FOI/1899 Street Triage
Provision of information held by Northumbria Police made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the 'Act')
Thank you for your email received on the 21 November 2025 in which you made a request for access to certain information which may be held by Northumbria Police.
As you may be aware the purpose of the Act is to allow a general right of access to information held at the time of a request, by a Public Authority (including the Police), subject to certain limitations and exemptions.
We have now had the opportunity to fully consider your request, and we provide a response for your attention.
Following receipt of your request, searches were conducted with the Prevention and People Services Departments of Northumbria Police. We can confirm that the information you have requested is held in part by Northumbria Police.
We are able to disclose the located information to you as follows:
You asked:
Street Triage refers to a service where police officers work in collaboration with mental health professionals (e.g., NHS staff or crisis teams) to respond to incidents involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.
1. Does your police force operate a Street Triage scheme as defined above? (Yes/No)
Yes.
2. If yes, does the Street Triage scheme cover the entire geographic area of your force?
Yes.
3. Please provide the number of Street Triage incidents for each year as follows: 2021; 2022; 2023; 2024. If data is unavailable for any of these years, kindly indicate this accordingly.
The following table shows the number of Street Triage incidents recorded for 2023 and 2024. Whilst the Street Triage scheme was in place prior to this, accurate data was not being recorded in 2021 and 2022. Accordingly, no information is held in relation to your query at this point for 2021 and 2022.
Thank you for your email received on the 21 November 2025 in which you made a request for access to certain information which may be held by Northumbria Police.
As you may be aware the purpose of the Act is to allow a general right of access to information held at the time of a request, by a Public Authority (including the Police), subject to certain limitations and exemptions.
We have now had the opportunity to fully consider your request, and we provide a response for your attention.
Following receipt of your request, searches were conducted with the Prevention and People Services Departments of Northumbria Police. We can confirm that the information you have requested is held in part by Northumbria Police.
We are able to disclose the located information to you as follows:
You asked:
Street Triage refers to a service where police officers work in collaboration with mental health professionals (e.g., NHS staff or crisis teams) to respond to incidents involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.
1. Does your police force operate a Street Triage scheme as defined above? (Yes/No)
Yes.
2. If yes, does the Street Triage scheme cover the entire geographic area of your force?
Yes.
3. Please provide the number of Street Triage incidents for each year as follows: 2021; 2022; 2023; 2024. If data is unavailable for any of these years, kindly indicate this accordingly.
The following table shows the number of Street Triage incidents recorded for 2023 and 2024. Whilst the Street Triage scheme was in place prior to this, accurate data was not being recorded in 2021 and 2022. Accordingly, no information is held in relation to your query at this point for 2021 and 2022.
| Year | No. incidents |
| 2023 | 11,138 |
| 2024 | 10,325 |
4. Is Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training mandatory for frontline officers in your force? (Yes/No)
No.
5. If not, what mental health training is currently provided to frontline officers instead of (or in addition to) MHFA? Please include:
The name or type of training
Whether it is mandatory or optional
The below courses are currently available:
Positive Mental Health at Work (Optional, available Force wide)
This e-learning module covers the meaning of 'mental health', some of the more common mental health conditions, tips for looking after your own mental well-being and supporting mental health and workplace adjustments.
Positive Mental Health at Work for Managers (Optional, available Force wide)
This e-learning module focusses on the role of managers in identifying signs of mental health conditions within their staff, and how to offer appropriate support.
Mental Health First Aider (Optional)
This is a 1 day course provided by an external company and is offered through the Police Federation.
The below courses were delivered in 2024:
Mental Health (November/December 2024 - Mandatory, Protected Learning Day input)
This input was delivered to Response Policing Team and Neighbourhood Policing Team officers to highlight the responsibilities and actions to be taken when encountering a member of the public whose actions and behaviours suggest they are in crisis, and the appropriate escalation processes to implement where necessary.
Suicide Awareness Training (September/October 2024 - Optional, Protected Learning Day input and promoted across the Force)
This e-learning package developed by the Zero Suicide Alliance aimed at increasing awareness and giving people the skills and confidence to help someone who may be considering suicide. Although the training was Continuing Professional Development (optional), it was included in Protected Learning Days, for completion by officers in Response Policing Teams and Neighbourhood Policing Teams. It was also promoted across the wider force.
In addition to the above, a new two day mental health and suicide prevention training course has been designed for Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) students. Launch of this training is planned for 2026.