New pilot scheme in Aberdeen assists officers responding to mental health calls

A new pilot scheme in Aberdeen is helping to support people in mental health crisis while reducing the amount of time frontline police spend attending related calls.

The Flow Navigation Centre provides officers with an additional tool which allows them to speak directly to a local clinician when they have concerns about someone in significant distress. The professional triage can often be done over the phone, allowing the person to receive the right support by the right person at the right time.

This service, which was introduced in September 2024, has reduced the time officers spend at these incidents to an average of around 90 minutes.

Chief Superintendent Matt Paden said: “Our mission is to keep people safe, and we will continue working closely with key partners to ensure someone in crisis receives the most appropriate response.

“Chief Constable Jo Farrell has been very clear that our involvement in mental health incidents and supporting vulnerable people is way beyond where policing should be and has a significant impact on this organisation

“This Flow Navigation Centre ensures people are kept safe whilst allowing officers to return to their core policing role.

“We deploy to over 150,000 mental health related incidents each year, one every three or four minutes on average. That’s the equivalent work of between 500 and 600 full time officers.

“A national mental health taskforce has also been established to co-ordinate partnership working in this area and create a person-centred system-wide approach. This focuses largely on community triage services, such as the Flow Navigation Centre.

“The Mental Health Pathway collaboration with NHS 24 and the Scottish Ambulance Service has also significantly reduced the number of officer hours being spent on mental health calls whilst ensuring vulnerable people receive the most appropriate support at the first point of contact with emergency services.

“We know what works in one area of Scotland may not apply for another, but solutions will continue to be built through our strong relationships with partners right across the country.”