Right Care, Right Person change to how Greater Manchester Police will operate from 30 September 24. 

On Monday 30 September, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are introducing Right, Care Right Person, or RCRP, across all ten boroughs of GM..

The RCRP will provide a framework for those calls to be directed to providers who are better placed to help.

The new model, I am told, is designed to ensure that individuals receive the right support from the right organisation at the earliest opportunity.

RCRP has already been introduced in other parts of the country and is aimed at identifying the most appropriate agency, council, NHS, housing providers, etc to provide support to our communities.

I have been informed Council staff have worked closely with GMP around pathways and shared information about the best way to access our support and services.

What does this mean for the council and its staff? 

Under RCRP, when an issue is reported to GMP, call centre staff will look to identify the nature of the concern, assess the situation, and where suitable, signpost the caller to the most appropriate agency or council service to meet their needs. 

So, for example, if GMP receives a call that they deem to be non-urgent and does not require a police officer to attend, they may signpost the person to the relevant section on the Oldham Council website so they can self-serve or get information on how to contact the team that is best placed to help them out.

In Greater Manchester, RCRP will apply to concern for welfare calls about:

• Mental health (where there is no real and immediate threat to life or risk of serious harm) 
• Physical health (medical episodes, falls, or injuries) 
• Social issues (such as housing, debt management, or drug support) 
• People who have walked out of medical or care settings 

What will GMP continue to respond to?

RCRP does not replace GMP’s existing legal duties.

It will not stop the police from attending incidents where there is a threat to life, a risk of serious or significant harm to an adult or child, or a crime or potential crime is involved.

GMP has a duty to protect our communities and will continue to do so.

For more information visit the Right Care Right Person Intranet webpage

We will see how this works, my colleagues and I have some concerns and will be monitoring its impact closely.