We Care
Supporting people with disabilities or those who may be vulnerable for any reason
North Yorkshire is one of the safest places to live in the UK. However, for some people, going into their local town or city centre can be intimidating.
The We Care scheme looks to provide a sense of safety and independence for those who may be more vulnerable and enables the police to provide them with a better level of service.
What is We Care?
We Care is a North Yorkshire Police scheme designed to support anyone who is vulnerable and needs some help and assistance when they are out and about, or even in their own home.
The scheme has been designed, with the support of York People First, to enable people to go out into their community and live their lives, but at the same time feel a bit safer and secure.
It also provides important information to the police about a scheme member, so if they ever need to dial 999 or 101, the police are aware of any special needs the caller has and can assist them and provide a level of service in line with their requirements.
People of any age can join - so far the youngest is 7, and the oldest is over 100. The scheme is free for any resident of North Yorkshire or York.
A person would find the scheme helpful if they could be described as long term vulnerable for any reason. Many people on the scheme are affected by the following: learning disabilities, physical disabilities, neuro-diversity, dementia, Alzheimer’s, sensory impairments, communication issues, mental health, etc.
How does the scheme work?
When applying, a joining pack can be sent directly to the person wanting to join, or to a family member or guardian. The pack contains the two key elements of the scheme:
A ‘help me’ card, which members of the scheme can carry in their purse or wallet, and use if they ever find themselves in need of any help when out and about.
If the card carrier feels confused or lost – they can present the card to a person, in a shop or to a police officer and request help. The card gives a brief explanation of the We Care scheme and lists contact details for parents, carers, next of kin or friends who can be contacted.
Also contained in the pack is a form that collects important information about the scheme member. This information will be stored securely by the police and will be used to identify the scheme member if they should ever need to contact 999 or 101.
The information will be fed into our call management system, and through this system, if a scheme member ever dials 999 or 101 and speaks to the police, the Force Control Room call taker will automatically be aware of any special needs the scheme member has, for example difficulty with speaking on the phone. Police will then be able to ensure the appropriate level of assistance and service is provided to the caller, to enable them to complete their call.
Get in touch
If you require more information about the scheme, or would like to join, you can request a membership pack by emailing [email protected] or by writing to:
We Care scheme, Partnership Hub, North Yorkshire Police, Athena House, Kettlestring Lane, Clifton Moor, York, YO30 4XF
We are also able to visit any partners, organisations or groups to talk about the scheme - please just ask.
Your privacy
We are committed to protecting your personal information. For more information, please see the We Care privacy notice.