Sections 135 and 136: Running a health-based place of safety in Gloucestershire.

The Maxwell Centre, a health-based place of safety (POS) adjacent to a psychiatric hospital, was opened in Gloucestershire in February 2009. It provides a POS for people detained under Sections 135 and 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 as amended in 2007. Prior to the opening of the Maxwell Centre, police cells were the only designated POSs. To assess the impact of the opening of this new facility, we undertook a service evaluation. In the five years (February 2009 to December 2013) following the opening of the Maxwell Centre, the use of Section 136 increased by more than 60%.

'A frightening experience': detainees' and carers' experiences of being detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act.

AIMS: This research reports on the views of detainees and their carers of their experiences of being detained under Section 136 (S136) of the Mental Health Act 1983. Individual interviews were conducted with 18 detainees and six carers. METHOD: A semi-structured questionnaire was administered face-to-face to gather qualitative data, which was analysed using a grounded theory approach. RESULTS: The results indicated a general dissatisfaction with the quality of care and treatment from both police and professionals. Though several detainees recognized the need for police to be involved, most felt they lacked the skills needed to meet the needs of mentally ill people. Nearly all participants felt that the police station was an inappropriate setting for further assessment, and found their experiences in police cells distressing, making them feel like criminals. CONCLUSIONS: Detainees and carers would like to see the provision of a place of safety other than emergency departments or police stations, and this study reinforces the Mental Health Code of Practice 2008 which states that police stations should only be used on an exceptional basis.