Northamptonshire Police among first UK forces using TIC TAC tactic to deal with kids in custody

Northamptonshire Police is one of the first UK forces using a new approach dubbed TIC TAC to dealing with children in custody.

Trauma-Informed Custody for Trauma Affected Children aims to better support arrested youngsters, help improve understanding of the effects of child trauma, recognise vulnerability, and reduce repeat offending.

The force detains up to 1,000 individuals every month — including up to 70 children — and Chief Inspector Julie Mead said: “The approach we now take is that every child is more likely than not to have a history of trauma.

“This is not about being soft on children. We treat everyone with dignity and respect – no matter their age or how they present to us.

“However, we now recognise that trauma can have lasting adverse effects on a child’s mental, physical, social, and emotional well-being.

“The children we see are often in crisis, so we look to decrease their distress, reduce the risk of self-harm, and help these young detainees to understand exactly what is happening to them.”

“We don’t want to exacerbate trauma further or re-trigger it as this won’t help the detainee or indeed the victim."

Significant numbers of youngsters detained have experienced stressful and potentially traumatic events — known as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) — which can affect behaviour and development leading to risk-taking, offending and self-harm.

Advice from Dr Louise Kirby, a Northampton-based neurodiversity practitioner, recently led to changes being made to some cells.

Blackboard paint on walls allows detainees to chalk and express themselves.

Shapes have also been placed high up so they can bounce small rubber balls, which has a soothing effect.

CI Mead added: “Small measures have made a huge difference in calming detainees, which makes for a much more amenable investigation and supports a better outcome for the victim.

“I want the youngsters that come into custody to leave with more support than they came in with so they have the chance to take a different path and not become adult offenders.”

As part of the TIC TAC programme, custody teams partnered with CIRV — a gang diversion programme — Youth Offending Service and the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner's Early Intervention practitioners, who visit the children in custody to offer support.

CI Mead said: “We have seen such a difference since we introduced the TIC TAC programme. Custody is calmer, our young detainees are less stressed, we have better, more amenable investigations.

"We’ve had less self-harm attempts, and detainees have access to support after they leave us.

“Some may look at these measures and think why are we ‘helping ‘criminals, they should just be put in a cell, they deserve to be there’.

"Police custody is an investigation process. Many people are not guilty of offences they are accused of and many are here when they are in crisis.

“Lots of the children have heart-breaking pasts where, if there had been the early support that we have now, I have no doubt they wouldn’t be in our cells.

“If we can break the offending cycle for just one child and offer them a brighter future, it’s worth it.”