Mentally vulnerable
A term from the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice (APP), reproduced under the Open Government Licence with a link back to the authoritative source.
Definition
Describes detainees who may not understand the meaning or importance of proceedings due to their mental state or capacity.
This definition is drawn from the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice. For the full operational guidance and current wording, read it at source.
Related terms
Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP)
Formerly known as an approved social worker, responsible for conducting assessments regarding hospital detention.
Autism
A lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates and relates to others.
Learning difficulties and neuro-disabilities
Conditions that may compromise brain function, resulting in cognitive, communication, or emotional difficulties.
Learning disability
Defined as a state of arrested or incomplete development of the mind which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning.
Mental health crisis
Describes any perceived emergency brought about by the experience of mental ill health or distress.
Mental health professional
A generic term for any number of professions providing care or treatment to people with mental ill health.
Definition reproduced from the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice under the Open Government Licence v3.0. See the source link above for the authoritative, current wording.