In this blog, we provide a brief overview of the Right Care, Right Person government initiative and what it means for the social work sector. You can read the full proposal here.
What is Right Care, Right Person?
Right Care, Right Person is a government initiative which aims to significantly reduce police involvement in mental health services and crisis response.
It was devised to help ensure that individuals of all ages with health and social care needs receive appropriate assistance from individuals with the necessary skills, training, and experience.
Central to the RCRP approach is the establishment of a threshold to guide police decisions on when to respond to incidents, especially those involving individuals with mental health needs.
This threshold dictates that a police response is warranted either to investigate a crime in progress or to protect individuals when there is an immediate and genuine risk to someone's life or the potential for serious harm.
What does this mean for social workers?
Social workers often play a critical role in providing support and care to individuals with health and social care needs, including those with mental health issues. The RCRP approach emphasises the importance of collaboration and ensuring that the right person with the appropriate skills and experience responds to each case. Social workers may find themselves working more closely with law enforcement and other professionals to ensure that individuals receive the right care at the right time.
On the other hand, a number of social workers have expressed their concerns about the Right Care, Right Person initiative.
Without the support of police officials, certain situations could be dangerous for solo social workers.
Sadly, we have already seen this happening - for example, last week a social worker was punched by a service user, who had a history of violence.
The incident occurred after the police refused to support the social worker upon her visit to the client, despite her asking and explaining the potential risk.
Here at Imperium Solutions, we champion the safety of all social workers and hope to see a future where individuals are not put at risk simply for doing their job.
If you need career support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our consultants on 0208 929 4000.
Comments