A team of psychiatric nurses are within the control room of police headquarters in Cambridgeshire where 999 calls are taken as part of a drive to better understand mental health needs in the region.

The community nurses are being funded for a year and are part of the police integrated mental health team.

The county’s new Police and Crime Commissioner, councillor Jason Ablewhite, spent his second day in office visiting the control room to meet the team as part of his support of their work which tied in with the start of Mental Health Awareness Week.

Cllr Ablewhite said: “I wholeheartedly support the message behind Mental Health Awareness Week which this year focuses on relationships.

“This week not only encourages people to take responsibility for their own personal wellbeing but also advocates the provision of effective support when things go wrong.

“Visiting the control room provided me with great insight into how the 999 process works and how queries are responded to.

“I was keen to understand the sorts of issues the staff are dealing with and was hugely impressed by the team.”

The team is funded for the next 12 months through one of the commissioner’s crime and disorder reduction grants with a contribution from Safer Peterborough Partnership.

Community psychiatric nurses provide officers with real time clinical advice on the best way to support and keep safe people in mental health crisis. They are able to give professional advice to identify calls where mental health may be an issue and ensure that an appropriate response is provided.

The aim is to ensure call handlers and police officers make informed decisions so the right care is provided at the right time and from the right service.