A GROUND-BREAKING new scheme to help police deal with missing children and adults with additional needs has been launched – with the help of a Caerphilly school.

Gwent Police and Trinity Fields School in Hengoed have been working closely together to develop the Trinity Protocol.

The scheme will be used by the force to aid them in locating missing people – whether children or adults – who have additional needs, or dealing with emergencies involving people with additional needs.

Those who care for people with additional needs are able to fill out a form to register an individual with a number of details that will help the force to be able to deal with the person in a way that would benefit them before they respond.

It means the officers will be able to access information that could help the officer to effectively communicate with the individual. It will also help them to locate the individual if they go missing and be able to take them to a safe place that the person is comfortable in. It will help with knowing whether the individual may not be able to speak or may react badly to sirens and many other things along the same lines.

The ground-breaking initiative came about after one of Gwent Police’s PCSO’s approached a teaching assistant at Trinity Fields School – a school specifically for children with additional needs.

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Gary Powell, the teaching assistant in question said: “PCSO Thomas Bingham-Vick came to me with the idea of creating the Trinity Protocol after his experience of working at our school.

“Class teacher Sian Harris and I shared our knowledge and experiences of working at Trinity Fields School. We were able to provide some officers from Gwent Police training and were able to share our experiences of young people who have previously gone missing.”

Head teacher Ian Elliott said: “I am delighted that Gary and Sian have been able to work with Gwent Police to develop a protocol that helps keep children and adults with additional learning needs safe. I would encourage parents and carers to sign up to this protocol and hope that they would never need to use it, but it would be there ‘just in case.’”

Amanda Blakeman, deputy chief constable and national lead for disability in policing said: “We’re committed to providing protection and reassurance to all members of our communities.

“This initiative is designed to provide our officers with vital information as quickly as possible, if they encounter and call for service involving persons with additional learning needs.

“It is important to add that any member of our communities – parents, carers or individuals with additional learning needs themselves – can sign up for the Trinity Protocol.

“With knowledge of additional needs becoming so important in an inclusive society, it is important that we can support everyone with the respect that they deserve within our community, especially at a time when our services are needed.”

Caerphilly County Borough Council cabinet member for learning and achievement, Cllr Ross Whiting said: “It’s great that this collaboration between Trinity Fields School and Gwent Police has resulted in a fantastic initiative that could make all the difference to children and adults with additional learning needs, should they ever find themselves in a position where they need to dial 999.

“The Trinity Protocol will help officers identify the individual’s personal circumstances and allow them to adapt accordingly to ensure the safety of the child or adult or others.”

To register with the Trinity Protocol fill out this form and email it to neurodiversity@gwent.pnn.police.uk