Understanding vulnerability and being trauma informed is a key area of business that Devon & Cornwall police are exploring as part of the evidence based policing being led through the Prevention Department.
We know early intervention is already taking place within policing and with partners. The work which will be undertaken by the Prevention Department will be based on theories such as the Adverse Child Experience, enabling us to identify and safeguard the most vulnerable within our communities and divert them from the Criminal Justice System or from becoming victims. This work will focus on strong and critical partnership working across both public and private sectors.
Latest News
04/05/2022 Police force launches trauma-informed care for children in custody
Source: Children and Young People Now
28/03/2022 Transitional Safeguarding – a more fluid approach which recognises that transition to adulthood goes beyond an 18th birthday.
Source: Russell Webster
23/03/2022 Higher early help spend and less poverty strongly linked to positive Ofsted ratings, research finds
Source: Community Care
11/03/2022 Childhood Trauma And Poverty Linked To Adult Offending
Source: Russell Webster
24/02/2022 Balancing The Child First Approach With Risk Management In Youth Justice
Source: Russell Webster
20/01/2022 Trauma-informed care ‘failing to meet expectations’
Source: Children and Young People Now
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What are Adverse Child Experiences?
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being. Studies from the 90’s identified that there are ten Adverse Childhood Experiences which could lead to negative impact on individuals which are:
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Physical neglect
- Emotional neglect
- Mother treated violently
- Household substance abuse
- Household mental illness
- Parental separation or divorce
- Incarcerated household member
Adverse Childhood Experiences have been linked to:
- risky health behaviors,
- chronic health conditions,
- low life potential, and
- early death.
As the number of ACEs increases, so does the risk for these outcomes.
Useful Links
- ACES too High
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website
- Cymru Well Wales: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
- PHE: Adverse Childhood Experiences
- Questions about the website
- Realising the potential of early intervention
- TED talk: How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime
- The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study — the Largest Public Health Study You Never Heard Of (Huffington Post)
- What’s your ACE score?