Reading Business Against Crime develops ‘Safe Places’ scheme

Reading Business Against Crime (RBAC), a partnership between town centre retailers, Reading borough council and the police, has been recognised for an innovative scheme aimed at providing reassurance to people with learning disabilities. The scheme has developed a series of recognised safe places in stores across the town centre where people with learning disabilities can go for help and assistance if they need it.

This scheme won a ‘Promoting Community Safety’ award from the Association of Business Crime Partnerships at their annual conference in May this year.

Local businesses have taken part in awareness campaigns as part of the scheme and posters, and communications boards, have been made available to shops across the town centre. Businesses have also been provided with information on how to best to serve customers with a learning disability. Safer Places aims to increase the ability of some of the most disadvantage members of the community to access Reading’s thriving town centre and helps businesses understand the needs of their disabled customers better.

In addition, RBAC was recently accredited by ABCP for the Safer Business Award, which is the nationally assessed standard where partnerships are examined to ensure that their partnership is operating effectively and providing a valuable service to its members. RBAC passed this with a distinction.

For the full story from businesscrime.org.uk, click here

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