Serenity (formerly Operation Serenity) was launched in 2012 by the Isle of Wight NHS Trust and Hampshire Constabulary and provides a similar response to people experiencing mental health crisis as some street triage services. Serenity was set up as an attempt to strengthen the service received by vulnerable people and those at risk of mental health problems and to support the Isle of Wight police service, which was receiving an average of 79 calls per month related to mental health.
Serenity (formerly Operation Serenity) was launched in 2012 by the Isle of Wight NHS Trust and Hampshire Constabulary and provides a similar response to people experiencing mental health crisis as some street triage services. Serenity was set up as an attempt to strengthen the service received by vulnerable people and those at risk of mental health problems and to support the Isle of Wight police service, which was receiving an average of 79 calls per month related to mental health.
Serenity involves a police constable and qualified mental health professional jointly responding to mental health crisis calls in a marked police car, on Friday and Saturday evenings. The aim of the service is to ensure that people receive the most suitable and appropriate response, and to improve the way that mental health and police colleagues work together, share information and make the best use of resources to support people in crisis. Serenity has also focused on supporting a small number of people who frequently contact services with complex mental health needs, by joining their assigned community mental health nurses with a police constable. Progress was assessed after 18 months and results showed that provision of an integrated and mentoring approach between police and mental health nurses reduced the number of crisis calls and unnecessary attendance to the ED. There was also an improvement in therapeutic relationships and a reduction in suicide risk. Due to its success on the Isle of Wight, Serenity was started in Southampton and Hampshire in 2014, operating on Friday, Saturday and Wednesday nights.
