Merseyside Police seek venues to create safe spaces

Venues are being encouraged to apply to become certified safe spaces, reassuring the public that they are safe, and that staff will know what to do if they are a victim of hate crime or faces with abuse, intimidation, or other unacceptable behaviour.

The ‘You’re Safe Here’ scheme uses a simple badge to identify certified places, with staff having attended a short 1.5 hour training course.

The launch of the scheme follows several high-profile hate crimes that have been reported in recent months but equips venues to deal with a range of scenarios, including awareness of sexual violence, unsafe drinking, grooming and student safety.

Merseyside’s Police Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, said: ‘Nobody should come to our region and face abuse, harassment or intimidation. Through the ‘You’re Safe Here’ scheme, our aim is to let everyone know there are places to go if you ever do feel scared or afraid, where staff will be on hand to help and will be trained to respond effectively.

‘I would urge venues across the city to sign up for this free training – by doing so, you will be supporting your staff, while sending out a clear and powerful message that our city does not tolerate violence, bigotry or hatred. My thanks to everyone who has helped us to roll out this simple, effective scheme which will make our city safer for all.’

Andi Herring, CEO and co-founder of LCR Pride Foundation, added: ‘While this scheme has been launched following a series of hate crimes against the LGBT+ community in the city, it is intended to provide safe spaces for all.

‘It has been designed to be simple to understand and for ‘safe space’ venues to be easily recognisable. There are no codewords or complex processes, just effective training that will empower venues to recognise issues and respond effectively, while also giving customers the confidence to ask for help.

‘The ‘You’re Safe Here’ training will ensure that venues and their teams know how to respond confidently and appropriately to any situation where a person may be at risk, from helping a person who has been the victim of a hate crime, to supporting someone who feels intimidated by another’s behaviour. We encourage as many venues as possible to sign up to the scheme, take the training and help to make our city a safer place.’

In related news, new government plans will make it a right to request flexible working from the first day of a new job, as well as introducing a day one right to one-week’s unpaid leave for people balancing a job with caring responsibilities.

Photo supplied by Liverpool City Council