Recommendation 1
IOPC recommendationThe IOPC recommends that West Yorkshire Police (WYP) should ensure all staff within the force control room receive in-person training on Right Care Right Person (RCRP). This should include roll-out of training to current and future control room staff.
This recommendation follows findings from two separate incidents that highlight concerns regarding the understanding and application of RCRP within WYP.
The first incident relates to an independent investigation into three welfare-related calls made to WYP concerning a member of the public, who was later found deceased. During the investigation, staff and officers in the Force Control Room reported they had not received any training on RCRP. This led to confusion about when and how the process should be applied - particularly in cases involving information from other forces - resulting in potential missed opportunities to assess and manage risk.
The second case, a Death or Serious Injury review, involved similar issues where a mother called WYP due to her son reporting he intended to end his life. Initially officers were instructed to deploy however this was later downgraded as it was deemed the ambulance should attend. Although it appears in-line with RCRP, the RCRP script or toolkit was not used. Once the police were informed the ambulance were not attending, no further assessment was made. Unfortunately, the man was later found deceased.
There was confusion in the control room around the application of RCRP and our review found that a control room supervisor had only completed RCRP training via e-learning, which was undertaken during a shift.
As a result of these incidents, we recommend that WYP implement in-person training for all relevant staff involved in the application of RCRP. This will help ensure a consistent understanding, reduce the risk of misapplication, and ultimately support better outcomes in public safety and risk management.
Accepted
Accepted, however these recommendations have already been implemented.
In May 2023, WYP first training was targeted towards phases 1&2, and the contact centre regarding RCRP, developing a dedicated digital learning module. The RCRP I-Learn package was specifically designed for contact staff, providing a structured and interactive learning experience to prepare them for the upcoming implementation. This module simulated real-life call scenarios and guided learners through the legal and procedural considerations central to RCRP. Its creation marked the beginning of a comprehensive training strategy aimed at embedding RCRP principles across the organisation, with a direct focus on our contact staff, as key decision makers in RCRP.
Building on this, June 2023 saw the launch of in-person supervisor training across all contact teams. This training was delivered to ensure that supervisory staff were not only familiar with the RCRP framework, but also confident in supporting their teams through the transition. The sessions focused on the legal underpinnings of RCRP, decision-making responsibilities, and the importance of consistent application across all shifts.
Simultaneously, a new training pathway was introduced for new starters within the contact function. From June onwards, every new cohort of contact staff received dedicated RCRP training as part of their initial induction course. This ensured that all incoming personnel were equipped with the knowledge and tools to apply RCRP principles from the outset of their roles. This approach remains in place, forming a core component of the on-boarding process and reinforcing a consistent understanding of RCRP across the workforce.
As part of the implementation of the RCRP framework within West Yorkshire Police’s contact function, a peer-to-peer support model was established to reinforce consistent and legally compliant decision-making. This initiative evolved from the initial cohort of trained RCRP Floorwalkers, who were identified as credible and engaged practitioners. These individuals formed a peer-support group, meeting regularly under the guidance of the Operational Policing Improvement Team (OPIT) to discuss live incidents and share best practices. Recognising the absence of dedicated training days within the contact rota, the group was tasked with delivering face-to-face RCRP training to their respective teams, ensuring full coverage across the department.
To further embed RCRP principles, peer-support members were strategically deployed during peak demand periods - particularly Friday afternoons - to review incoming logs and support frontline staff in applying the RCRP toolkit. This deployment was endorsed by the Contact Senior Leadership Team and aimed to address cultural challenges such as the ‘Log and Send’ approach, which often bypassed initial decision-making responsibilities, which was found to be the existing culture despite RCRP principles being effectively in-place since 2019. The peer-support model has proven instrumental in creating a safe learning environment, and maintaining the momentum of culture-change within contact.
In February 2025, a training presentation was prepared, to advise contact staff around the escalation process, that had been re-worked to reflect RCRP. This was published, alongside an S.O.P to advise when, and how to formally escalate an incident to partners. This was followed by contact SLT communications, and dip sampling from May 2025 to ensure that if incidents were being referred back to WYP, from the public or another agency, supervisors were able to engage partners in a professional discussion. Amendments to the RCRP Toolkit directly supported operators and recognised and prioritised potential ‘gaps’ between agencies.