshire Police.
Adapted from the publisher’s listing; statements about the service are supplied by that source.
Visit the published provider websiteCheck before using the service
- Does it cover your address, age and circumstances?
- Is it running now, and does it require a referral or booking?
- What are the current fees, opening times and waiting arrangements?
- Can it meet your access, communication or transport needs?