Keep Safe Cymru Card Scheme

South Wales Police, Learning Disability Services and Mencap Cymru, have jointly developed a Keep Safe Card Scheme for anyone in the South Wales Police force area with a learning disability, mental health, dementia and/or communication need.

The scheme is designed to make people more aware of their personal safety, to encourage reporting of crime – especially hate crime – and to seek help if they need it. It will also help those providing assistance from us, to access support for you as a card holder, and to help us understand how we can make you feel safe.

If as a card holder, you need assistance, whether you are lost, a victim of crime or you are any situation that means you need some extra support, you can use the card to access this help. The card will hold basic information about you, such as how you prefer to be communicated with, any health issues and any emergency contacts such as your parents or carer.

When you register for for a Keep Safe Cymru card, you will also be given access to the Police Disability Line. This is a dedicated non-emergency telephone number for people with a disability to use to contact us. When this number is called, the call handler will be aware of your needs as you have signed up to the scheme and we can access the information you have provided us using the registration number.

This means the call handler is aware of any additional needs you may have and can pass it onto any policing resource managing your concern.

This is not an alternative to the emergency 999 service; it is to be used instead of the non-emergency telephone number only.

To access this scheme, please complete a registration form, you can do this one of three ways:

• Download the Keep Safe Cymru Registration Form
• Complete the form online
• Ask for the forms to be sent out to you by post – our contact details are:

Public Service Centre
South Wales Police
Police Headquarters
Cowbridge Road
Bridgend
CF31 3SU

Phone: 01656 305981

E-mail: [email protected]

For guidance on completing the form, read the Keep Safe Cymru Card instructions or watch the video below:

Upon the receipt of a completed form, a Keep Safe Card information pack will be sent to the new card holder/Carer and they may begin using it straight away. The information provided on the registration form is for police use only and will not be shared with any third parties.

In addition to this, Mencap have provided key points to remember when communicating with someone who has a Learning Disability.

This scheme has been developed to ensure that someone with a Learning Disability or mental health and communication need is supported whilst outside of their home. It is important that they can access help when it’s needed including reporting an incident to the police.

• Keep Safe Cymru: Good Communication Guide

Next Generation Text Service

As part of our commitment to members of the public with communication difficulties, Keep Safe Cymru service users can also register with Next Generation Text Service. The organisation provides an App, which will make it much easier for people with hearing and speech impairment to make phone calls.