Recommendation - Metropolitan Police Service, June 2026

The IOPC recommends that the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) reviews and reinforces existing guidance to ensure that, where officers identify indicators of vulnerability or risk of self harm in suspects subject to bail, this information is appropriately recorded, shared with relevant partner agencies, and considered within existing safeguarding and risk management processes. This should include clear escalation pathways and emphasis on timely engagement with health and social care partners where responsibility and expertise for mental health support properly sit.

This is as a result of a Death or Serious Injury review in which the male is believed to have stabbed a female relative before taking his own life, while on bail for another incident the previous year. The male was on police bail, which had been extended a number of times, with no apparent additional contact relating to the safeguarding of either party.

This recommendation should help to strengthen the safeguarding and risk management considerations in relation to people with a heightened risk of self-harm whilst being subject to the re-bail process.

Accepted

The MPS acknowledges the tragic circumstances that led to this recommendation and recognises the importance of ensuring that indicators of vulnerability and risk of self-harm are appropriately considered within policing and multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.

The MPS accepts this recommendation in principle.

The MPS notes that the recommendation is focused on reviewing and reinforcing existing guidance and processes, rather than creating a new requirement for police officers to undertake mental health assessments, provide ongoing welfare monitoring, or assume responsibilities that properly rest with health and social care services. The MPS agrees that where indicators of vulnerability, risk of self-harm, or wider safeguarding concerns are identified during police contact, or otherwise come to the attention of police through legitimate policing activity, this information should be appropriately recorded, considered within existing risk management processes, and shared with relevant partner agencies where lawful, necessary and proportionate to do so. 

The MPS considers it important to emphasise that police officers are not clinically trained practitioners and are not equipped to assess, diagnose or manage mental health conditions. Safeguarding activity undertaken by police officers must therefore remain within their professional competence and operational remit. Whilst officers may identify signs of vulnerability and take appropriate safeguarding action, responsibility for clinical assessment, treatment and ongoing mental health care rests with health and social care agencies possessing the relevant statutory responsibilities, expertise and resources. This approach is consistent with the principles underpinning Right Care, Right Person.

The MPS also considers it important to clarify that there is no statutory role, operational capability or lawful basis for police officers to proactively monitor the mental health or wellbeing of individuals subject to police bail, unless a specific policing purpose or further police contact arises. Bail management processes are intended to support the criminal justice process and are not designed to provide ongoing welfare oversight or mental health monitoring. 

The MPS therefore does not consider it appropriate or practicable for officers to undertake proactive checks on a person's mental health status during periods of bail. Where information indicating vulnerability, deterioration in mental health, risk of self-harm, or wider safeguarding concerns subsequently comes to the attention of police through further contact with the individual, reports from family members or third parties, information received from partner agencies, or other legitimate policing activity, officers will utilise existing safeguarding processes to record concerns, assess any immediate risk, and make referrals or share information with the appropriate health, social care or safeguarding agencies where lawful, necessary and proportionate to do so.

The MPS has previously reviewed information-sharing arrangements between policing and mental health services and identified that effective safeguarding is dependent upon clear and consistent pathways for recording concerns, sharing relevant information and enabling partner agencies to undertake appropriate assessment and intervention. The learning from that work reinforces the importance of maintaining robust mechanisms for communication between agencies, supported by clear lines of responsibility, accountability and escalation where concerns arise regarding an individual's welfare. This includes ensuring that information which comes to police attention through operational activity is appropriately routed through established safeguarding and referral pathways, rather than creating an expectation that police maintain ongoing oversight of an individual's mental health or wellbeing.

In response to this recommendation, the MPS will review relevant guidance, training materials and safeguarding processes to ensure that:

• Officers are reminded of their responsibilities to recognise, record and appropriately escalate indicators of vulnerability and risk where these become apparent during police contact, or otherwise come to police attention through legitimate policing activity.
• Guidance makes clear that officers are not responsible for proactively monitoring the mental health or wellbeing of individuals subject to police bail, and that safeguarding responsibilities are engaged when concerns are identified or information is received, rather than through ongoing welfare oversight.
• Existing safeguarding referral pathways and information-sharing processes remain clear, accessible and aligned with current information governance requirements.
• Guidance reinforces the importance of sharing relevant risk information with appropriate partner agencies where lawful, necessary and proportionate.
• Existing escalation routes are clearly articulated to support officers where concerns exist regarding a person's welfare or risk of self-harm.
• Partnership arrangements with health and social care agencies continue to support the timely sharing of information and appropriate multi-agency assessment and management of risk.
• Governance forums and established partnership structures are utilised to review and strengthen joint working arrangements where learning is identified. 

The MPS believes that reinforcing existing safeguarding, information-sharing and partnership arrangements represents a proportionate and evidence-based response to the recommendation. It supports effective risk management whilst maintaining clear professional boundaries and ensuring that responsibility for proactive mental health assessment, ongoing monitoring and intervention remains with suitably qualified health and social care professionals. 

The role of the police is to identify and act upon vulnerability or risk when it becomes apparent through police contact or otherwise comes to police attention, using established safeguarding and referral mechanisms. The MPS remains committed to working with partner agencies to ensure vulnerable individuals receive the right support from the right service at the earliest appropriate opportunity.