Helping to protect and serve the people of Kent is Hilton Nursing Partners as they work with Kent Police helping new officers gain a better understanding of safeguarding and how they can interact with the elderly.
Called a Community Diversity and Inclusion Placement, Hilton Nursing hosted two police recruits during a two-day placement shadowing Hilton personal nursing assistants and assessors throughout their working day.
By shadowing Hilton Nursing Partners staff in this way, police recruits were able to build an understanding of how challenging working in social care can be, and also how Hilton’s social care provision supports those in the community with a range of conditions.
Breaking down ‘age’ barriers and building more caring communities
Recruits were able to develop a greater understanding of recognising individuals with dementia, understanding how perception shifts, and how confusion can very quickly take over in every day situations. A visit to the shops can quickly turn into an alien environment, panic can consume an individual, and emotions may start to escalate into what may be perceived as threatening behaviour.
Understanding the diversity of individual situations forms part of an awareness around safeguarding and what that actually means on a community level. Whether being more in tune to recognise certain behaviour, or simply having the level of understanding to identify a safeguarding issue, could quite simply be the difference between someone receiving assistance or not.
Throughout the placement the trainees were able to build a wider understanding and appreciation of the differences within their community. By spending time with experienced health and social care professionals, the police students were able to observe a variety of different communication styles being used and the need to adapt styles according to the person and the situation.
Shaping and developing the next generation of Police Officers before they serve the communities of Kent is important to Hilton Nursing Partners who feel greater understanding and empathy within our communities is required to truly understand the challenges elderly people face on a day-to-day basis.
Knowing your neighbours and building relationships with those in the community are pivotal to enabling people to live full and enriching lives in the community. Hilton Nursing Partners recognise and actively encourage these, and the importance of relationships, by actively encouraging individuals to make and maintain these important links as they are often the people that they turn to, and the first to raise an alarm if someone vulnerable requires help.
Gemma Tonkinsmith, learning and development manager at Hilton Nursing Partners says: “We were incredibly happy to assist Kent Police develop their new police officers and demonstrate to them not just the challenges in social care but what that translates to in our community.
“Being able to recognise a safeguarding issue, or understand how someone with dementia, or someone who is frail, may act or react to certain situations, and then having the right knowledge to help and assist, is paramount.
“It’s incredibly important for police recruits to understand that vulnerability, but also appreciate the value in community relationships and how they are at the cornerstone of safeguarding.”
Sarah Meloni, Diversity Placements Officer at Kent Police says: “We have been very fortunate that the Chief Constable of Kent, along with the Police and Crime Commissioner, have increased recruitment of officers into Kent. The experience and knowledge gained from these placements ensures that they can go on to provide the best level of service to the people of Kent once their training is complete.”
