Connecting services to improve provision for vulnerable people in contact with the police

• In Event: Conceptualising and applying vulnerability policing: Innovative methodologies and problem-based solutions.

Abstract

Bradford is one of the most deprived cities in the UK, with areas characterised by embedded structural disadvantages that compound existing vulnerabilities (e.g., substance misuse, mental ill-health, domestic abuse, violent crime). These vulnerabilities increase police demand while carrying complex intervention needs, requiring the police to work in tandem with other services. In a context of stretched police and public service resources, there is an urgent need for organisations providing services for vulnerable people to work more cohesively. This presentation will outline ongoing work in Bradford that is combining insights from connected datasets with qualitative research to understand both the effects of multiple vulnerabilities and the interactions between different services seeking to support vulnerable people and reduce harm. The presentation will focus on the qualitative component of this research programme. This seeks to provide a better understanding of: (i) the relationships between organisations providing services for vulnerable people; (ii) how individuals are referred and processed through different systems; and (iii) the role of practitioners working at the periphery of organisations, acting as ‘knowledge brokers’ working across and connecting different services. Emerging findings from the first ‘Strategic’ phase of the research suggest that high statutory service thresholds exempt certain vulnerable people from accessing services, fostering unmet need. Consequences of this include poor inter-service perceptions, service provider disconnects, and prevention of early intervention with downstream health and criminal justice impacts. Better integration of specialist third and private sector organisations with statutory networks may help to mitigate this issue; however, that such organisations frequently exist on network peripheries presents a compounding factor. The work indicates that the emerging discourse of ‘vulnerability’ serves as a boundary concept for police and partners, providing a shared language that enhances dialogue and collaborative work but also sits awkwardly with some service providers and service users.

Authors

• David Rowlands, University of Leeds

• Larissa Engelmann, University of Leeds

• Adam White, University of Sheffield

• Adam Crawford, University of York