Community placement for Thames Valley trainees

New student police officers in the Thames Valley area are benefiting from work experience set up with the help of police partners in supporting housing services.

Stonham takes in young people aged 16-25 with a variety of backgrounds and support needs.

As England’s largest provider of housing and support for vulnerable people, it is giving work experience to the new intake of officers this month as part of a highly successful community placement scheme run by Thames Valley Police.

“During their placement, the student officers spend three full days at a Stonham supported housing service shadowing project workers and finding out about the work they do with people with a housing need, young people and people with mental health problems,” said a spokesperson for Stonham.

Stonham is one of over 120 host organisations signed up to the scheme, which aims to provide student officers from training colleges in the area with a productive learning experience within community settings. The placement benefits all involved, as it also gives the host organisation an opportunity to discuss any policing concerns which may affect their neighbourhood.

Last summer, student officers from training colleges in Abingdon, Aylesbury and Reading successfully completed placements at Stonham services around Oxfordshire. This year, two officers will be learning the ropes at Windmill House, a residential service for young people based in Oxford.

“The idea is that instead of just going to college, student officers have the chance to get out in the community and gain some insight and sharp end experience at local level,” said Matthew Wigglesworth, a Stonham area business manager for Oxfordshire.

“Officers gain a better understanding of what we do and the issues that affect us make it all worthwhile,” she added.

“I have spoken to many officers who have had past placements with Stonham and the way they talk about the quality of the placement and the work we do is incredibly positive.”

According to Louise Bosley, service manager for Windmill House, the placement is a “valuable experience” for both parties. “It gives the police a chance to get a better understanding of what we do and the reasons why our residents come to us for support, and it gives residents the chance to ask the police questions and chat about their experiences,” she said.

One officer who completed a placement last year kept a diary of his experiences: “Everyone I spoke to thought the community placement is a terrific idea and a valuable addition to the new police training programme. What I have taken from this will help me to better serve my community,” said Bryn Smith.