Sergeant Richard Poole, a serving officer with Devon and Cornwall Police, has joined the Positive Practice Mental Health Collaborative as joint lead on mental health issues in the emergency services and the criminal justice system.

He is the first serving police officer to take on such a role with the organisation.

The Collaborative is a national user-led multi-agency group of 70 organisations, including NHS providers, NHS commissioners, police forces, charities and service user groups.

It identifies and disseminates positive practice in mental health services by working together across organisations and sectors, facilitating shared learning and raising the profile of mental health with politicians and policy makers.

Sergeant Poole said: ’I am the first member of the emergency services to lead one of Positive Practice’s special interest groups.  I’ll be working with Claire Andre who works with Northumbria Police, who is the only full time police liaison mental health nurse in the UK.

’I’m looking forward very much to sharing our experiences and best practices with other organisations across the policing sector, and to being an advocate to government ministers and opinion formers  of mental health issues within modern policing and safeguarding activities.’

Sgt Poole’s role will involve coordinating the activities of the group across more than 70 organisations and will include raising the profile of mental health and policing issues with members of parliament and informing government policy.