INCLUSIVE POLICING
FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES AND AUTISM
CREATING BETTER OUTCOMES
By Jason Bardell, Head of Clinical Practice, and Heather McLeod-Oates, Senior Clinical Practitioner at Dimensions
Like many structures and systems in the UK, the criminal justice system can often fall short in how it serves people with learning disabilities and autism. Recent research conducted by not-for-profit support provider Dimensions found that only 25 per cent of the public think society is inclusive of people with learning disabilities and autism, and 30 per cent think society has become even less inclusive. Indeed, one in four people regret how they’ve behaved towards someone with a learning disability or autism. The research makes clear that there is work to do in ensuring we have an inclusive and equal society.
An important aspect of this will be improving engagements between the police, people with learning disabilities
14 | POLICE | APRIL | 2024
and autism, and those that support them. As members of the Forensic Team at Dimensions, we support people who have a learning disability and/or autism and
and consistent training on learning disabilities and autism in the police force. We know changes can only follow from greater awareness and understanding.
“We see the hard work being done on the ground by police officers. At the same time, we also see the need for more thorough, sophisticated, and consistent training on learning disabilities and autism in the police force.”
who display behaviours which may put themselves or others at risk, and which could lead to contact with the criminal justice system. We see the hard work being done on the ground by police officers across the UK. At the same time, we also see the need for more thorough, sophisticated,
LOOKING BEYOND THE LABEL The best outcomes result from police forces striking a considered balance when engaging with individuals with learning disabilities and autism. It is crucial to look beyond the ‘label’ and instead see people as people,
whilst also accommodating their needs in interactions with them. For example, we’ve seen many
instances where police officers are less likely to arrest someone with learning disabilities and/or autism who have committed a crime, because of their ‘label’. This can be despite the fact they
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