Worthing dad was failed by police, family says

Police visited Ryan Ouslem to check on his welfare three days before he died

The family of a man who died three days after police checked on his welfare have said he could be alive today if the force had better mental health training.

Assistant coroner Robert Simpson raised concerns around Sussex Police's mental health training in a Prevention of Future Deaths report (PFD) after Ryan Ouslem, 34, took his own life at his Worthing flat on 1 August, 2022.

His mother's partner, Karen Lord, told BBC South East: "The right training may have made a significant difference."

In a statement, Sussex Police said it was "committed to continuous learning" and was carefully reviewing the PFD "to ensure where changes or improvements are identified, they are implemented".

Emergency services had attended Mr Ouslem's flat on 29 July after he wrote a concerning Facebook post but the police officer left the scene without following expected protocol, the PFD published on 24 September said.

The report stated the officer had not made "expected" inquiries at the scene, such as asking to see the Facebook post or speaking to Ryan's mother, Sarah Stokes, who was present.

She offered Mr Ouslem a call with a mental health service nurse the following day and left him with his mother at the scene.

The officer's evidence showed she "did not fully understand" police powers under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act, according to the PFD report.

A Section 136 allows officers to detain a person of significant concern at a place of safety for 24 hours until they have had a mental health assessment, unless they are in a house, flat or room they, or any other people, are living in.

Ms Lord said: "She said she couldn't arrest him. He was in his own home. He wasn't - he was in a communal area."

Ryan's mother, Sarah Stokes, and Sarah's partner, Karen Lord, said he could be alive today if proper practices were followed

The coroner wrote that the attending officer could not remember her suicide awareness training and showed she did not understand the Mental Health Act while giving evidence at Mr Ouslem's inquest.

She also hadn't taken part in any joint training with mental health providers and was responsible for training new recruits.

Ms Lord said: "What was that officer doing there that night?

"She's training other people. God help us If this is the level of training."

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Sussex Police said it was reviewing the PFD report and was committed to making changes and improvements.

In a statement, it said: "Police were called to check on Ryan’s welfare on the afternoon of 29 July 2022.

"Officers engaged with Ryan for a period of time and ensured his well-being before leaving him with an adult at the property and submitting the relevant and appropriate reports to partner agencies."

The force said officers faced "complex challenges" when dealing with people in a mental health crisis and training was in place to ensure officers were aware of their powers in such circumstances.

"Right Care, Right Person has also been introduced with the aim of ensuring that individuals in mental health crisis get the help they need from the right professional or agency," it added.