Mental health assessment powers for isolated children
Southport Inquiry · The Southport Inquiry Report: Phase 1 · Issued 13 April 2026 · Addressed to: Southport Inquiry Phase 2
Government responseNot for the government: for Phase 2 of the Inquiry
DeliveryFor Phase 2 of the Inquiry to consider
Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
Phase 2 should consider whether further legislative change is required to allow mental health clinicians to assess children and young people who are isolated from professional support and may pose a risk of violence, particularly where powers under the Mental Health Act 1983, as amended by the Mental Health Act 2025, do not permit assessment or detention.
Southport Inquiry, The Southport Inquiry Report: Phase 1 · 13 Apr 2026 Source PDF →
Government response
This recommendation is for Phase 2 of the Inquiry to consider, so no government response to it is expected.
Delivery
This recommendation is for Phase 2 of the Inquiry to consider. It is not addressed to the government or another body, so there is no delivery to report.
How this page is built
The recommendation and the government responses are verbatim from primary documents. Delivery statements and other bodies' findings are shown in their own words, each with its source. The summary is written by this site and labelled as such. The Index does not paraphrase sources or characterise intent; it records what has been published.