Response officers recognise importance of safeguarding and voice-of-the-child

As part of our focus on safeguarding, vulnerability and ensuring the voice of the child is heard, we have been speaking to officers on the frontline tasked with responding to your 999 calls, to understand why it’s so important you report your concerns as soon as possible.

PC Tara Millard, a student officer based at Stoke-on-Trent south, is two years into her training on the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship course, which has seen her attend hundreds of incidents in the community each week. 

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is how important that safeguarding aspect is,” PC Millard said. 

“Every incident we attend, we have to leave there knowing that we have safeguarded the victim to the best of our ability, upholding their wishes as much as practically possible, and that we’ve made other agencies aware of what has happened they can get the relevant support for their needs.”

For Tara, the first step in the safeguarding journey is encouraging victims to report what has happened to them to the police. 

She said: “Some people wait a period of time before reporting an incident, whether that’s instances of harassment and stalking, or domestic abuse. 

“What we find is, by this point, things have escalated, whereas, if we are aware of an issue before an incident occurs, we can implement the relevant measures to prevent that escalation.”

Often, response officers attending calls arrive at households where there’s been reports of violence, domestic abuse and related vulnerability, only to find that, for one reason or another, the victim no longer wants to pursue a complaint.

“When we get there, we separate the victim and the potential suspect to gain a better understanding as to what has happened.

“If there is a child or children at the address, we make sure we speak to them separately too. 

“If the child is non-verbal, we encourage them to tell us in different ways, through drawing or re-enacting with toys.

“Whatever has happened, officers will take the time to sit and listen, ask questions, repeat what you’ve said back and reassure you of the next steps to protect you from harm,” PC Millard added. 

“I would just encourage anyone with any concerns about vulnerability, particularly in relation to children, to report them to us as soon as possible – so we can take action to protect the child and ensure their voice is heard. 

To find out more about specific operations aimed as supporting children at risk of domestic abuse, see: Officers partner with schools using automatic referrals to protect children at risk of domestic abuse | Staffordshire Police. 

For more information on safeguarding, for children and adults, visit: Adult safeguarding | Staffordshire Police.