THE Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Gwent and Gwent Police have been officially recognised for their commitment to supporting people living with dementia.

During an event organised at Gwent Police’s Headquarters in Cwmbran today, Gwent PCC Jeff Cuthbert and the Chief Constable of Gwent Police, Jeff Farrar, were presented with the official Alzheimer’s Society ‘Dementia Friendly Community’ kite mark in recognition of the commitment of their organisations to support people living with dementia. One in 14 people over 65 years of age are reported to be living with dementia and it can have a great impact on family members who take on a caring role for loved ones.

To achieve the accreditation, both the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Gwent and Gwent Police had to set out how they will work in a dementia friendly way, raise awareness of dementia and meet the seven criteria points set by the Alzheimer’s Society. Staff from the OPCC and the force attended awareness sessions to increase their understanding of dementia. Nearly 1,000 front-line officers from Gwent Police also received the training.

Welcoming the accreditation, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, Jeff Cuthbert, said: “We fully support the Dementia Friendly Community concept and a lot of work has been undertaken internally to ensure that my staff and staff and officers at Gwent Police fully understand the challenges faced by people living with dementia and the wider implications it can have. This complements and clarifies the high standards we already expect from all of our employees with regards to delivering a quality service with a focus on what matters to our communities.”

Chief Constable of Gwent Police, Jeff Farrar, said: “The Dementia Friendly kite mark is a testament to our commitment as a Force to providing the best quality of service to some of the most vulnerable people in our community. We recognise the need to protect and support people living with dementia who may become confused, go missing and generally need people to understand their condition. By providing essential awareness raising sessions to all of our staff and officers, we are providing a more effective service to individuals and the families of those living with dementia.”