A NEW scheme to help North Yorkshire Police deal with mental health issues will begin in 2016.

The force has already tried Street Triage teams in Scarborough and York, and this year ran a trial in the Force Control Room which saw a mental health professional work with call takers.

The mental health professionals provided advice to staff and officers during incidents involving mentally vulnerable people, and were stepped up to 24-hour-a-day cover following the closure of Bootham Park Hospital's place of safety in October.

Now the place of safety has reopened, the professionals have returned to 12-hour street triage services, but the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, Julia Mulligan, has helped the force with funding for a three-month pilot scheme which will see mental health professionals return to the control room during peak periods of demand.

Deputy Chief Constable Tim Madgwick said the new scheme would improve the way officers could deal with vulnerable people, and mean mental health professionals could become involved at an early stage.

He said: "As much as 40 per cent of policing time is spent engaging with victims, witnesses and suspects who are experiencing some degree of mental distress. At the centre of these calls are vulnerable people who need the advice and support of mental health professionals, not just police officers.

"We have made huge inroads over the past two years in how we respond to the needs of mentally vulnerable people when they come into contact with us. This work is continuing, we won’t stand still, and the expansion of triage services into the control room is one example of our commitment to continuously improving our services."

Mrs Mulligan said this week: "Getting the mix of services right is clearly vital for the public, but also for the police. The police are not, and shouldn't be, mental health professionals. This is why I will continue to make sure the health service supports local police and champion the needs of the public, especially those who are at very vulnerable point in their lives."

Mr Madgwick said: "More still needs to be done to ensure that mental health is viewed with the same importance and receives the same level of investment as physical health and NYP is determined to help lead the way in this endeavour."