Second Challenge: Mate Crime

RCChallenge-MC-header-whiteReal Change Challenge: Mate Crime

Part 1) A Challenge for Providers

Part 2) A Challenge for the Police, Safeguarding and Criminal Justice Agencies

The second Real Change Challenge from the Association for Real Change consists of two parts, namely: a challenge directed at Social Providers and a further challenge directed at the Police, Safeguarding and Criminal Justice Agencies.

The Challenge for providers was officially launched on Tuesday 14th May 2013 at the Learning Disability Today Exhibition in Sheffield.

The Challenge for the Police was launched in draft form at the first National Conference on Mate Crime, ‘Best Friends Forever?’, held in Nottingham on Tuesday 17th September 2013. The final version was released at the ARC Annual Conference on 3rd October 2013, following further feedback.

What is Mate Crime?

Mate Crime happens when someone ‘makes friends’ with a person and goes on to abuse or exploit that relationship. The founding intention of the relationship, from the point of view of the perpetrator, is likely to be criminal. The relationship is likely to be of some duration and, if unchecked, may lead to a repeat and worsening abuse. Steven Hoskin’s principle killer lived with him for a year before murdering him and his Serious Case Review lists more than 40 missed opportunities for intervention. This, therefore has serious implications for service providers, who must address the everyday, ‘petty’ examples of mate crime that so impact on people’s independence and confidence because of the compelling evidence that unaddressed, minor mate crimes are often repeated, and escalate.

The two-part Real Change Challenge on Mate Crime brings together the work and findings of the Association for Real Change’s Safety Net Project, which was funded by the Department of Health and which researched the issue of Mate Crime to raise awareness, deliver training, develop resources and local protocols.

RCC-Mate-Crime-SCP-largePart 1 Sets out the context and identifies, through eight ‘outcome statements’, what people with learning disabilities should be able to expect in order to feel safeguarded from Mate Crime. Included is guidance on what service providers from all sectors can do to meet those expectations, how to report Mate Crime and ideas to help prevent it from occurring. Foreword is by Katharine Quarmby, author of the report ‘Getting Away With Murder’.

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Part 2 Outlines the context for those working in criminal justice agencies and identifies reporting strategies – including widespread recognition that Mate Crime is taking place – and service specific actions that can be employed to assist staff, help prevent people with a learning disability from falling victim to the crime and improve the recording of any such incidences. Included in the pack is a foreword by Paul Giannasi, Police Superintendent and Member of the ACPO Hate Crime Group.