New card scheme helps vulnerable keep safe in Wales

A new registered card scheme to help people with learning disabilities or a mental health condition has been launched in Wales.

South Wales Police, Learning Disability Services and Mencap Cymru, have jointly developed a Keep Safe Card Scheme for anyone in the South Wales force area with a Learning Disability, or Mental Health and communication need.

The scheme, a first in Wales, is designed to make people more aware of their personal safety, to encourage reporting of crime – especially hate crime – and to seek help if they need it. It will also help those providing assistance, such as the Police, to access support for the user of the card and understand how to make them feel safer.

How Keep Safe Cymru works:

• If the card holder needs assistance, whether they are lost, a victim of crime or any situation that means they need some extra support, they can use the card to access this help.
• The card will hold basic information about the individual such as how they communicate, any health issues and any emergency contacts such as parents or carers.
• When an individual registers for a keep safe card, they will also be given access to the Police Disability Line. This is a dedicated non-emergency telephone number for people with a disability to use to contact the police.
• When calling this number, the call handler will be aware before they speak to the caller that they have a disability.This will ensure that the call handler is aware of any additional needs the caller may have and can pass it onto any policing resource managing their report. This is not an alternative to the emergency 999 service; it is to be used instead of the non-emergency telephone number only.

South Wales Police Assistant Chief Constable Jon Stratford said:“The Keep Safe Card is an excellent opportunity for South Wales Police to engage with people with learning disabilities or a mental health condition.

“It will provide people with learning disabilities or mental health with information about how to keep safe and how to access help if required through the Keep Safe card. It will enable us to be more accessible to our diverse communities, which will build personal confidence and encourage the reporting of incidents and crime to us.

“This scheme will build trust and confidence within our communities, promote accessibility and help to improve victim satisfaction. We are very proud to be involved in such an innovative and valuable initiative.”

Wayne Crocker JP, Director Mencap Cymru said:“People with a learning disability have to right to feel safe in their communities and the social model of disability means we as a society must make the changes needed to make this happen.

“We welcome the Keep Safe Card because it gives power to the person with a learning disability to expect to feel safe and be support appropriately by statutory agencies. We have been particularly impressed with the real, genuine commitment of South Wales Police to make this work for people with a learning disability and their families and carers; let’s hope all police forced across Wales follow their lead.”

Professor Mark Drakeford AM, Minister for Health and Social Services added:“I am grateful to South Wales Police, Learning Disability Services and Mencap Cymru for working together to develop the Keep Safe Card for the benefit of people with a learning disability, mental health issues and communication needs.

“The scheme supports work we are taking forward to reduce violence and disability-related bullying and hate crime which is underpinned by the need to support equality to create a fair society, free from discrimination, harassment and victimisation with cohesive and inclusive communities.”

South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael said:“Over many years I have seen the problems that can arise when an individual’s circumstances are not understood. People in official roles who are themselves under pressure can be impatient when they don’t know that a member of the public needs a little time and space to be able to explain themselves or to be given some special consideration.

“This scheme is about ensuring that people get the consideration they need and it’s helpful to the person who is shown the card as well as the person presenting it. We need to support the scheme and promote awareness of the benefits it will deliver.”