FOI 1285-2025/26- Trauma awareness training

Request:

I am currently undertaking postgraduate research examining the integration of trauma-informed and empathy-based approaches within policing training in England and Wales.

I would be grateful if you could provide the following information in relation to training provided to police officers within your force.

Q1. Trauma-Informed Training

a) Does your force provide training relating to trauma-informed practice or trauma awareness for police officers?

b) If yes, please provide:

The name of the training programme

Whether it is delivered internally or by an external provider

The duration of the training and frequency of refreshers

Whether the training is mandatory or optional

Q2. Training on Empathy or Communication with Vulnerable Individuals

a) Does your force provide training specifically focused on empathy, communication, or engagement with vulnerable individuals (for example victims of trauma, mental health crisis, or individuals with adverse childhood experiences)?

b) If yes, please provide:

The name of the training programme

The duration of the training and refresher courses

Whether it is mandatory or optional

Q3. Initial Police Officer Training

a) Is trauma-informed practice included within initial police officer training for new recruits?

b) If so, please provide a brief description of how this is delivered (e.g. lectures, scenario-based training, online learning).

Q4. Specialist Training

Does your force provide any specialist trauma-informed training for particular roles (for example safeguarding officers, domestic abuse investigators, or neighbourhood policing teams)?

If yes, please provide brief details.

Q5. Training hours

a) Approximately how many hours of training related to trauma, ACE's, neurodiversity, vulnerability are provided during initial police training within your force?

b) Approximately how many hours of training related to empathy, communication and engagement with vulnerable individuals are provided during initial police training within your force?

c) if available, please provide a breakdown of training hours, dedicated to the following areas within initial police training and throughout policing career:

Vulnerability/safeguarding

Mental health and neurodiversity awareness

Trauma informed practice

Communication and empathy

Q6. Training Materials or Guidance

If available, please provide any publicly shareable guidance documents, policy documents, or training outlines relating to trauma-informed policing or empathy-based approaches.

Response: 

Extent of Searches to Locate Information

Following receipt of your request searches were conducted within North Yorkshire Police to locate relevant information. 

Decision

I am not obliged to provide you with a response to your request pursuant to Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act). Please note that when one part of your request falls under Section 12, we are not obliged to review the rest of the questions and the whole request is therefore exempt.

Section 12(1) applies to your request as the cost of complying with your request is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond i.e. the cost of identifying and retrieving any relevant information exceeds the ‘appropriate level’ as stated in the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.

Due to the nature of our recording systems the information requested, if held, is not in an easily retrievable format. Our information retrieval process generally relies on a computer ran report which captures any information recorded upon the surface of a record or within specified fields. Where relevant information is held deeper in the record, or outside of a specified field, a manual assessment is required to retrieve that information.

Whilst there are standalone sessions on these topics, they are covered in other sessions throughout other programmes also, in regards to the hours spent / breakdown of hours on each of the areas specified would require a manual review of such to determine the hours spent training. This manual review would take in excess of 18 hours to complete, which would exceed the time limit allowed under the Act. which would exceed the time limit allowed under the Act. 

Pursuant to Section 17(5) of the Freedom of Information Act this letter acts as a Refusal Notice.

Pursuant to Section 16 of the Act I am required to offer you advice and assistance with regarding to refining your request to within the ‘appropriate limit’ (time/cost limit). However, we may be able to provide some information in relation to your request if you resubmit and omit part 5. Please also be advised that should the request be refined, it does not remove the public authorities right to cite exemptions if relevant If you wish to discuss this please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please note that systems used for recording information are not generic, nor are the procedures used locally in capturing the data.  It should be noted therefore that this force’s response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other responses you may receive.