Speak Up For Safety – Our work around Hate Crime

In 2024, nearly 12,000 disability hate crimes were reported to police forces across England and Wales, reflecting a troubling continuation of the national crisis that saw a 42% rise in incidents since before the pandemic. In response, our charity is proud to relaunch the Speak Up For Safety campaign in partnership with Merseyside Police, building on last year’s success and deepening our commitment to community safety.

The Speak Up For Safety campaign began when we saw the barriers that many of the people we support face when accessing their communities, due to past experiences of discrimination. To address this, we established a focus group of people with lived experience, collaborating closely with representatives from the police force.

Together, we developed resources and solutions tailored to real safety needs, offering practical guidance on recognising hate crimes, building confidence, and fostering greater independence, which has now become a really important annual campaign for Community Integrated Care, always taking place during October’s National Hate Crime Awareness Week.

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Community Integrated Care’s approach to hate crime continues to:

• Empower social care professionals to provide better support to individuals engaging with the police.
• Equip people who draw on social care with the tools and confidence to stay safe from harm in their communities.
• Provide accessible guidance for the sector on recognising signs of hate crime.
• Encourage people to become more independent in their communities.

In the coming years, we plan to continue working the people with lived experience and representatives from local and national police forces, to offer annual campaigns, ongoing training for our teams, and accessible resources. Together, we’re laying the foundation for safer, more inclusive communities—where everyone has the tools, support, and encouragement to live boldly and independently.