Curriculum Information

The module will include the following areas of content:

-          Definition of 'vulnerability':

-          How definitions of vulnerability can vary between organisations

-          Importance of the police working to one specific definition of vulnerability

-          How vulnerability applies to victims, witnesses and suspects throughout the criminal justice process

-          Different thresholds that exist for assessing vulnerability

-          Complex nature of vulnerability e.g. presence of some situational/environmental factors can combine with personal vulnerability resulting in a person possibly being both a victim and/or perpetrator and susceptible to a range of harms

-          Intrinsic personal characteristics (that may lead to harm/risk of harm)

Historical factors that can contribute to, or cause current vulnerability:

-           Adverse childhood experiences

-          Effect of impact trauma on emotional development

-          Link between perpetration and victimisation: the cycle of abuse

Personal vulnerabilities, when combined with situational/environmental factors, that can

result in harm or risk of harm, including:

-           Lack of ability to understand a situation through circumstance e.g. age, mental ill health, learning disabilities, dementia, substance misuse, poverty.

-          Disability

-          Ethnicity and/or faith

-          Gender identity and sexual orientation

Isolation caused by:

      - lack of support

      - language/communication barriers

      - coercive controlling behaviour

      - dependency/reliance upon abuser(s)

-          Why vulnerable people may be targeted by perpetrators

-          How a vulnerable person may become known to the police only after suffering harm, or being at risk of harm

-          How a vulnerable person may be at risk of coercive control by others, to commit crimes or become radicalised

-          How individuals respond differently to trauma

Understanding Risk:

-          Limitations of risk factors and risk assessments

-          Complexity of risk and protective factor relationships (e.g. exposure to violence) may lead to substance abuse, mental ill-health, but also a risk of being a victim of CSE).

-          How risk factor weightings vary (e.g. some personal vulnerabilities and situational risk factors may pose greater risks of harm than others)

-          The difference between increased risk and actual vulnerability

How communication skills can assist in supporting a person who may be vulnerable:

-          Building rapport with the vulnerable person

-          Reducing tension and conflict between people involved in an incident and the police

-          Applying an empathetic approach that allows a vulnerable person to be open about their experiences

-          Active listening and believing

-          Using appropriate language and behaviour

-          Engaging with children and young persons

Duty of police to take responsibility and effective action to make a person safe:

-          Immediate safeguarding considerations in respect of individual and others potentially affected

-          Multi-agency referrals

-          Using professional judgement to identify and assess risks posed to the person

-          Recognising when the police are not the most appropriate agency to deal with the situation

-          Support agencies who might provide more appropriate assistance and how these agencies may be accessed

-          Safeguarding considerations for adults and how they differ from child safeguarding Importance of dealing with a person without judgement, fairly and in a manner appropriate to their needs

National drivers for dealing professionally and ethically with people who are vulnerable, have

suffered harm and/or are at risk of harm:

-          The Rotherham enquiry (Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham (1997-2013)) and/or other large-scale reviews

-          PEEL: Police Effectiveness 2015 (Vulnerability).

-          National Policing Crime Prevention Strategy

-          Making Safeguarding Personal: What might ‘good’ look like for the police?

-          Vulnerability-related Risk Guidelines (College of Policing) 2021.

-          Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy’ 2021 (Home Office)

-          College of Policing Toolkit

-          Increase in reporting following high-profile cases

-          Continuing inspection activity by HMICFRS in relation to vulnerability-related policing

-          Potential implications of perceived lack of support from the police

-          Recent high-profile cases where a lack of support has resulted in questions being asked of the police

-          Consequences of not managing or controlling the environmental/situational factors for the

-          vulnerable person

-          Consequences of failure to share key information e.g.• Fiona Pilkington, Baby P, Victoria Climbié, Daniel Pelka

-          Recent high-profile cases where a positive outcome has resulted from police involvement

Factors that, when combined with personal vulnerability, can lead to harm or a risk of harm:

-          Environmental influences

-          Situational influences

-          Circumstantial influences

-          Presence of an abuser

-          The relationship between the factors (e.g. situational) and the personal characteristics and vulnerabilities that may lead to harm/risk of harm to an individual

-          Police role in managing the factors (e.g. environment) to reduce risk

-          The impact of early life events and the link to poly-victimisation, including Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)

-          The effect of multiple adversities

-          Strategies to prevent repeat victimisation

-          Victimisation and perpetration: common risk factors that may be present

-          How victimisation may lead to future perpetration (Cycle of Abuse theory)

-          Risk factors associated with multi-victimisation

Policing approaches to vulnerability communities in society:

-          Identifying and engaging with vulnerable people/groups; risk

-          Legal issues (Human Rights and Equality Acts)

-          Safeguarding/protection distinctions; escalation; secondary victimisation.

Hate Crime:

-          Official definitions

-          Extent and impact

-          Policing challenges

-          Relevant legislation

-          Disabilities

Mental Health:

-          Commonly encountered mental disorders

-          Dual diagnosis issues

-          Emergency police power

-          Place of safety

-          Multi-agency initiatives

-          Socio-cultural risks form external and internal threats.

Other areas of Vulnerability:

-          Prostitution

-          Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

-          Serious and Organised Crime (Modern Slavery, County Lines, etc).