Mental health disclosure advice to be issued by the Home Office
- 10 Aug
New guidelines will highlight factors that should be considered before people’s mental health backgrounds are disclosed to employers in background checks.
When assessing whether mental health crises are disclosed police will have to examine issues such as how long ago a detention under the Mental Health Act occurred, reports the BBC.
The advice covers Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) checks.
Home Office minister Karen Bradley said the guidelines aim to make the system fairer without lessening protection. "It is important that checks provide employers with the information they need to protect children and vulnerable groups. At the same time, police disclosure of information relating to mental ill health can have a significant impact on the lives of those concerned, including their employment opportunities."
The Home Office said the new guidance states that:
- Detention under the Mental Health Act, which does not constitute a criminal investigation, is unlikely in itself to be sufficient to justify disclosure
- The behaviour of the person during the incident must be a "key consideration" when considering checks. This could include assessing whether the person presented a risk of harm to others or whether they were involved in multiple incidents
- The date of the mental ill health episode is an "important" factor. In cases where it took place a long time ago, officers should consider giving the applicant an opportunity to make representations about their current state of health
- If information is disclosed, the certificate should provide an explanation so the employer or voluntary organisation understands the relevance of the information to the application
Community and social care minister Alistair Burt said the changes will help prevent people being "stigmatised" as they attempt to find work or volunteering opportunities. "Having a mental illness is not a crime - your medical history wouldn't be flagged to your employer, so it's right that we make the same true for someone who's had a mental health crisis."
Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, welcomed the move. "There is no reason why having a mental health problem or having been previously detained under the Mental Health Act should necessarily be a red flag when it comes to DBS checks."
What do you think of this? Tweet us your comments @suppsolutions
Related articles
- 11 Sep
People in Bedfordshire can find mental health support through an audio guide
The guides have been written by clinical psychologists and are available to download in print or listen to as an audio file, reports Bedfordshire News.Dr Judy Baxter, Clinical Director with BCCG and...
- 10 Sep
Police officers in Dorset to receive mental health training
The partnership with the University comes as part of the county’s Mental Health Street Triage Project. It is hoped to equip officers with improved knowledge and skills to assess members of the...
- 09 Sep
People in Peterborough can refer themselves for mental health services
Through a drive to offer support to more people and ease pressure on doctors, people living in Peterborough can self-refer themselves to mental health services, reports Peterborough Today.Dr Adrian...
- 08 Sep
The first mental health centre for men
The site has been set up by Alex Eaton, whose dad took his own life and has suffered with mental health problems himself, in Burton upon Trent, reports BBC Newsbeat.Mr Eaton said: "We are the only...
- 07 Sep
NHS trust told no mental health beds available
Dr Bohdan Solomka has said that on Sunday a lack of beds were applied across the NHS and among private providers, reports the BBC. The director of the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trusts...
- 07 Sep
Over 16,000 mental health referrals for young people have been rejected
Between July last year and June this year, data from the NHS has found that Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services rejected 5,396 referrals, reports STV News.Over the last three years 16,565...
- 04 Sep
New mental health centre to open in Ardwick
Plans to build a new £6m treatment and recovery centre in Manchester have been revealed. It will be built in Ardwick and be run by Alternative Futures Group, reports the Manchester Evening...
- 03 Sep
Research finds more chance of re-offending if mental health issues are present
Research has found that ex-prisoners with mental health problems and drug and alcohol misuse are more likely to commit violent offences after release than other former prisoners, reports the...
- 02 Sep
Drop in the number of people with mental health issues held in cells
Recent figures have found that the Crisis Care Concordat has seen over 10,000 people receive care from mental health nurses with the support from police officers, reports the Burton Mail.Figures have...
- 02 Sep
Mental health social work scheme accepting applications
100 places are now available for applicants who have a 2:1 or above undergraduate degree and can demonstrate attributes such as resilience and empathy, reports Community Care.The Think Ahead...
The Welfare Reform Act: Universal Credit, Sheltered and Supported Housing The content was concise and to the point. The content was relevant to our service, and gave us a better us a better indication of were stand with upcoming changes. Rosie Kaur - Panahghar
