Recommendation SP30: Autism spectrum disorder police training
From The Southport Inquiry Report: Phase 1, published 13 April 2026.
Recommendation
1. Lancashire Constabulary should strengthen its autism spectrum disorder‑related training for new officers and through continuous development.
2. National policing bodies, with input from the Department of Health and Social Care, should consider whether reforms to guidance or training are required.
In brief (written by this site)
In July 2026, HM Government stated that options for improving police guidance and training had been provided to the National Police Chiefs' Council and the College of Policing (Home Office response, Jul 2026). It noted that this work will be led by national policing bodies, with the Department of Health and Social Care advising departments on aspects to consider and relevant experts (Home Office response, Jul 2026). The record holds no update since the government's response of July 2026 (Home Office response, Jul 2026).
Sources
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
Whilst this work will be led by national policing bodies, the Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) are jointly providing input as required. Progress and next steps:
- Options for improving guidance and/or training for police have been provided by DHSC and Home Office to National Police Chiefs' Council and College of Policing.
- DHSC will support departments developing autism training by advising on aspects to consider and relevant experts.
Blanket government agreement does not establish acceptance or delivery by each addressee. Some response passages cover groups of recommendations.
Scope of the government response
The government's response to Phase 1 (CP 1623, 2 July 2026) agreed with all 67 recommendations in one sentence, and names only 39 of them individually. Where a recommendation is not named, the response shown is the passage the response gives for the group it belongs to (the recommendations for organisations outside central government, or the recommendations to policing bodies), which is not a response to that recommendation alone; the response does not list the members of any group. The 10 recommendations for Phase 2 of the Inquiry to consider show no response: the response introduces them (paragraph 20) but answers none of them. The government accepts the recommendations that are for central government to deliver. Where a recommendation is for an organisation outside central government, the government's agreement is not that organisation's acceptance.
Delivery
No statement on delivery from Lancashire Constabulary has been found in the sources searched (last checked 2 July 2026). This is separate from the response above.
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Home Office
Response