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Life-saving lessons teach Flintshire students how to be street doctors

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Street Doctors

A project in Flintshire that has received funding to provide medical training for young people in the area was the focus of a recent visit by Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for North Wales Andy Dunbobbin.

The ‘North Wales StreetDoctors’ initiative trains young people at risk of violence in first aid skills so they can assist in an emergency where someone has been stabbed or knocked out, potentially saving the life of the victim. The training is carried out by youth workers and healthcare volunteers, and young people learn about the medical consequences of injuries and raise their awareness of the mental health impact of experiencing violence. Around 250 young people aged 11-18 from across Flintshire are expected to benefit from the training.

The project is run by the StreetDoctors charity, which received funding as part of the North Wales Serious Violence Response Strategy. The aim of this key new strategy is to work with communities to prevent and reduce serious violence across the region. It focuses on bringing partners, including the police, local authorities, fire, and rescue services, and specified health and criminal justice agencies together to tackle serious violence and its root causes. The PCC and his office act as the convenor for these various stakeholders.

On 23 October, PCC Andy Dunbobbin attended a session of the project at Flint High School, where activities took place throughout the day with different classes from Year 9. While at the school, the PCC saw the delivery of a session about dealing with a knife injury and bleeding. While students are taught how to act in the immediate aftermath of a knife injury, the emphasis is on avoiding scare tactics with the young people. Rather the aim is to empower them with the knowledge of how to stop bleeding through practical action. The aim is to also get the students to understand the human body and organs, discuss the physical and psychological consequences of violence and to evaluate the learning and explore willingness to act in an emergency.

Andy Dunbobbin, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales said: “It was a pleasure to visit Flint High School and see the ‘North Wales StreetDoctors’ project in action. This initiative, which is part of the vital North Wales Serious Violence Response Strategy, will help improve knowledge of the medical and mental health consequences of violence. It will also offer the young people new skills and an understanding of what to do in an emergency, such as a stabbing, or if they encounter an unconscious victim. I also hope it will also improve their confidence and willingness to step forward and provide lifesaving first aid if needed.

“Serious violence has a profound impact on individuals and communities across North Wales. During 2022-23 over 30,000 offences of violence against the person were recorded by the police across the region. While this was a welcome decrease from the year before – and shows the hard work of North Wales Police and partners in the community – I am determined to see this figure drop even further.”

James Warr, Youth Justice Manager for Flintshire, commented: “With the support of the Police and Crime Commissioner, StreetDoctors has provided a valuable input with children, young people in schools and provides clear and useful information and practical aimed to reduce the impact of serious violence in our communities.”

Phil Crandle, Operations Manager, StreetDoctors, said:“At StreetDoctors, we believe young people are part of the solution to street violence. By giving young people the skills and the knowledge, both in the physical and psychological effects of violence, we empower them to keep themselves and others safe. In 2023, we found that 74% of young people we worked with had increased their knowledge of the impact of violence, with 71% having an increased confidence to act using the practical first aid they had learnt.

“In 2024 alone, we have trained over 10,000 young people nationally, and we are pleased that we have joined efforts by North Wales Serious Violence Response Strategy to support the decrease in crime locally.”

Diane Jones, Serious Violence Programme Lead, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner added: “This pioneering work in Flintshire, supported by partners across the region, demonstrates the impact of health professionals working directly with schools. Prioritising prevention in schools is essential, and we are committed to expanding this initiative to other counties.”

The key priorities of the North Wales Serious Violence Response Strategy are:

  • Supporting and enhancing prevention and early intervention around violence against women and girls, domestic abuse, and sexual violence (VAWDASV).
  • Promoting contextual safeguarding to work with children and young people vulnerable to exploitation and/or modern slavery.
  • Identifying and implementing improvements, best practices, and innovation as a partnership to respond to serious violence.
  • Building a preventative approach in North Wales, through an understanding of risk, adverse childhood experiences, and trauma.

To learn more about the strategy and its purpose, visit: www.northwales-pcc.gov.uk/serious-violence-duty