Police officers empowered to improve dementia response

Nottinghamshire Police has launched a new training course to help improve responses to people living with dementia.

The force is building further on its partnership with Vicky McClure’s Our Dementia Choir to empower new officers to better understand the condition and its impact on people’s behaviour.

On Tuesday the first cohort of new officers attended a three-hour session hosted in partnership with the Radford Care Group – a Nottingham-based charity offering support to older people.

The unique training package, designed in collaboration with Vicky, included an introduction to the condition, key signs and symptoms, and practical advice on how to communicate more effectively.

It also featured details on key internal processes and the Herbert Protocol – a potentially life-saving tool to help officers locate people living with dementia when they go missing.

Inspector Jemma Connor-Iommi, who has led the process on behalf of the police, said:

“Police officers are almost guaranteed to come across somebody with dementia multiple times during their service.

“These could be victims of crime, vulnerable missing people or even offenders themselves.

“This training is about empowering those officers to respond in the best possible way in those situations, and to recognise any actions and behaviours that may cause significant additional distress to the person they are dealing with.

“We know, for example, that the sight of a police officer can be extremely distressing for somebody who may be in a confused state and acting out of character.

“By offering this training we have an opportunity to make a positive difference to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities – including my own Nan who is living with this condition.

“On a personal level it is a great comfort to me that officers who may come into contact with her – and others like her in the future – are now better placed to understand her condition and to have that confidence to respond in the most appropriate way.”

Vicky McClure, Choir founder, added:

"I’m extremely proud to of worked with the police, Radford Care Group and Our Dementia Choir on this training.

"Giving a voice to the dementia community is very important to me, and a big concern within the community is they feel there is a lack of understanding by the police in certain situations, which can leave them feeling frightened and reluctant to call the police if needed.

"The police are key to the dementia community feeling safe and secure, so for the police to have better knowledge and understanding about dementia, and what that means to the individual, family and community is vital.

"I’m looking forward to continuing to work with Jemma to make sure all forces become dementia friendly."