3.24 Embedding officer learning and wellbeing in rape and serious sexual offences cases (Project Bluestone)

Academic team: Dr Emma Williams, Dr Nicky Miller, Richard Harding, Jennifer Norman, Rachel Ward
Policing partners: Avon & Somerset Police
Status: Complete

Teacher

Project Bluestone combines academic learning with professional practice and brings together leading academics from across the UK to work alongside police officers. CPRL are leading on pillar 4 - the role of learning and development and officer wellbeing in rape investigation which seeks to explore the relationship between the learning delivered at Avon and Somerset for rape investigators, their developmental requirements and officer wellbeing.

Working across five different workstreams, the project aims to help tighten the grip on offenders and address the falling conviction rates for rape and sexual offences. The five workstreams are:

Suspect focused investigations
Challenging and disrupting repeat offenders
Victim engagement
Learning development and wellbeing
Review of data and performance

Under this workstream we aim to improve the learning process by using iterative learning, blended learning models and reflective practice. Officers' wellbeing is also explored.

Outputs

Title	Outputs type	Lead academic	Year
Linking professionalism, learning and wellbeing in the context of rape investigations: Early findings from Project Bluestone	Article	Williams, E	2022
Critical reflection: The importance of case reviews and reflective practice in rape and serious sexual offences investigations	Article	Norman, J	2022
A new way of thinking about case review and learning	Presentation	Williams, E	2021
Review of learning and development and officer wellbeing in the context of RASSO	Presentation	Williams, E	2021
Time to reflect during challenging times	Pause point document	Williams, E	2021
RASSO learning and development guidance	Report	Williams, E	2021
Supervisors guide to reflective practice during the case review	Booklet	Williams, E	2021