Understanding risks: practitioner’s perceptions of the lottery of mental health care available for detainees in custody

Abstract
The range of and growing number of health care requirements being presented within custody environments has been widely debated (Rekrut-Lapa and Lapa, 2014). Despite a number of reforms following the recommendations of the Bradley Review (2009) and the amendments made to the ACPO guidance on safe detention in 2012, research continues to highlight a lack of consistency to services available to effectively identify the needs of individuals in these arenas.

This paper is based on part of a wider research project conducted in the Metropolitan Police Service and portrays the voice of the police practitioners working in custody suites. The research found that various notions of risk are central within this setting and that current practices are not sufficient for ensuring the safety of both detainees and officer safety. The research concludes by offering a proposal for capturing good practice and learning in order to create a more reflective and learning environment in custody suites.