Table 3 Recommendations for policing and community care from the Bradley Report Executive Summary (2009)

- Local Safer Neighbourhood Teams should play a key role in identifying and supporting people in the community with mental health problems or learning disabilities who may be involved in low-level offending or anti-social behaviour by establishing local contacts and partnerships and developing referral pathways.

- Community support officers and police officers should link with local mental health services to develop joint training packages for mental health awareness and learning disability issues.

- A review of the role of Appropriate Adults in police stations should be undertaken and aim to improve the consistency, availability and expertise of this role.

- Appropriate Adults should receive training to ensure the most effective support for individuals with mental health problems or learning disabilities.

- Mental health awareness and learning disabilities should be a key component in the police training programme.

- All police custody suites should have access to liaison and diversion services. These services would include improved screening and identification of individuals with mental health problems or learning disabilities, providing information to police and prosecutors to facilitate the earliest possible diversion of offenders with mental disorders from the criminal justice system, and signposting to local health and social care services as appropriate.

- Liaison and diversion services should also provide information and advice services to all relevant staff including solicitors and Appropriate Adults.