THE police officer behind a scheme that provides safety support for those living with dementia has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours.
Inspector Stuart King, an Avon and Somerset Police officer, established the Dementia Safeguarding Scheme a decade ago in a bid to make it easier to find missing people living with the condition.
Now, he has been awarded the King’s Police Medal (KPM) for his efforts in getting the lifesaving scheme off the ground – and overseeing its growth.
The Dementia Safeguarding Scheme is available across Avon and Somerset, providing a range of assistance devices — including NFC-enabled wristbands, NFC hangtags, GPS tracking devices, and more recently, Bluetooth Tracking Tiles by Life360 — to help safeguard those living with dementia and reduce the risk of them becoming missing.
The devices are funded by partners and over the past decade, with Insp King himself securing tens of thousands of pounds from businesses, charities and partner agencies, to continue to provide the service to families across the region.
To date, more than 3,500 NFC devices and 600 tracking devices have been issued to vulnerable people across Avon and Somerset policing area, with more than 2,200 people registering via the Avon and Somerset Police website for the Dementia Safeguarding Scheme.
Registration incorporates the Herbert Protocol, which allows individuals living with dementia, their next of kin, or carers, to provide key information that can be accessed by the police if the person goes missing or needs assistance.
A range of devices are available to dementia sufferers under the scheme. Picture: Avon & Somerset Police
However, Insp King almost missed out on his recognition – as he almost blocked an unidentified number on his phone.
“I was working out of force and had stayed late just before going on annual leave and I received a call from a number I didn’t recognise, so didn’t answer it. I very nearly blocked the number,” he said.
“When I checked the message left it was to call from the Home Office regarding the Police Honours.
“Confused, I returned the call and it was explained to me that I’d been awarded the KPM and I had only a couple of days to decide whether to accept it or not – had I not checked the message and returned the call I wouldn’t have known until I returned to work, by which time it may have been too late.”
Insp King’s policing career began with Thames Valley Police in 2003, as a response officer in Slough, before transferring to Avon and Somerset Police three years later, based at Trinity Road Police Station in Bristol.
Much of his time since has been spent in neighbourhood policing in east Bristol, and also later working in South Gloucestershire and at the police headquarters in Portishead.
It was while working in Bristol he recognised the increasing trend of people who were living with dementia being reported missing or requiring assistance from police, with some ending tragically.
This inspired Stuart to create the Dementia Safeguarding Scheme in 2015.
In its early days, he would regularly spend long nights after work at the police station processing applications.
The speed of the scheme’s success though meant he had to look for other support from within the organisation, which he is particularly keen to make sure is not forgotten.
“I didn’t want to create something that only lasted six months,” he said. “I wanted it to stand the test of time, which is why I met with different dementia charities and support groups across the force area, including the Bristol Dementia Action Alliance, and our missing person co-ordinators.
“Ten years ago, the thought of using GPS for this purpose would have been slightly unusual. There were lots of local groups doing great work and I was able to help bring everyone together under the banner of the Avon and Somerset Dementia Forum which is still active to this day.
“Our job is not social care, but we have a fundamental responsibility to look for missing people and keeping them safe.
“While I came up with the idea and led on it initially, it is a team effort. The IT team has designed the forms and helped implement processes with the communications team, the enquiry office staff process the requests and I have a dedicated volunteer who helps – they have enabled us to upscale this scheme to what it is today. Those people have gone above and beyond, but I’m pleased I’ve been able to galvanise this.
“It’s a source of pride when I hear how the scheme has helped people and located them when they’ve gone missing or if they have required assistance. It’s not about me, it’s about the devices and wider scheme being of use and making someone’s life a little bit easier. If it also reduces the demand on policing to allow us to concentrate on catching criminals, then that’s ideal.”
The Dementia Safeguarding Scheme has been recognised nationally and internationally, receiving awards from organisations such as the Alzheimer’s Society.
The use of the NFC and tracking technology has also resulted in the scheme receiving an international award from the RFID trade organisation.
The scheme has also been praised by a leading professor of dementia research, whose academic study found that it reduced the number of people living with dementia who became missing.
Insp King has also helped other police forces, local authorities and charities across the UK and in the USA establish similar Dementia Safeguarding Schemes and he takes great pride in hearing how the scheme helps to protect people living with dementia.
In recognition of his work, he has received a multitude of awards, and the scheme has been recognised as good working practice by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
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“It’s humbling to be recognised in this way. I didn’t expect this honour,” he added. “The reality is there’s a lot of police officers who do a lot of great work that the public don’t always see or recognise the challenges they face, who I think are probably more deserving. It’s really nice for me, but I’d like my other colleagues to also be acknowledged for the work they do day in, day out, protecting the public.
“I’m fortunate that within Avon and Somerset Police I’ve had many supervisors and colleagues who have enabled and supported me to progress this area of work and given me confidence to try ideas like this. It’s not something I could have done without their assistance, support and encouragement.”
Chief Constable Sarah Crew said: “We are delighted to hear Inspector Stuart King has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours for his outstanding work around the Dementia Safeguarding Scheme.
“His passion for the scheme is inspiring. This was his own idea based on first-hand experiences of supporting vulnerable missing people and their families. He has driven this project forward for a decade in a voluntary capacity, while still carrying out his duties as a full-time police officer.
“It is a shining example of how we look to find innovative ways to protect the public, in this case particularly vulnerable individuals.
“First and foremost, it is an excellent tool to keep people with dementia safe by helping locate them sooner than would otherwise be the case. However, non-crime incidents, such as missing person investigations, take up a significant amount of police time and therefore the scheme also has the additional bonus of reducing officers’ workload and freeing up resources to attend other matters too.”
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