Date and time
Thu, 26 Jun 2025 09:30 - 16:00 BST
Location
Hilton York
1 Tower Street York YO1 9WD United Kingdom
Show map
Agenda
9:30
Keynote
ACC Matt Welsted, NPCC Lead for Neurodiversity
ACC Welsted will give an overview of the national context, focusing on the key challenges that can be addressed by police-academic collaboration.
Panel - Effective Participation
Dr Tom Smith, Associate Professor of Law, UWE Bristol
The panel will consider neurodivergence from the perspective of victims, suspects, and offenders, with contributions from Dr Alison Jobe, Associate Professor in Sociology and Criminology, Durham Univ...
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Roundtables
In the afternoon, delegates will be invited to join one of the roundtable sessions, where they will have the opportunity to learn about innovative practice-led projects and research. Delegates will b...
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About this event
- Event lasts 6 hours 30 minutes
The 2025 N8 PRP Policing Innovation Forum will be a day of knowledge exchange and innovation. Researchers, police, and other stakeholders will engage with the latest research and cutting-edge, practice-led projects, to find new approaches, new research questions, and new partners for collaboration to improve how we navigate neurodiversity in the crimial justice system.
This ninth Innovation Forum will feature a keynote from ACC Matt Welsted, NPCC Lead for Neurodiversity, a panel on Effective Participation with Dr Alison Jobe (Durham University), Dr John Taggart (Queens University Belfast) and Dr Alice Siberry (Creased Puddle), chaired by Dr Tom Smith (UWE Bristol), and roundtable discussions on Youth Justice with Dr Anne-Marie Day (MMU), (UWE Bristol), the Custody Toolkit with Chloe Holloway-George (Nottingham University), the Custody Screening Pilot at Cumbria Constabulary with Leesa Edwards and Peter Aiston, and Staff Support with Jack Fitzpatrick (LJMU) and Jake Harrison (South Yorkshire Police), who leads the HMICFRS-recognised support network at South Yorkshire Police. Further speakers to be announced.
There will be an ECR/PGR Poster Exhibition at the Forum sponsored by Routledge; if you would like to submit a poster, please see the call below.
A pre-Forum dinner will be held on the evening of 25 June in York; please indicate on your registration whether you would like to attend.
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SPEAKERS
ACC Matt Welsted, NPCC Lead for Neurodiversity.
ACC Matt Welsted has served in policing for over 28 years across three different police forces, leading transformational change and championing innovation. Currently serving as Assistant Chief Constable at West Midlands Police, he has driven improvements in digital policing, neighbourhood policing, and organisational transformation. As a proud advocate for neurodiversity, Matt openly shares his lived experience as a dyslexic leader. He believes that neurodivergent thinking brings invaluable strengths to policing, including problem-solving, innovation, and fresh perspectives. Through his work, he actively promotes inclusive workplaces that recognise and harness the strengths of neurodivergent individuals.
Dr Tom Smith, Associate Professor in Law, UWE Bristol
Dr Tom Smith is Associate Professor of Law at the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, UK. His research focuses on suspect and defendant rights, pre-trial detention and bail, open justice, and neurodivergence in the criminal justice system. He is the founder and Joint Co-Ordinator of the Neurodivergence in Criminal Justice Network (NICJN): a group of academics, practitioners and community members promoting research and knowledge exchange, and evidence-led practice. He has undertaken funded projects on pre-trial detention and criminal defence lawyers’ representation of Autistic suspects and defendants; and provided training and CPD for criminal justice institutions and professionals including the College of Policing, Judicial College, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary & Fire and Rescue Services, and Australian defence lawyers. He has spoken at national and international conferences, including the European Society of Criminology Annual Conference; and published extensively on his areas of specialism in peer-reviewed journals. He has edited two books covering disclosure of evidence in criminal proceedings; and Autism in the criminal justice system.
Dr Alison Jobe, Associate Professor in Sociology and Criminology, Durham University
Dr Alison Jobe is an Associate Professor in Sociology and Criminology at Durham University. Alison’s research focuses on institutional responses to victims of violence and victim’s experiences of accessing justice and support services. This research theme has been explored through previous research projects on trafficking, asylum, sex work, rape/ sexual assault and child protection/ safeguarding. Alison recently completed an ESRC funded research project- developing inclusive criminal justice responses to victims of sexual violence. This research explored police and multi-agency responses to learning disabled and autistic victim-survivors of sexual violence. Further details here: Towards Inclusive Responses to Sexual Violence - Towards inclusive criminal justice responses to sexual violence [inclusiveresponses.webspace.durham.ac.uk]
Dr Alice Siberry, Specialist Criminal Justice Neurodiversity Consultant at Creased Puddle.
Alice received her PhD in Criminology and Law from the University of Sheffield in July 2021. She also holds a first-class degree in Counselling, Coaching and Mentoring and an MSc Psychology degree. During her studies, she worked with North and West Yorkshire Police and the Independent Office of Police Conduct, and lectured at the University of Sheffield and York St John University, where she worked primarily with neurodivergent students.
Alice is a Specialist Criminal Justice Neurodiversity Consultant at Creased Puddle. Continuing her personal and professional passion for neurodiversity, she delivers training and consultancy to a wide range of businesses and organisations, including police organisations. Alice is also highly experienced in managing the most complex and high-profile Workplace Needs Assessments across the Criminal Justice sector.
In recognition of her research contributions, Alice was awarded the Translational Fellowship by the ESRC Vulnerability and Policing Futures Research Centre to investigate Counter Terrorism practitioners’ perspectives of neurodivergent people and their vulnerability to radicalisation by online algorithms. This fellowship supports her ongoing research into neurodiversity, particularly within policing. Her first book, “Diversity, Difference or Disorder: Neurodiversity in British Policing”, is currently in development and will be published in summer 2025.
Dr John Taggart, Lecturer in Law, Queens' University, Belfast
Dr John Taggart is a Lecturer in Law at Queens' University, Belfast. He is also a qualified barrister in Northern Ireland and England and Wales and has practised criminal law in both jurisdictions. Dr Taggart's research focuses on the criminal process, criminal justice and socio-legal approaches to criminal law. In particular, John's research looks at special measures in criminal courts and the role of the intermediary as a communication specialist for vulnerable court users.
John is the theme lead for the 'Vulnerable Accused' as part of the British Society of Criminology Vulnerability Research Network. He also co-convenes the 'Vulnerable Suspects and Defendants work-in-progress forum'.
John's current research project focuses on the conceptualisation of the right to 'effective participation' in police custody. As part of this project, John is collaborating with the Department of Justice of Northern Ireland (DOJ), the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Public Prosecution Service of Northern Ireland (PPS).
Dr Anne-Marie Day, Criminology Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University
Dr Anne-Marie Day is a Criminology Lecturer based in the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies at MMU. She has conducted research on children in care and neurodivergent children’s experiences in the youth justice system. Anne-Marie is currently working on a research project exploring racial disparity in youth justice diversion. Anne-Marie also has many years’ experience as a practitioner and policy maker within criminal justice. She is a qualified Probation Officer, and has worked in the community, courts and prison. Anne-Marie has also worked as a youth justice manager and for the Youth Justice Board as a Senior Policy Adviser. Anne-Marie is a board member for the Alliance for Youth Justice.
Dr Chloe Holloway-George, Assistant Professor in the School of Law, University of Nottingham.
Chloe’s research specialises in neurodivergence and the law, criminal justice and disability rights. She has previously led research aimed at improving the support of autistic people in detention settings through changes to practice, policy and the custody environment. Chloe has worked with the Nottinghamshire Autism Police Partnership to help co-produce an improved autism training package and toolkit for police custody staff and worked with police forces to deliver training and support them in making their custody suites more 'autism-friendly'. Most recently, Chloe conducted an evaluation of the autism training and toolkit to understand how it is being used by police forces with a view to influencing the development of national neurodiversity criminal justice policy.
Jake Harrison, SYP Neurodiversity Association Chair, South Yorkshire Police
Jake is a Criminology & Psychology graduate with extensive experience in the Criminal Justice System, specialising in Problem Solving, Restorative Justice, Neurodiversity, and Policing. Whilst his substantive role is in Data Quality, his passion for Neurodiversity comes from personal and professional adversity. Under Jake's leadership, the association has grown by 350%, impacting policy decisions, reasonable adjustment, recruitment strategies and ultimately SYP's culture to be more neuroinclusive . With a background in roles within Probation and Restorative Justice, Jake has demonstrated a commitment to robustly supporting individuals, challenging norms and speaking truth to power. Jake's efforts were recognised with the 2024 SYP Inclusion Conference Association of the Year Award.
Jack Fitzpatrick, Liverpool John Moore University
Jack Fitzpatrick, a 23-year-old PhD student at Liverpool John Moores University, is dedicated to changing this narrative. Diagnosed with Autism and Dyspraxia at age three, Jack's research focuses on creating inclusive cultures in law enforcement worldwide. In partnership with Merseyside Police, his thesis, ‘Modern Policing in the 21st Century: Time for an Inclusive Cultural Shift,’ emphasises the need for neurodiversity for officers and Staff.
During his PhD, Jack has collaborated with the Calgary Police Service, Downing Street, the FBI, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the European Parliament, NATO and multiple UK police forces. His goal is to make neurodiversity an organisational priority and ensure that neurodivergent individuals reach their full potential in the workplace.
Leesa Edwards and Peter Aiston, Cumbria Constabulary
Leesa and Peter lead Cumbria Constabulary's pilot programme, ADHD Screening Within Custody. The objective of the pilot is for long term prevention, by screening and signposting individuals entering custody for further appropriate support. The project will measure the effect on offending and reoffending of those who are screened. Further work is also being explored as to how to make the custody environment more appropriate for individuals who are neurodivergent.
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CALL FOR POSTERS
NRiPN Poster Exhibition
Sponsored by Routledge
Deadline: 4pm, Tuesday 12 June.
N8 PRP's New Researchers in Policing Network (NRiPN) is calling for posters presenting recent and ongoing research on policing by postgraduate and Early Career Researchers relevant to the theme of neurodiversity in the criminal justice system. Researchers will be able to discuss their work with policy makers, practitioners, and senior researchers, finding new opportunities of for collaboration and impact.
Routledge has generously agreed to sponsor the exhibition and provide a prize for the poster presenting the most innovative work.
Posters are welcome from non-members, but if you are interested in taking advantage of the network please visit the NRiPN page on our website.
Submission
Send an email with your name, affiliated organisation, and a brief overview of your poster to Ellen Reeves (ereeves@liverpool.ac.uk).
Deadline: 4pm, Tuesday 12 June.
Criteria
• Present ongoing or recently completed work relevant to the theme of ‘neurodiversity in the criminal justice system';
• Size A0 (1189mm x 841mm).
• Presented by postgraduate or Early Career Researchers (AHRC definition).
N.b. there is no restriction on university affiliation for this event.
Expenses
Exhibitors can request assistance with transport and printing costs. This is reserved for exhibitors who do not otherwise have access to institutional or project funds.
