Edinburgh Napier University

  Introduction
Law enforcement professions now assume more responsibility for tackling mental health issues alongside public health colleagues than ever before. The term ‘vulnerability’ is frequently used within Law Enforcement and Public Health (LEPH) to identify those requiring emergency mental health care. However, there are ongoing challenges within LEPH to determine whose responsibility this is.

Aim
To co-create the most important priorities for LEPH research in Scotland.

Method
The paper describes a collaborative workshop which brought together an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) of 26 senior stakeholders, from academia, policing, mental health nursing, psychiatry, paramedics, emergency medicine, people with lived experience, policy makers, and third sector.

Results
The five key priorities included: vulnerability; mental health crisis; decision making around assessment and triage across professional groups and professional roles; peer support and organisational well-being; and information and data sharing.

Discussion
The paper discusses the EAG group event as a co-production process, focusing on how key LEPH research priorities were derived.

Implications for Practice
This paper demonstrates the inextricable link between co-production and co-creation of value via EAG group consensus on LEPH research priorities. Shared vision and professional will is not enough to ensure progress: there must also be shared policy, knowledge, and access.