A Leicestershire Police officer has been named as one of the lucky few to be awarded with a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship.
To mark its 50th anniversary year as Sir Winston’s living legacy, the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust has awarded a record number of 150 Travelling Fellowships. PC Alex Crisp, who is currently on a career break working in the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office as Mental Health Partnership Development Manager, was one of nine to receive the Fellowship within the East Midlands.
Alex will be travelling to Canada, the USA and Australia to research best practice in the emergency response to mental health crisis, with a particular focus on the partnership response.
Alex said: “I’m extremely honoured to have been given the opportunity to carry out this research. Finding better services for those in need is a big passion of mine. As the lead officer for Leicestershire’s Mental Health Triage Car initiative I have spoken at events and advised operational and strategic leads around the country. From doing this I recognise that providing better services isn’t just my passion.
“The countries I have chosen are each using systems or processes that I am keen to learn more about. My intention is to look at these areas of international best practice and relevance, and then bring back lessons learnt to the UK to see if we can make any improvements to the way in which we work.
“The triage car team has achieved results for members of the community that were previously not possible. I feel that the experiences of the international community will stimulate further ideas to make the service we provide even better. “
Police and Crime Commissioner Sir Clive Loader said: “I decided to have someone who was dedicated to mental health working within my office because I am keen to see services improve, and for emergency services to come together and work in partnership to do this. I am thrilled for Alex and am very much looking forward to seeing what he learns and will take from other countries during this incredible opportunity.”
Since its inception in 1965, over 5,000 British men and women have been awarded Churchill Travelling Fellowships (from over 100,000 applicants). The ethos remains the same five decades on; for individuals to visit different parts of the world in pursuit of new and better ways of tackling a wide range of social, environmental, medical and scientific issues. From doing this, they can bring back new approaches and innovative ideas to Britain for the benefit of their local and regional communities and, in many cases, the nation.
Posted on Monday 9th May 2016