Lowestoft North Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) and Suffolk Police’s Consultation Team along with the Lowestoft Resource Centre joined forces last Thursday to organise a ‘Safety Day’ workshop for local adults with learning disabilities. The aim of the workshop was to gain their opinions on local police matters and to provide them with safety information.

The workshop at Lowestoft Resource Centre followed a string of similar successful events held across the county at places including Rushmere and Stowmarket. The aim of the workshop was to give basic safety advice in ways that users of the centre could easily understand and to help them feel more confident about engaging with the police.

Lowestoft North SNT ran a variety of mini-workshops providing attendees with an opportunity to meet their SNT, and develop fundamental skills on staying safe and how to contact the Police.

999 telephone calls were simulated in a role-play with PC Mark Gamble and PC David Stranks to enable people to understand what happens when they make a 999 emergency call and what they would be expected to say and do. They also had the chance to practice dialling 999 from a specially set up phone.

Attendees also took part in a role-play with PCSOs Peter Lamin, Nigel Turner and Julia Quantrill which detailed how to identify and deal with a bogus caller as well as an opportunity to try on some police uniform and sit behind the wheel of a police car with PC Malcolm Leggett and PCSO Susan Kershaw.

A-Level Drama students from Denes High School along with PC Matt Griffith performed a short play on the issues surrounding disability and hate crime and attendees were able to discuss with the SNT ways of dealing with such difficult situations.

A survey at the end of the day revealed that 64.3% of people were confident that the Police were dealing with what mattered to people in the community, 64.3% knew how to contact their SNT should they need to and 85.7% thought that the police and local council effectively deal with crime and anti-social behaviour.

Toby Walton of Suffolk Constabulary’s Consultation Team says, "The Police safety day at the Lowestoft Resource Centre was an example of Lowestoft Police working in partnership with Suffolk County Council Adult & Community Services, to help potentially vulnerable people become safer. We are especially grateful for the help of Denes High School A-level Drama students who did a fantastic hate-crime role-play.

“This workshop was an excellent opportunity for us to engage with the users of the centre and to gain their views on the service we provide.

"The activities provided realistic examples of dealing with the police and of dealing with potentially difficult situations. It promoted the local SNT and hopefully provided people with more confidence to approach the Police should they ever need to.”

Mike Ullah, Community Resource Manager at the Resource Centre adds, “'The Police safety day was very successful. It gave people the opportunity to see how the local Police work within our community and how they can help and support vulnerable people, particularly people with learning disabilities and those who have difficulties with communicating. Working together with our local Police and Schools is an effective way of developing partnership working for a safer Suffolk.”