£10,000 grant for vital adult service

He agreed the one-off funding for the service that works with vulnerable adults and juveniles in police custody at his strategic governance board meeting.

The grants to Derbyshire County Council and Derby City Council match their own funding support and will help to mitigate threats to the service’s continuation this financial year.

Mr Charles said: “This important service was at risk of becoming a victim of the massive budget cuts imposed on councils.”

“This is not a long-term solution, we simply do not have the funds to do this every year. I will work with the providers and other partners to find a way to sustain the service in future years. I know how important this service is, hence agreeing to help out this year, but it should not be reliant on ever decreasing police funding for its continuance.”

He went on to say: “Vulnerable or young people who do not have access to parental or other care services need this specialised support to advise and help them through the custody and interview process. It’s an important and often overlooked element of the criminal justice service.”

The Commissioner’s timely intervention does however link two of his Police and Crime Plan objectives. These involve striving to provide strong and effective partnership working, and aiming to keep people - particularly the most vulnerable - safe from harm and anti-social behaviour.