Adverse Childhood Experiences training (FOI ref: 2303A/25)

Request

a) I would like to know if West Midlands Police officers and staff received training on the ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) topic at all?

b) If so, when did this training begin in the force?

Response

a) I would like to know if West Midlands Police officers and staff received training on the ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) topic at all?

Yes – however this is currently part of our broader Trauma informed training in West Midlands Police (WMP). All new recruits receive this training.

There is also a programme of training working with other parts of the organisation to ensure colleagues who are not captured as a new recruit also have this training, which has included a wide range of teams and departments across the force. The work is delivered via our ‘WMP Trauma Informed Policing Strategy 2024’. The strategy also references the different forms of ACES and the impact these can have on the lives of young people.

b) If so, when did this training begin in the force?

Adverse Childhood Experience training was first delivered to approximately 1,500 neighbourhood policing officers & staff in 2016 as part of a 2-day training programme for all Neighbourhood Policing Teams and the work to refresh and deliver more broadly has continued to date.