Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe visited Leonard Cheshire Disability’s Randall Close day centre to celebrate the success of a pioneering programme to support disabled people in Wandsworth, this week.
Over the past year the service manager at Randall Close, William J Gallagher, has developed a positive relationship with the capital’s police to improve safety for disabled people.
Police officers as part of their training programme in the borough now spend time on placement at the centre to work with disabled people to gain a greater understanding of the access and safety issues they face.
William J Gallagher, said: ‘After meeting the new police officers disabled people at our service have gained greater confidence to alert the service to any concerns they have to help them feel safer going out and about. Officers also report they have gained an increased understanding to offer the best support possible for everyone in our local community.
‘By spending time with us the officers have experienced at first-hand the challenges disabled people can face in doing everyday tasks we may take for granted. Even going to the shops or the cashpoint can be impossible because of access issues and our police officers offer excellent security advice which is invaluable. We have been delighted to work with our borough commander chief superintendent Richard Smith to develop the programme.’
MPS commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, said:
‘I was pleased to be invited to visit and see first-hand the work that is going on at the Randall Close day centre. The police officer placements are a great way to improve communication and understanding between police and members of the disabled and elderly communities.
‘I am grateful to the charity for its continued important work within the borough.’
The Mayor of Wandsworth Queenstown councillor Nicola Nardelli also attended the celebration.
